Joey Batey

Joey Batey, man, what a ride he’s been on. Born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne—so, yeah, he’s got that proper Northern grit—he didn’t exactly take the easy road. The guy headed off to Cambridge, yeah, that Cambridge, and got deep into Modern and Medieval Languages. It’s not just a fancy line on his CV either; you can actually see that sharp intellect in the way he tackles roles. He’s not your average “let’s do some telly” sort of actor. He landed himself onstage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and not just any old play—Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, both of them racking up Olivier and Tony awards. That’s some proper theatre cred, right? West End, Broadway, big lights, all that jazz. He went from Shakespeare’s world to our screens pretty seamlessly, popping up in a bunch of British and American TV shows. You might know him best for swinging a sword and strumming a lute (yeah, you know the one: “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” got stuck in everyone’s head). But it’s not just The Witcher—he’s carved out this niche for playing guys who’ve got depth, wit, and a bit of a wild streak. Honestly, it’s rare to see someone pull off the whole “serious actor with a laugh in his eye” thing, but Batey nails it. From stage to screen, he’s the sort of bloke who keeps you watching, just to see what he’ll do next.