Elliot Aidan Cowan (born 9 July 1976) is a British film and television actor, known for portraying Corporal Jem Poynton in Ultimate Force, Mr Darcy in Lost in Austen, and Ptolemy in the 2004 film Alexander. He also starred as Lorenzo de' Medici in Da Vinci's Demons and Daron-Vex in Krypton. Cowan most recently is known for playing King Henry VII in part 1 of the series The Spanish Princess and the 2023 Hulu miniseries Black Cake.

Born in London, Cowan was brought up in Colchester, Essex.^[2] He is the son of a consultant physician and a charity worker, and has a younger brother and sister.^[2]

Cowan boarded at Uppingham School in Rutland.^[2] He later obtained a first class degree in drama at the University of Birmingham, before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, from which he graduated in July 2001. From 1994 to 1996, Cowan was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. He plays guitar and cello, and has worked with the London Sinfonia.^{[citation needed]}

Cowan's television credits include Judge John Deed, Ultimate Force, Jonathan Creek, Poirot, Foyle's War, The Ruby in the Smoke, Lost in Austen and the television movie The Project.

Cowan has appeared in the films The Golden Compass, Happy-Go-Lucky, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Love and Other Disasters, and Howl. His theatre work includes productions of The Revenger's Tragedy, Women Beware Women, Henry V, The Seagull and Camille.

He played Stanley Kowalski in the 2009 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse, and was a lead in Les Blancs at the National Theatre in 2016.

He played Macbeth at the Globe Theatre from 23 April- 27 June 2010 alongside Laura Rogers as Lady Macbeth.

He starred as Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre in London's West End from 4 November 2010 to 19 February 2011.^[3]

As of 2010, he voiced Alec Trevelyan in Goldeneye 007 for the Wii console, also providing his likeness.

He lives in Dalston, London.^{[citation needed]} On 7 August 2011, Elliot swam the 16 miles (26 km) long Lake Zurich Swim race,^[4] to raise funds for the Neonatal Unit at Guy's and St. Thomas's in memory of Alfie Blacksell.