Jeremy William Fredric Smith (born 18 June 1990), known professionally as Jeremy Irvine, is an English actor who made his film debut in the epic war film ''
War Horse
The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...
'' (2011). In 2012, he portrayed
Philip "Pip" Pirrip in the film adaptation of ''
Great Expectations''.
Irvine earned a reputation as a
Method actor
Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to:
*Scien ...
after he went for two months without food, losing around , and performed his own torture scene stunts in ''
The Railway Man'' (2013). He has since starred in ''
The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'' (2015), and portrayed Daniel Grigori in the
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
film adaptation of the young adult novel ''
Fallen
Fallen may refer to:
People
* Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist
* Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
* Fallen ...
'' (2016), as well as young Sam in ''
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film ''Mamma Mia!'' ...
'' (2018). In 2019, he starred as John Randolph Bentley in the
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
television series ''
Treadstone
''Treadstone'' is an American action drama television series, connected to and based on the ''Bourne'' film series. A "special preview" of the pilot aired on USA Network on September 24, 2019, ahead of its October 15, 2019, premiere. The ser ...
''.
Early life
Irvine was born Jeremy William Fredric Smith
on 18 June 1990 in
Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, where he was raised.
His mother, Bridget Smith, is a
Liberal Democrat
Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology.
Active parties
Former parties
See also
*Liberal democracy
*Lib ...
councillor on (and latterly leader of) the
South Cambridgeshire District Council
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
, and his father, Chris Smith, is an engineer.
He has two younger brothers, one of whom portrayed a younger version of Irvine's Pip in ''
Great Expectations''. All three boys have diabetes. Irvine's stage surname was his grandfather's first name.
His great-grandfather, Sir
Ralph Lilley Turner
Sir Ralph Lilley Turner (5 October 1888 – 22 April 1983) was a British philologist of Indian languages and a university administrator. He is notable for composing an Indo-Aryan comparative dictionary. He is also the author of some publicati ...
, wrote the quotation used as the inscription on London's
Gurkha Memorial.
Irvine started acting at age 16. He says his drama teacher inspired him to pursue acting: "I never fitted in, which led me to acting. I was looking for something different." He played
Romeo
Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...
along with other main roles in plays whilst attending
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in The Harpur Trust, born from the endowments left by Sir William Harpur in the six ...
,
followed by a run with the
National Youth Theatre.
After completing a one-year foundation course at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), which he attended with
Sam Claflin
Samuel George Claflin (born 27 June 1986) is an English actor. After graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2009, he began his acting career on television and had his first film role as Philip Swift in '' Pirates of th ...
,
Irvine spent two years posting his CV through letterboxes in an effort to get acting work. He almost gave up acting for good just before he got his big break in ''War Horse''. In an interview with
CBS News while promoting ''Great Expectations'', he described this as the lowest point of his life and revealed that he considered taking a different career path: "I'd kind of hit rock bottom and really did think this was stupid and I just wasted three or four years of my life. My dad wanted me to get a job being a welder. At the company he was at, he was an engineer. I was very very close to doing that."
Career
![Jeremy Irvine 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Jeremy_Irvine_2012.jpg)
Irvine worked in his local supermarket and also did web design prior to gaining success as an actor. He played Luke in the television series ''
Life Bites
''Life Bites'' is a British adaptation of the Italian series ''Life Bites – Pillole di vita'' by Disney Channel Italy. It premiered on 6 September 2008. The show series looks at the everyday adventures of Chloe and Harvey, who are brother and s ...
''
and appeared in the
Royal Shakespeare Company's 2010 production of ''
Dunsinane''.
He was quoted in ''
Interview Magazine'', saying: "My friends all took the mick out of me for ''Dunsinane'' saying, 'You're gonna be the tree'. Indeed, in my first scene, I was waving two branches."
In June 2010, he was cast in the lead role of the 2011
Steven Spielberg film ''
War Horse
The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...
''.
The film was an adaption of
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytell ...
's novel, also entitled
''War Horse''. Spielberg revealed that he had been looking for an unknown actor for ''War Horse'', stating: "I looked at hundreds of actors and newcomers for Albert – mainly newcomers – and nobody had the heart, the spirit or the communication skills that Jeremy had."
Irvine was asked to read a section of the ''War Horse'' script on camera in order to check his
West Country accent
West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country.
The West Country is often defined as encompassi ...
.
In an attempt to prepare himself for the role of Albert, Irvine took up
weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Trai ...
and gained approximately 14 pounds of muscle. He also underwent two months of intensive
horse riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
.
He spent so much time recreating the
Battle of Somme scene in the film that he ended up contracting
trench foot
Trench foot is a type of foot damage due to moisture. Initial symptoms often include tingling or itching which can progress to numbness. The feet may become red or bluish in color. As the condition worsens the feet can start to swell and sm ...
. For his work in the film, he was nominated for the
London Film Critics' Choice Award for Young British Performer Of The Year and
Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer
The Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer is an Empire Award presented annually by the British film magazine ''Empire'' to honor an actor who has delivered a breakthrough performance while working within the film industry. The Empire Award for Be ...
.
In April 2011, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that Irvine had been cast as
Pip in a
2012 film adaptation of ''
Great Expectations'' by
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
.
