Jacob Fortune-Lloyd plays "D.L. Townes" in The Queen's Gambit — and the scene-stealing role has brought plenty of attention to the actor. Let's get to know him better.

Fortune-Lloyd has been acting on TV since 2015, though he's formerly a student of English literature at Oxford University. After that, he honed his acting skills while attending the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. He took part in performances during his training and continued work as a theatre actor.

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Anya Taylor-Joy and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd in "The Queen's Gambit"

The Queen's Gambit: "Townes" actor began in the theatre

The actor best known today as "Townes" was once employed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and in 2015 acted in The Merchant of Venice and Othello.  

Around that time, he also had his first TV role in five episodes of the award-winning BBC series Wolf Hall. Another successful step in his career was his portrayal of the bishop "Francesco Salviati" in the series Medici.  

He made the leap from TV to film in 2017 with the mystery film The Crooked House. Then, in 2019, Fortune-Lloyd joined the Star Wars universe with a small part as a "Sith Fleet Officer" in The Rise of Skywalker.

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd in The Queen's Gambit as "Townes"

In 2020, the talented English actor landed another role with plenty of exposure in The Queen's Gambit. "Townes" is a chess player who first meets "Beth" (Anya Taylor-Joy) when she's in her youth.

Later, he works as a reporter and their paths cross again. "Beth" raves about him, but they never become a couple — especially not after it's suggested that "Townes" is gay.

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Anya Taylor-Joy and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd are both part of the successful Netflix hit "The Queen's Gambit"

By starring in the Netflix series, the Queen's Gambit actor has gained further recognition and could continue appearing in popular projects. Miniseries The Queen's Gambit, which is based on a novel, premiered on Netflix on Oct. 23. It's also been the streamer's most successful limited series to date.

It's not yet known if a second series will happen or if we'll see Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as "Townes" again. In 2020, the actor also appeared on TV's Strike Back

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