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Alfred Thomas Highmore (born 14 February 1992)
is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films ''
Finding Neverland'' (2004), ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
The story was originall ...
'' (2005), ''
August Rush
''August Rush'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. The screenplay is by Nick Castle and James V. Hart, with a story by Paul Castro and Castle. A co-production between the United State ...
'' (2007), and ''
The Spiderwick Chronicles
''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spid ...
'' (2008). He won two consecutive
Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Young Performer.
Highmore starred as
Norman Bates
Norman Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch as the main antagonist in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''. He has an alter, Mother, who takes from the form of his abusive mother, and later victim, Norma, wh ...
in the drama-thriller series ''
Bates Motel'' (2013–2017), for which he was nominated three times for the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and won a
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
. In 2017, Highmore began producing and starring as Dr. Shaun Murphy in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
drama series ''
The Good Doctor'', for which he was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
Early life
Highmore was born on 14 February 1992 in
Camden Town, London.
His mother, Sue Latimer, is a talent agent whose clients include actors
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
and
Imelda Staunton. His father is the former actor
Edward Highmore
Edward Thomas Highmore (born 3 April 1961) is an English actor. He was born in Kingston upon Thames, London.
Life and career
Best known for playing Leo Howard in the 1980s BBC drama ''Howards' Way''. He also appeared in '' Doctor Who'', playing ...
, and he has a younger brother named Bertie.
His previous home was in
Highgate
Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross.
Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...
,
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire.
The term ''nor ...
.
Highmore was educated at The Brookland Junior and Infant school in
Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb is an elevated suburb of London, north of Hampstead, west of Highgate and east of Golders Green. It is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations. It is an example of early twentie ...
near Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet until the age of 11 and gained a scholarship to attend
Highgate School, an independent school in Highgate, London.
In 2008, Highmore scored straight A* grades in English language and English literature, maths, Spanish, French, Latin, geography, biology, chemistry and physics in his
GCSEs
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
exam. In 2010, once again, Highmore achieved straight A* grades in maths, further maths, French and Spanish in his
A-level exams.
From 2010 to 2014, Highmore attended
Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he earned a
double first
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
in Spanish and Arabic. He also enrolled at the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
to study finance at summer school during the summer break at Cambridge in 2011. Highmore worked at
Gulf Bank in Kuwait as an intern in 2012, and at a law firm in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
during his year abroad while filming the first two seasons of
''Bates Motel'', which made him briefly consider becoming a lawyer after graduation.
Career
1999–2004: Early career as a child actor
Highmore began his acting career with small roles on television at the age of 7. He made his film debut in
Coky Giedroyc
Mary Rose Helen "Coky" Giedroyc (; born 6 February 1963) is an English director known for her work on ''Women Talking Dirty'', '' The Virgin Queen'', '' The Nativity'', and ''Penny Dreadful''.
Early life
Giedroyc was born in Kowloon on 6 Febru ...
's comedy ''
Women Talking Dirty
''Women Talking Dirty'' is a 1999 British comedy film directed by Coky Giedroyc and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Gina McKee and James Nesbitt. It is an adaptation of the novel ''Women Talking Dirty'' written by Isla Dewar, who also wrote the ...
'' (1999), playing the son of a woman who has recently become estranged from her commitment-phobic French lover.
In 2001, Highmore played a young
King Arthur in the
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
miniseries ''
The Mists of Avalon
''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (M ...
'', a take on the Arthurian legends that depicted the women of
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
as the real power behind the throne.
In 2001, in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
miniseries ''Happy Birthday Shakespeare'', he portrayed a young boy who dreams of moving his family to
Stratford-upon-Avon.
Highmore has acted alongside members of his family in two separate films: his brother played his brother in ''Women Talking Dirty'', and his father played his father in
Hallmark Entertainment
Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution ...
's television film ''
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story'' (2001).
In 2004, Highmore returned to the big screen for the family adventure film ''
Two Brothers Two Brothers may refer to:
Films
* ''Two Brothers'' (1929 film), a 1929 German silent film, directed by Mikhail Dubson
* ''Two Brothers'' (2004 film), a 2004 French-British film, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
* ''The Two Brothers'' (film), a ...
'', directed by
Jean-Jacques Annaud. He played the son of a French administrator who refuses to believe that his new friend, a tiger cub named Sangha, might be dangerous after having tasted blood. He next had a major role in the fantasy film ''
Five Children and It
''Five Children and It'' is a children's novel by English author E. Nesbit. It was originally published in 1902 in the '' Strand Magazine'' under the general title ''The Psammead, or the Gifts'', with a segment appearing each month from April ...