In October 2011, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' announced that he was set to play the young
Eric Lomax
Eric Sutherland Lomax (30 May 1919 – 8 October 2012) was a British Army officer who was sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in 1942. He is most notable for his book, '' The Railway Man'', about his experiences before, during, and after Wor ...
in the film production of ''
The Railway Man''. He then starred in the independent film ''
Now Is Good
''Now Is Good'' is a 2012 teen romantic drama film directed by Ol Parker. Based on Jenny Downham's 2007 novel ''Before I Die'', it was adapted by Parker, who had recently written the screenplay for '' The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel''. The film, ...
'', alongside
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American actress. She rose to prominence at the age of seven for her performance as Lucy Dawson in the drama film ''I Am Sam'' (2001), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomin ...
.
In February 2013 ''Variety'' stated that he had been cast in a film based on the novel ''
The World Made Straight''. Also in 2013, he was cast as Daniel Grigori in the film ''
Fallen
Fallen may refer to:
People
* Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist
* Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
* Fallen ...
'', based on the young adult series of the same name.
On 12 August 2014, ''
Deadline
Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to:
* Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain
* ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...
'' reported that Irvine had been cast as
Percy Bysshe Shelley in ''
Mary Shelley's Monster''. The film has been described as "a story of youth that transcends time, a gothic romance, a love triangle that involves a dark passenger." In November 2015, he starred in
Don Broco's music video for the song "Nerve". Irvine attended the same school,
Bedford Modern, as the band's members. The following month, Irvine joined the cast of the feature film remake of ''
Billionaire Boys Club
The Billionaire Boys Club was an investing and social club organized in 1983 by Joseph Henry Hunt (born Joseph Henry Gamsky) in Southern California. It was originally simply named "BBC", the initials of Bombay Bicycle Club, a restaurant Hunt had ...
''.
In 2018, Irvine portrayed the younger version of Sam Carmichael (
Pierce Brosnan) in the sequel to ''
Mamma Mia!'', ''
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film ''Mamma Mia!'' ...
''. In July 2017, Irvine confirmed via his Instagram that he had joined the cast of ''
The Last Full Measure'' alongside
Tommy Hatto and
Zach Roerig
Zachary George Roerig (born February 22, 1985) is an American actor, known for his roles as Casey Hughes on ''As the World Turns'', Hunter Atwood on ''One Life to Live'' and Matt Donovan on ''The Vampire Diaries''.
Early life
Roerig was born i ...
.
In 2019, he starred as John Randolph Bentley in the
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
television series ''
Treadstone
''Treadstone'' is an American action drama television series, connected to and based on the ''Bourne'' film series. A "special preview" of the pilot aired on USA Network on September 24, 2019, ahead of its October 15, 2019, premiere. The ser ...
''.
In May 2021, Irvine was cast as
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of a magical ring which grants him a variety of powers. He was created by Ma ...
in the
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
live-action television series based on ''
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
''.
Personal life
Irvine has had
diabetes mellitus type 1
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...
since childhood: "When I was six, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was on four injections a day, which I administered myself." His two brothers also suffer from diabetes.
Irvine has been involved in trials with the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to test an
artificial pancreas Automated insulin delivery systems are automated (or semi-automated) systems designed to assist people with diabetes, primarily type 1, by automatically adjusting insulin delivery to help them control their blood glucose levels. Currently availabl ...
,
a form of automatic
glucose meter
A glucose meter, also referred to as a "glucometer", is a medical device for determining the approximate concentration of glucose in the blood. It can also be a strip of glucose paper dipped into a substance and measured to the glucose chart. ...
attached to a portable
insulin pump
An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin therapy.
The device configuration may vary depending on design. A traditional pump ...
.
The tests took place at
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned large teaching hospital and research centre in Cambridge, England, with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge. Addenbrooke's Hospital is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Camp ...
with the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
during 2005 and 2007.
Irvine introduced his experiences with diabetes to
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the ac ...
during a visit to the Cambridge Welcome Trust Clinical Research Facility on 7 February 2012. He was again present with the Duchess on 31 January 2013 at
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is an NHS foundation trust based in London, United Kingdom. It comprises University College Hospital, University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street, the UCH Macmillan Cancer ...
's inpatient adolescent ward, after she had become president of the JDRF in 2012.
Irvine avoids the spotlight and tries to maintain privacy, once saying that "I realised very quickly that I didn't want to be famous, so I don't go to
Mahiki
Mahiki is a London nightclub and bar in Dover Street, just off Piccadilly, near the Ritz Hotel, well known for its celebrity clientele. It is named after the Polynesian path to the underworld. Mahiki was opened in October 2006 by Piers Adam ...
, I just go down the pub with all my mates". When asked about his rising fame, he said, "When ''
War Horse
The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...
'' came out, I had maybe a month of people stopping me in the street, then it died down. I try to ignore all that and pretend none of it exists. We're only acting. The work my mum does, a lot of it is re-housing homeless people, that's a real job. I play make-believe and dressing up for a living!" He currently lives in
West Hampstead, London.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
Music videos
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvine, Jeremy
1990 births
21st-century English male actors
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
English male film actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
Living people
Male actors from Cambridgeshire
National Youth Theatre members
People educated at Bedford Modern School
People from South Cambridgeshire District
People with type 1 diabetes
Royal Shakespeare Company members