Acclaimed actor and West Sussex resident Hugh Bonneville has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Theatre by the University of Chichester.

He is best known for his role in ITV historical drama series Downton Abbey, playing Robert, Earl of Grantham over six seasons from 2010 to 2015. His performance on the show earned him a nomination at the Golden Globes and two consecutive Emmy Award nominations, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

He also appeared in the films Notting Hill (1999), Iris (2001), The Monuments Men (2014) and the Paddington films (2014–present).

Alongside his film and TV work, his stage work has been prolific, and has included several seasons with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he played Laertes to Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet.

Locally, Hugh played Dr Stockmann in Howard Davies’ acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) production of An Enemy of the People and C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands at CFT three years later.

He returns to the stage as Uncle Vanya in California and Washington D.C. next year.

In the local area, Hugh is a patron of South Downs National Park Trust and he works with several arts organisations, including Scene and Heard, The Primary Shakespeare Company, National Youth Arts Trust, National Youth Theatre and Go Live Theatre Projects, working to engage children and young people with the arts and with theatre.

On receiving an honorary degree, he said: “It is a tremendous honour, having had many students over the years write to me for advice and having performed at the theatre and meeting students there. I’ve lived in the area on and off for 40 years, so to be welcomed into the university community, it is an honour and a real thrill.

On words of wisdom for graduates, he said: “Always listen to advice and then follow your own instincts.”