Alex Lawther

Alexander Jonathan Lawther (born May 4, 1995) is an English actor. He is known for portraying James in the Channel 4 series The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019) and for his acclaimed role as Kenny in the season three episode "Shut Up and Dance" of the Netflix series Black Mirror (2016). Lawther also played the role of young Alan Turing in the film The Imitation Game (2014), in which he won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Young British Performer of the Year, and originated the role of John Blakemore in Sir David Hare's South Downs on the West End.

Alex Lawther
Lawther at the 58th BFI London Film Festival Awards in 2014
Born
Alexander Jonathan Lawther[1]

(1995-05-04) May 4, 1995
Winchester, Hampshire, England
EducationChurcher's College
Alma materNational Youth Theatre
OccupationActor
Years active2011–present
Known forThe End of the F***ing World
Black Mirror
The Imitation Game
South Downs

Early Life

Lawther was born in Winchester, Hampshire and raised in Petersfield.[2] The youngest of three, he has said that his aspiration to be an actor came from having to make up his own games to entertain himself as a child.[3] Both of his parents are attorneys,[3] while his older brother, Cameron Lawther, is a film producer, and his older sister Ellie Lawther works in public policy.[4] The brothers have worked together on The Fear and Yussef is Complicated.

In 2009, Lawther wrote and directed a play entitled Rejected Fairytales as part of his drama club involvement at Churcher's College in Petersfield.[5][6] Lawther played Ratty in The Wind in the Willows at school.[7] Lawther did not study drama at GCSE or A level.[4] He trained with the National Youth Theatre. He initially planned to study History at King's College London before forgoing his spot to pursue acting professionally.[8]

In 2020, he co-signed an open letter to the government of the United Kingdom to ban conversion therapy.[9] He has also been involved in climate activism with Extinction Rebellion.

Career

Lawther's professional debut came at the age of 16, when he appeared as John Blakemore in David Hare's South Downs at Chichester Festival Theatre and again at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End.[3] He made his feature film debut as the young Alan Turing in the Academy Award-winning film The Imitation Game (2014).[3][10][11][12] The role won him the London Film Critics' Circle Award for "Young British Performer of the Year" in 2015.[13] In 2015, he appeared in a supporting role in the critically acclaimed coming-of-age drama film X+Y. In 2016, he gained his first lead role playing Elliot, alongside Juliet Stevenson in the British film, Departure, the debut film of Andrew Steggall.[14]

In 2016, Lawther played the main character Kenny in "Shut Up and Dance", an episode from series three of the British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.[15] While the episode overall received mixed reviews, Lawther received acclaim and significant recognition for his performance. In 2017, Lawther played Tibby Schlegel in Howards End, a BBC One adaptation of the E.M. Forster novel and the lead role in Trudie Styler's Freak Show. That same year, he also starred, alongside Jessica Barden, as James in the television series The End of the F***ng World. The role also brought Lawther more acclaim from critics. He would go on to reprise this role during the show's second season.

Subsequently, Lawther played the lead role of Martin Amberson in Toby MacDonald's Old Boys, as well as a supporting role in the horror film Ghost Stories. In 2020, Lawther played one of the main protagonists in Régis Roinsard's thriller, Les Traducteurs (The Translators), his first non-English language film. To prepare for this role, he became fluent in French.

Recognition

Lawther has been praised by Dame Maggie Smith for his work, reportedly telling him that "most of us spend our lives trying to do what you've achieved".[3] He has been compared to actor Ben Whishaw,[3] whom he cites as an idol of his[16] and worked with on the short film Miss Fortunate. He has received the London Film Critics' Circle Award for "Young British Performer of the Year" for The Imitation Game for and the Dublin Film Critics Award at the Dublin International Film Festival for "Best Actor" for Departure. In 2015, he was named as one of BAFTA's Breakthrough Brits.[17]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2010 The Fear The Boy Short film
2013 Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict Benjamin Britten[18] Docudrama
2014 The Imitation Game Young Alan Turing London Film Critics' Circle Award for "Young British Performer of the Year"[19]
Nominated – BFI London Film Festival Award for Best British Newcomer[20]
2014 X+Y Isaac Cooper[18] Released in the US as A Brilliant Young Mind
2015 Yussef is Complicated Rory Short film
2016 Departure Elliot[21] Dublin Film Critics Award for "Best Actor"
Dinard British Film Festival Special Mention
2016 Narrated By Sam Simpowitz Short film
2017 Freak Show Billy Bloom Credited as "Alex J. Lawther"
2017 Goodbye Christopher Robin Christopher Robin Milne Aged 18
2018 Ghost Stories Simon Rifkind Nominated – Fright Meter Award for "Best Supporting Actor"
2018 Old Boys Martin Amberson
2018 Alex's Dream Alex Morin
2019 The Translators Alex Goodman
2019 Miss Fortunate Jack Short film
2020 Spark Theo Short film
2020 The French Dispatch Post-production

