From the beginning, he worked as an actor in a variety of media, including theater, film, television, and radio. He has also made a career as a theater and radio director. He has narrated many television documentaries, including the acclaimed series “The Nazis: A Warning from History“.
West made his London stage debut in February 1989 at the Orange Tree Theater, playing the character of Michael on “Les Parents Terribles“by Cocteau. Since then, he has been a frequent presence on the London stages, also doing two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), starring”Richard II” Y “Hamlet“, both directed by Steven Pimlott.
In 2002, West made his directorial debut with the play “The Lady’s Not for Burning“at the Minerva Theater. In 2005 he was appointed artistic director of the Sheffield Theaters. During his time as artistic director, West reprized the controversial play”The Romans in Britain“, and directed”As You Like It“, as part of the RSC Complete Works Festival.
When the Sheffield Theater closed its doors for renovations in 2007, West walked away and made his directorial debut in London’s West End with the revival of the play “Dealer’s Choice“. His last theatrical performance was with the play.”Uncle Vania“at the Vaudeville Theater, completed in January 2013.
Simultaneously with his theatrical career, West continued his acting in film and television. In 1991, he played the lower-middle-class employee Leonard Bast, in the film adaptation of EM Forster’s novel “Return to Howards End” (1992), opposite Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter and Anthony Hopkins. For this role, he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 1993 BAFTA Awards. Two years later, he worked with Thompson again, in the film “Carrington” (1995). Her film career continued with roles in several well-known films, such as “Jane Eyre” (1996), “Notting Hill” (1999), “Iris” (2001), “Van Helsing” (2004) and “Hyde Park on Hudson. “.
In 2004 he starred in the highest rated miniseries of the year on German television, “Die Nibelungen”, which was released in the US in 2006 as Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King.
West is a familiar face on British television, having appeared on many television series as “Midsomer murders“,”Waking the dead” Y “Poirot“. Among his latest works for this medium, he played in 2010 Peter scabius in the television adaptation of William Boyd’s novel “Any Human Heart“, while in 2012 she played Zak Gist in the ITV series, “Eternal Law“and a year later he put himself in the shoes of Frank Edwards on “Mr selfridge“.
During his time at the university, West was a member of the Socialist Workers Party and then briefly the Socialist Alliance. He has been a left-wing activist for many years, and a critic of Tony Blair’s Labor government.
West is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chairman of the National Campaign for the Arts and a board member of the British Actors Guild “Equity”.