(Photo: Acorn TV)

In Under the Vines, which returns for season two Monday (January 23) on Acorn TV, Charles Edwards and Rebecca Gibney play a couple of city slickers who inherit a struggling vineyard in rural New Zealand. There is drama, there is romance, and there is most certainly sauvignon blanc. To whet your appetite – or should that be "cleanse your palate?" – we're getting to know Charles Edwards a little better. This charming British actor has carved out a prolific career with roles in some of the biggest series around, so here's a handy guide to his roots and résumé.

He grew up in Grayshott, a village around 50 miles southwest of London.

Edwards, the youngest of four sons, wanted to be an actor from a young age. "Well, initially I was quite shy about it and a bit cautious. But once I started to do school plays, my academic work slightly went down the pan but I discovered that I really enjoyed it," he told Broadway World. "Then I did the National Youth Music Theatre for two years, once I'd left school. That included doing a show at the Edinburgh Festival, which then transferred to [London arts center] Sadler's Wells. And then I auditioned for two or three drama schools and got into Guildhall [School of Music and Drama] and then started."

He studied at Winchester College.

This posh boys' boarding school dates all the way back to 1382. Edwards' fellow alumni – who are known as "Wykehamists" – include actor Hugh Dancy, Soft Boys singer Robyn Hitchcock, and the U.K.'s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. So, he is definitely in illustrious company.

He plays Celembribor in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

It's a pivotal role because Celembribor, a master craftsman, is manipulated by Sauron (Charlie Vickers) into forging the Rings of Power that drive the story. When the series premiered in August, Edwards' eloquent and dignified performance as the elvin artist made him a bit of a fan favorite.

He's a Downton Abbey alum.

Edwards appears in the show's third and fourth seasons as Michael Gregson, a magazine editor who encourages Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) to pursue a publishing career. Gregson and Lady Edith later begin a romantic relationship, but marriage is impossible because he already has a wife who has been committed to a mental health facility. Gregson doesn't get a happy ending, but his presence is still felt in the Downton world because he's the father of Lady Edith's daughter, Marigold.

He also played Monty Python legend Michael Palin.

Edwards portrayed Palin in Holy Flying Circus, a 2011 BBC TV movie about the fallout from the comedy crew's hugely controversial movie Monty Python's Life of Brian, which was accused of blasphemy when it came out in 1979. In the clip below, you may also recognise Killing Eve's Darren Boyd as fellow Python John Cleese.

And he was in The Crown.

Edwards appeared in seasons three and four as Sir Martin Charteris, loyal Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman). It's another role he imbues with a touch of class and his usual poise.

He appeared in AMC's The Terror as well.

Edwards appears in season one of the chilling thriller series, which follows two explorer ships that get frozen in the Arctic Ocean during a treacherous expedition in the 1840s. Edwards plays a real-life figure, Alexander McDonald, a talented Scottish physician who served as assistant surgeon on HMS Terror.

And he is also a prolific stage actor.

Edwards has worked with some of the greats: he starred opposite Judi Dench in a London production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, trod the boards with Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit, and led an Australian revival of My Fair Lady that was directed by Julie Andrews. He also starred in the original stage production of The King's Speech which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Colin Firth. Last year he was nominated for an Olivier Award – the top prize in British theater – for his performance as Gore Vidal in the biographical play Best of Enemies.

Season two of Under the Vines premieres Tuesday, January 23 on Acorn TV.

Do you have a favorite Charles Edwards performance to date?