Adam O'Brian (born 21 August 1989) is a Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter.

Early life

O'Brian was born in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, West Glamorgan. He was raised in

Minehead Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...

, Somerset, before leaving to study acting in Cardiff and London.

Career

Acting

O'Brian began training as an actor at the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth th ...

in 2006. He appeared in several National Youth Theatre productions, including performances at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the

Beijing National Stadium The National Stadium (), also known as the Bird's Nest (), is an 80,000-capacity stadium in Beijing. The stadium was jointly designed by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from Basel-based architecture team Herzog & de Meuron, p ...

, the Soho Theatre, the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

.Adam O'Brian- Imdb Resume
He completed his acting training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating in 2010. Whilst still training at drama school, he performed at Shakespeare's Globe as part of the 2010 Sam Wanamaker Festival. His professional career began at

Theatre by the Lake Theatre by the Lake is situated on the shores of Derwentwater in the Lake District in Keswick, Cumbria, England. It opened in 1999, replacing the mobile Century Theatre, and was made possible by an Arts Council Lottery Fund Grant. From May to ...

when he appeared in the 2010 repertory season as Tom Wingfield in '' The Glass Menagerie'',Glass Menagerie Review
Laurence in '' Shining City''Shining City Review
and Nicholas in '' What the Butler Saw''.What the Butler Saw Review
He returned to

in 2012 to appear as Pony William in David Harrower's ''Knives in Hens''.Knives in Hens Review
. In 2012, O'Brian starred as Frédéric Bourdin in the film '' The Imposter''.The Imposter Review
The film premiered in competition at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

, and went on to win awards at several film festivals later that year, including the

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...

, the

Miami International Film Festival The Miami Film Festival (formerly Miami International Film Festival) is an annual film festival in Miami, Florida, that showcases independent American and international films with a special focus on Ibero-American films. The competitive film fest ...

, and the Zurich Film Festival. It was selected as part of the "Festival Favourites" category at

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

in Texas, and was nominated for five Cinema Eye Honors, including one for Best Film. Wikipedia Page- The Imposter, It was nominated for three

London Film Critics Circle Awards The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally. The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards did not convey the full context of the ...

, including one for Best Film, and went on to win the award for Documentary of the Year. It was nominated for six British Independent Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, and went on to win the award for Best Documentary. The film was also nominated for a Critic's Choice Movie Award, and for a South Bank Sky Arts Award for Best Film. It was listed as one of the 'Top Ten Best Films of 2012' by several publications including Total Film and Time Out New York.Imposter Awards Sheet
It was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, and after being nominated for two BAFTAs, including one for Best Documentary, it went on to win the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Director or Producer.Academy Award Shortlist Announced
BAFTA Nominations Announced
/ref> BAFTA-winning director Bart Layton described O'Brian's performance as "really brilliant and clever".Adam O'Brian- Official Website
, O'Brian has toured with the English Touring Theatre, appearing as Billy in

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

's ''The Real Thing'' in 2012, a joint production with the

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

.The Real Thing Review

Writing and directing

O'Brian has worked as a writer and director for Poleroid Theatre. He has also written for Undeb Theatre, and performed his own writing at the Royal Court Theatre as part of the

RWCMD , image_name = Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.jpg , image_size = , motto = , established = 1949 , type = Public , staff = , vice_chancellor = , students = 779 (2017/18) , undergrad ...

Actors Showcase.

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrian, Adam Welsh male stage actors 1989 births Living people Welsh male film actors Male actors from Swansea National Youth Theatre members 21st-century Welsh male actors People from Minehead Male actors from Somerset Welsh expatriates in Australia