'' (2004). That same year, Highmore made his breakthrough with a critically acclaimed performance as troubled
Peter Llewelyn Davies
Peter Llewelyn Davies MC (25 February 1897 – 5 April 1960) was the middle of five sons of Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, one of the Llewelyn Davies boys befriended and later informally adopted by J. M. Barrie. Barrie publicly identif ...
in
Marc Forster
Marc Forster (born 30 November 1969) is a Swiss filmmaker. He is best known for directing the feature films '' Monster's Ball'', '' Finding Neverland'', '' Stranger than Fiction'', ''The Kite Runner'', '' Quantum of Solace'', ''World War Z'', and ...
's semi-biographical film ''
Finding Neverland''. He received several awards and nominations for the role, including a
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer
The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer (Actor/Actress) is one of the awards given to people working in the film industry by the Critics Choice Association at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
Winners and nominees 1990s
; ...
, and nominations for the
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and the
.
2005–2011: Young adult roles
![Freddie Highmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Freddie_Highmore.JPG)
In 2005, he portrayed the main role of
Charlie Bucket
This is a list of characters in the 1964 Roald Dahl book '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'', his 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator'', and the former's film adaptations, '' Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' (1971) and ...
in
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
's musical fantasy film ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
The story was originall ...
'', adapted from
the book of the same name by
Roald Dahl. He was reportedly recommended by co-star
Johnny Depp, with whom Highmore had worked in ''Finding Neverland''; Depp had been impressed by the young actor's performance and thus put his name forward for the role.
Highmore had not seen the original
1971 version of the film, and decided not to see it until he was done filming so his portrayal of Charlie would not be influenced. For his role, he again won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and was awarded the
Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent. Highmore also lent his voice to the film's
accompanying video game of the same name.
He next appeared as a young Max Skinner in
Ridley Scott's comedy-drama film ''
A Good Year
''A Good Year'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney. The film is loosely based ...
'', which was released in the UK on 27 October 2006. Also in 2006, he began portraying protagonist Arthur Montgomery in the live-action/animated fantasy adventure film ''
Arthur and the Invisibles
''Arthur and the Invisibles'' or ''Arthur and the Minimoys'' (French: ''Arthur et les Minimoys'') is a 2006 English-language French fantasy adventure comedy animated/live-action film directed and co-written by French filmmaker Luc Besson. It is ...
'', released on 13 December 2006. Two sequels followed: ''
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard
''Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard'' (French: ''Arthur et la Vengeance de Maltazard'') is a 2009 English-language French animated/live-action fantasy adventure film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It is based on the third book of the ''A ...
'' (2009) and ''
Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds'' (2010). For the third film and the trilogy's
accompanying video game, Highmore provided voice acting. In 2007, he lent his voice to the adventure fantasy film ''
The Golden Compass
''Northern Lights'' (titled ''The Golden Compass'' in North America and some other countries) is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Be ...
'' (2007) and its
video game of the same name. He then portrayed the title character in the drama film ''
August Rush
''August Rush'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. The screenplay is by Nick Castle and James V. Hart, with a story by Paul Castro and Castle. A co-production between the United State ...
'' (2007). The story follows a musical prodigy as he searches for his birth parents. This film received a wide release on 21 November 2007.
Highmore next starred in the dual role of American twins
Simon Grace and
Jared Grace in the fantasy adventure film ''
The Spiderwick Chronicles
''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spid ...
'' (2008), based on the popular
children's stories of the same name by
Tony DiTerlizzi
Tony M. DiTerlizzi (born September 6, 1969) is an American fantasy artist, children's book creator, and motion picture producer.
In the gaming industry, he is best known for his work in the collectible card game '' Magic: The Gathering'' and on ...
and
Holly Black
Holly Black (''née'' Riggenbach; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. ...
. The film also had a video game, ''
The Spiderwick Chronicles
''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spid ...
'', in which Highmore reprised the characters of Simon and Jared in a voice role. That same year, he provided voice acting for the role of Little Jack in the animated film ''
A Fox's Tale'' (2008). In 2009, Highmore voiced the lead character in the animated film ''
Astro Boy
''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 '' tankōbon'' ...
'' and provided his voice to its accompanying video game, ''
Astro Boy: The Video Game''. He then played the main role in ''
Toast
Toast most commonly refers to:
* Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat
* Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken
Toast may also refer to:
Places
* Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States
Books
* '' ...
'', a BBC autobiographical film about chef
Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater (born 9 April 1956) is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. He has written a column for ''The Observer Magazine'' for over a decade and is the principal writer for the ''Observer Food Monthly'' supplement. Prior to ...
, which was aired on 30 December 2010. Also in 2010, he starred as Hally Ballard in the drama film ''
Master Harold...and the Boys'', based on the
play of the same name by
Athol Fugard. The following year, he co-starred in the romantic comedy-drama ''
The Art of Getting By
''The Art of Getting By'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser, Sam Robards, Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. It is the first feature by writer-director Gavin ...
'' (2011).
