Shrapnel Birmingham, Warwickshire shahrida, Mary Lillian Myfanwy (née Edwards) va jurnalist/yozuvchi Norman Shrapnelning o'g'li sifatida tug'ilgan. Sahna aktyori sifatida u Lorens Olivyerning Qirollik Milliy Teatri va Qirollik Shekspir Kompaniyasining a'zosi bo'lgan va 2011 yilda Barbican Markazida Deborah Warner tomonidan rejissyorlik qilingan "The School for Scandal" spektaklida Sir Oliver Surface rolida paydo bo'lgan. U shuningdek, Elizabeth R, Z-Cars, Edward va Mrs. Simpson, 101 Dalmatians, Space: 1999, Inspector Morse, Coogan's Run, Notting Hill va Foyle's War kabi filmlarda va televizorda keng ko'lamda rol o'ynagan. 1983 yilda BBC televideniyesining "Great Little Railways" sayohat seriyasining bir epizodini taqdim etgan. U BBC Televideniye Shekspir pyesalarining uchta qismida va 1984 yilda BBC tomonidan sahnalashtirilgan Sofoklning "Uchta Theban pyesasi"da Kreon rolida chiqish qilgan. Amerikada u "Gladiator" filmida senator Gaius, "Troy" filmida Nestor va "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire"ning ikkinchi epizodida Pompey sifatida yordamchi rollarda o'ynagan. Shuningdek, u "10th Kingdom" epik fantastika mini-seriyasida qamoqxona nazoratchisi rolini bajargan. Shrapnel "Midsomer Murders" serialining ikki turli qahramoni sifatida ikki epizodida paydo bo'lishi bilan kamdan-kam uchraydigan yutuqqa ega: "Death in Chorus" va "Written in Blood". U "Jonathan Creek" serialining "The Omega Man" epizodida professor Lance Graumann sifatida ko'ringan. Shrapnel Simon Callow bilan birga "Chemical Wedding" filmida paydo bo'lib, okkultist Aleister Crowleyning tirilish hikoyasini aytib beradi. Shuningdek, u BBC radio dramasi sohasida Colin Dexterning Inspector Morse va William Gibsonning Neuromancer kabi qahramonlar orqali tajribaga ega. U 1975 yilda Deborah Kerrning kichik qizi Francesca Ann Bartleyga uylanib, uning kuyovi hisoblanadi. Ularning uch o'g'li bor: aktyor Lex Shrapnel (1979 yilda tug'ilgan), Tom Shrapnel (1981 yilda tug'ilgan) va yozuvchi Joe Shrapnel (1976 yilda tug'ilgan). Ular Londondagi Highbury shahrida yashaydilar.
