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Joshua O'Connor (born 20 May 1990) is a British actor. His accolades include a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, and nominations for three BAFTA Awards. After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, O'Connor had supporting roles in television series such as ''
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'' in 2013 and '' Peaky Blinders'' in 2014. From 2016 to 2019 he had a major role portraying Larry Durrell in ITV's ''The Durrells''. He had his breakthrough playing the lead role of a closeted sheep farmer in Francis Lee's romantic drama '' God's Own Country'' (2017), for which he won a BIFA Award. O'Connor gained wider recognition for his portrayal of
Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...
, in the
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drama series ''
The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
'' (2019–2020), winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. He has since starred in the period drama '' Emma'' (2020), the comedy-drama '' La chimera'' (2023) and the romantic sports film '' Challengers'' (2024).


Early life and education

O'Connor was born to John, a teacher, and Emily, a midwife. He grew up in Newbury until he was five, when his family moved to
Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...
, Gloucestershire where he was brought up. He is the middle son in a family of three boys. O'Connor's grandfather was sculptor John Bunting, his grandmother is a ceramicist, and his maternal aunt is British writer and commentator Madeleine Bunting. His ancestry is Irish, English, Scottish and, through his matrilineal great-grandmother,
Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
and Sephardi Jewish. He wanted to be a professional artist when he was younger, but he did not think he was good enough, so he switched to rugby and then discovered acting. His first major role was at age seven as the scarecrow in a school production of '' The Wizard of Oz'', followed by a minor role in a school production of '' Bugsy Malone''. O'Connor went to a private co-ed school, St Edward's School, Cheltenham, during the week and spent a lot of time on weekends at the Axiom, a local arts centre. He grew up in a Labour-supporting household, but he traces his political awakening to the arts centre's closure when he was eleven, feeling the deep sense of loss in the community. He is proud to have grown up outside London, in a town with a strong tradition of regional theatre. The production of '' Bugsy Malone'' at St Edward's also featured his classmate Tahliah Barnett, who later became a singer under the stage name
FKA Twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musica ...
. O'Connor has cited his school's drama programme as having helped him live with his dyslexia for many years, especially when preparing for his GCSEs. He then trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, from which he graduated in 2011, and then moved to London. During his third year of theatre school, he signed with an agent.


Career


2012–2018: Early work and breakthrough

In 2012, O'Connor first appeared on television as Charlie Stephenson in '' Lewis'' and on film as a zombie in ''The Eschatrilogy: Book of the Dead''. In 2013, he appeared in ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' as Piotr, in '' The Magnificent Eleven'' as Andy, in '' Law & Order: UK'' as Rob Fellows, in ''The Wiper Times'' as Dodd and in ''
London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...
'' as James. On stage in 2013, he was cast as Ben Fowles in his first professional play, ''Farragut North'' by Beau Willimon at the Southwark Playhouse. ''
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'' remarked: "O’Connor delivers a comic gem of a performance." This led to a role as young returning soldier Hugh in Peter Gill's 2014 play ''Versailles'' at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden, London. In the same year, he played Max in '' Hide and Seek,'' James in '' Peaky Blinders'' and PC Bobby Grace in '' Ripper Street''. After a year and a half of auditioning, he landed the role of a Bullingdon toff named Ed in '' The Riot Club'' (2014), Lone Scherfig's adaptation of Laura Wade's play ''Posh'', appearing alongside up-and-coming British actors Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth,
Max Irons Maximilian Paul Diarmuid Irons (born 17 October 1985) is an English and Irish actor. He is known for his roles in films such as ''Red Riding Hood (2011 film), Red Riding Hood'' (2011), ''The White Queen (miniseries), The White Queen'' (2013), '' ...
, Freddie Fox, Ben Schnetzer and Olly Alexander. In 2015, he played Leo Beresford in '' Father Brown'', a ballroom palace guard in '' Cinderella'' and Charlie in the short film ''Holding on for a Good Time''. He starred opposite his then-girlfriend Hannah Murray in ''Bridgend'', Jeppe Rønde's dark, fictional portrayal of a real town in Wales with an alarmingly high teen suicide rate. O'Connor played Rich in the biographical drama film '' The Program'' about the cyclist Lance Armstrong, directed by
Stephen Frears Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...
. He also played in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Thomas Dekker's '' The Shoemaker's Holiday'' as Rowland Lacy and Tom Morton-Smith's ''Oppenheimer'' as Luis Alvarez at the Swan Theatre in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
. The following year, he took over the role of Donaghy in '' Florence Foster Jenkins'', starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and starred as Donald in the short film ''Best Man''. From 2016 to 2019, he played the role of Lawrence "Larry" Durrell in the ITV comedy-drama '' The Durrells''. In 2017, he starred as the young sheep farmer Johnny Saxby in the British drama film '' God's Own Country'' directed by Francis Lee. In preparation for his role, he worked with a Yorkshire farmer, labouring in the fields in between takes to learn the proper techniques and get the right physicality, and eventually birthed over 150 lambs. The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
to critical acclaim. For his performance, he received multiple recognition including the British Independent Film Award for Best Actor and the Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer, and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. In 2018, O'Connor starred as Peter in the segment ''The Colour of His Hair'' in ''Boys on film 18: Heroes'', and starred alongside Laia Costa in Harry Wootliff's directorial debut ''Only You'', which premiered in competition at the London Film Festival. For his performance, he received his second British Independent Film Award for Best Actor. In 2019, he portrayed Marius Pontmercy in the British television adaptation of
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
's '' Les Misérables''. He also starred as Jamie in '' Hope Gap'', which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
, earning the Best Actor award at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival. It had a limited release in theaters, before dropping digitally in May 2020.