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2014 Holby City Fred Bamber 1 episode
2015 Virtuoso Battista Pilot
2016 Black Mirror Kenny Episode: "Shut Up and Dance"
2017 Carnage Volunteer: Joseph Mockumentary
2017 Howards End Tibby Schlegel Miniseries
2017–2019 The End of the F***ing World James Main role, 16 episodes
2020 Unprecedented Zac 1 episode

Stage
Year Title Role Venue
2011 South Downs John Blakemore Chichester Festival Theatre[22]
2012 South Downs John Blakemore Harold Pinter Theatre[23]
2013 Fault Lines Ryan Hampstead Theatre[24]
2014 The Glass Supper Jamie Hampstead Theatre[25]
2015 Crushed Shells and Mud Derek Southwark Playhouse[26]
2017-2019 The Jungle Sam Young Vic Theatre & Playhouse Theatre (2018),[27] St. Ann’s Warehouse

Radio
Year Title Role Notes
2013 South Downs John Blakemore
2014 How to Say Goodbye Properly Toby[28]
2014 Rock Me Amadeus Charlie[29] BBC Radio 4[29]
2015 Decline and Fall[30] Peter
2020 Murmurs Lloyd Episode: "Man's Best Friend"

Music Video
Year Title Role
2020 "The Key to Life on Earth" by Declan McKenna Himself

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Refs.
2014 London Film Festival Best British Newcomer The Imitation Game Nominated [31]
2015 London Critics' Circle Film Awards Young British Performer of the Year The Imitation Game Won [32]
2016 Audi Dublin International Film Festival Best Actor Departure Won [33]
2018 Fright Meter Awards Best Supporting Actor Ghost Stories Nominated [34]

References
  1. "FamilySearch".
  2. "London's top 25 under-25s: they're young and successful - deal with it". Evening Standard. 28 March 2013.
  3. Bellotti, Alex. "Teenage prodigy Alex Lawther following footsteps of Ben Whishaw and Benedict Cumberbatch". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. "Actor Profile". Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  5. "Bordon Post". Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  6. "Old Churcherian Alex Lawther has continued to enjoy a successful and varied acting career since leaving Churcher's". Churcher's College. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015.
  7. Parkes, Tom (16 February 2015). "New star in the game". Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  8. "Profile: Alex Lawther – Katie Strick". 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  9. "Out Magazine". 3 August 2020.
  10. Bellotti, Alex. "Teenage prodigy Alex Lawther following footsteps of Ben Whishaw and Benedict Cumberbatch". Ham & High. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  11. Zakarin, Jordan. "Meet the Actor Who Plays a Young Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Imitation Game'". Yahoo. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  12. Barnard, Linda. "Alex Lawther's performance as teen Turing gave director goosebumps". The Star. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  13. "'Boyhood' Wins at U.K. Critics' Awards as U.S. Talent Triumphs". Variety.
  14. Harvey, Dennis (18 January 2016). "Film Review: 'Departure'". Variety. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  15. "The Stories For 'Black Mirror' Season 3 Have Been Revealed (Spoiler-Free)". The Verge. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  16. "Alex Lawther Tickets - Tour Dates & Artist Information - ATG Tickets". Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  17. http://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough-brits/bafta-breakthrough-brits-2015
  18. "Alex Lawther: Actor". The Stage.
  19. "Alex Lawther: Actor". The Critics Circle. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015.
  20. "Alex Lawther: Actor". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  21. "Alex Lawther: Actor". Peccadillo Pictures. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  22. "South Downs/The Browning Version, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, review". The Telegraph.
  23. "South Downs/ The Browning Version, Harold Pinter Theatre - review". London Evening Standard.
  24. "Fault Lines Cast and Crew". Hampstead Theatre. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  25. "The Glass Supper, Hampstead Downstairs - theatre review". London Evening Standard.
  26. "Crushed Shells and Mud Official site". Southwark Playhouse. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  27. "The Jungle". Young Vic website. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  28. "Afternoon Drama on BBC R4". BBC Radio 4.
  29. "Rock Me Amadeus". BBC Radio 4.
  30. "BBC Radio 4 - Drama, Evelyn Waugh - Decline and Fall, Episode 1". BBC.
  31. "The 58th BFI London Film Festival 2014". BFI. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  32. "The 35th London Critics' Circle Film Awards". Critics Circle. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  33. "Audi Dublin International Film Festival Awards winners". Breaking News. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  34. "Fright Meter Awards 2018". Fright Meter Awards. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
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