2012–present: Acting, screenwriting, and producing
![Freddie Highmore @ Paley Center for Media 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Freddie_Highmore_%40_Paley_Center_for_Media_2013.jpg)
In 2013, Highmore voiced the title character in the animated adventure film ''
Justin and the Knights of Valour
''Justin and the Knights of Valour'' (Spanish: ''Justin y la espada del valor'') is a 2013 computer-animated fantasy film whose working title was ''Goleor: The Scales and the Sword''. It is the story of a boy named Justin, who wants to become a ...
''. From 2013 to 2017, he portrayed the iconic role of
Norman Bates
Norman Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch as the main antagonist in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''. He has an alter, Mother, who takes from the form of his abusive mother, and later victim, Norma, wh ...
in the
A&E drama-thriller series ''
Bates Motel'', a prequel to the
Alfred Hitchcock film ''
Psycho'' that restarts the storyline in the present day. He won a
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
in 2016 for his performance, and has received nominations for the
Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television
The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Actor on Television (formerly Best Genre TV Actor).
The award is presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, honoring the work of actors in science fic ...
(2013), the
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama
The Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama is one of the annual awards given by the International Press Academy
The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, ...
(2013), and the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series (2014–2015, and 2017). Highmore ventured into writing and directing during his time working on the series, writing the
fourth season episode "Unfaithful" and the
fifth season episode "Inseparable", and directing the fifth-season episode "The Body".
In August 2014, it was reported that
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
had purchased a comedy pilot script written and executive produced by Highmore and ''Bates Motel'' showrunner
Kerry Ehrin
Kerry Anne Ehrin (born October 8, 1960) is an American screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. In 1990, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for her work as a producer on the ABC comedy-drama series ''The ...
. In 2015, he appeared in
the Libertines
The Libertines are an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, has also included John Hassall ...
' music video for "You're My Waterloo". In 2016, Highmore starred in
Stephen Poliakoff's
BBC Two seven-part miniseries ''
Close to the Enemy'' and
Nick Hamm
Nick Hamm is a film, television, and theater director and producer born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He won a BAFTA for his drama ''The Harmfulness of Tobacco'' starring Edward Fox.
Hamm's most recent films, '' The Journey'' starring Timothy ...
's political comedy-drama film ''
The Journey The Journey may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Journey'' (1942 film), or ''El viaje'', an Argentine film
* ''The Journey'' (1959 film), an American drama starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Jason Robards about the Hungarian Revoluti ...
''.
In 2017, Highmore took on the lead role of Dr. Shaun Murphy, an
autistic
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
savant
Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...
, in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
drama series ''
The Good Doctor'', and was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. He serves as an executive producer and director on the show, and wrote the second season episode "Hello".
Highmore has been cast as the voice of the Duke of Cheshire in the animated film adaptation of ''
The Canterville Ghost
"The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in '' The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fa ...
''. He is attached to play the title character,
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...
, in the A&E drama pilot ''Baby Face'', which he co-wrote and will executive produce with Kerry Ehrin. Highmore will also executive produce Ehrin's drama pilot ''Long Distance'' for NBC.
In August 2018, Highmore formed his Sony-aligned production company, ''Alfresco Pictures,'' aims to develop scripted series for broadcast, cable, streaming services and international co-productions projects "that have a broader point or message behind them, that try and spark conversations that aren’t being had or give a microphone to voices and experiences that haven’t been heard from before." "I hope “''Alfresco''”, aside from being a play on my real name, Alfred, speaks more widely to a sense of refreshing, communal openness that is reflective of the stories we gravitate towards at the company," he said. "In wanting to set up ''Alfresco'', it came from a natural desire to be involved in a wider way in the industry ... I always had that natural curiosity to do other things. And that, I guess, shifted into not only wanting to develop my own ideas and projects that I was writing or directing or acting in, but also becoming a producer in a wider sense and helping other people tell their stories."
In August 2019, it was reported that Highmore will co-writing and executive producing ''Homesick'', a dark comedy in development at the WarnerMedia-owned cable net, which will explore mental health, body image, toxic masculinity and what it means to defy “normal” gender expectations.
Personal life
Highmore lives in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and avoids
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
. While on ''
Bates Motel'', Highmore developed a close friendship with co-star
Vera Farmiga
Vera Ann Farmiga ( ; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress who is best known for portraying paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the Conjuring Universe films '' The Conjuring'' (2013), '' The Conjuring 2'' (2016), '' Annabelle Co ...
and became the
godfather of her son.
Apart from English, Highmore is also fluent in Spanish and French, and semi-fluent in Arabic.
In a September 2021 interview on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', Highmore revealed that he had recently married.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Highmore, Freddie
1992 births
Living people
21st-century English male actors
Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
British expatriate male actors in the United States
English expatriates in Spain
English expatriates in the United States
English film producers
English male child actors
English male film actors
English male television actors
English male video game actors
English male voice actors
English television producers
Male actors from London
People educated at Highgate School
People from Camden Town
People from Highgate