2019–present: Critical acclaim and ''The Crown''

In the same year, O'Connor began portraying
Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...
, in Season 3 of the award-winning
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
historical drama ''
The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
'' (2019), starring alongside Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter. In 2020, he was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role, while the cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. He revealed that the role did not initially interest him and that he had to be persuaded to audition. Creator Peter Morgan asked him to read a scene in which Charles compares himself to a character in
Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; June 10, 1915April 5, 2005) was a Canadian-American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the 1976 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only write ...
's 1944 novel '' Dangling Man'', in which the character waits to be drafted into war because the war will give his life meaning. It was the "aimlessness and purposelessness of Charles's life as heir to the throne" that ultimately sparked O'Connor's interest in the character. He reprised the role for Season 4 of ''The Crown'', and admitted that his character is "horrible" in that season. Still, he said he understood the source of Charles' discontent, saying that it all boils down to the fact that Charles has spent his entire life being overlooked. O'Connor's performance received universal acclaim and earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, in addition to nominations for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. The cast also won its second Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. He described the culmination of his journey as Prince Charles as "the experience of a lifetime." O'Connor also played Mr. Elton in the period comedy-drama film '' Emma'' based on
Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...
's 1815 novel of the same name. In 2021, he portrayed
Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lord Montague, Lord Montague and his wife, Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lady Montague, Lady Montague, he ...
in the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
's television film adaptation of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
''. He also played Paul Sheringham in '' Mothering Sunday'', which explores class divides and postwar survivor's guilt in 1924, starring alongside Olivia Colman and Colin Firth. In the same year, it was announced that he would be working with Francis Lee again on a horror film with themes of "class and queerness". O'Connor was seen in the drama film '' Lee'', starring Kate Winslet, which is set during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and directed by Ellen Kuras. That film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. O'Connor also starred opposite
Zendaya Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. List of awards and nominations received by Zendaya, Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award. I ...
in '' Challengers'', directed by
Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alon ...
. Initially due to premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, the film was postponed and released in 2024, due to the 2023 writers' and actors' strike. In 2024, it was announced that O'Connor had joined the cast of '' Wake Up Dead Man'', the third instalment of the
Knives Out ''Knives Out'' is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Daniel Craig leads an eleven-actor ensemble cast as Benoit Blanc, a famed private detective who is summoned to investigate the death of the bestselling autho ...
trilogy directed by
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick (film), Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget ...
. The film is scheduled to be released in 2025. O'Connor will also star opposite Paul Mescal in '' The History of Sound'', a
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
love story film to be directed by Oliver Hermanus.


Artistry

Francis Lee, director of ''God's Own Country'', has described O'Connor as "one of those rare actors that is a real shape-shifter". His performance in the movie "confirmed his place on casting agents' scouting radar as one of those subtle, humble chameleons who can disappear into parts and are dubbed 'actor's actors'." O'Connor experimented with
method acting Method acting, known as the Method, is a range of rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, understanding, and expe ...
for his role in ''God's Own Country''. He described his experience for ''
Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
'' magazine:
I had my own book of senses—paintings and drawings that I'd done and ideas I had. From there, I worked physically with Francis about how this guy would look. By the end of the film I was so skinny; I was gaunt. It was horrific. I was in character the whole way through. It was really lonely and hard. I don't think I'd do it again. You isolate yourself from all your friends.
''The Crown'' creator Peter Morgan has compared O'Connor to former
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Andrés Iniesta, a footballer with massive but unobtrusive skill. "I was drawn to his sensitivity and the fact that he was complex but likable," Morgan said on casting O'Connor as Prince Charles. Olivia Colman praised him for the tenderness he displayed on-screen, as well as his ability to inhabit the role: "Fragility, sparkle, strength, doubt: It’s all there in a second. Every scene we had together became my favorite scene."


Other ventures

O'Connor created the ''Waterlogged'' initiative to raise funds for
Mind The mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills. It covers the totality of mental phenomena, including both conscious processes, through which an individual is aware of external and internal circumstances ...
, a mental health charity working across England and Wales. Inspired by his mother who swam 60 times in her 60th year and by Roger Deakin's '' Waterlog'', he attempted 30 swims around the UK and Ireland in his 30th year. In January 2020, he and Olivia Colman visited the Stars Appeal, which aims to enhance the patient experience at the Salisbury District Hospital. In December 2020, he and Emma Corrin offered their company for tea as part of a series of prize draws in support for War Child UK's ''Torn From Home'' appeal. In March 2021, he starred in Loewe's campaign shot in the Baja California desert for the Eye/Loewe/Nature collection made with sustainable thinking and recycling ethos. It pledged 15
euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
s of every sale to Fundación Global Nature, a charity for the protection of wildlife species in danger of extinction.


Personal life

O'Connor lived in a Victorian house in
Shoreditch Shoreditch is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney alongside neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets, which are also perceived as part of the area due to historic ecclesiastical links. Shoreditch lies just north ...
and briefly relocated to New York for "a spell" with his former partner before moving back to
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
in 2023, where he bought a house in Woodchester, a village outside
Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the ...
. In his spare time, O'Connor enjoys reading, drawing, camping, swimming, embroidering, making ceramics and gardening. He is a supporter of Southampton Football Club.


Political views

O'Connor is a supporter of the Labour Party, campaigned for
Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...
in the 2019 general election, and has described himself as a "liberal left-winger". He said of his views on the monarchy: "I'm a republican, although not in any kind of fist-waving, campaigning way. I was always mostly uninterested in them." In an interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' he said: "I think the Queen was an extraordinary woman. Time after time, lots of men have failed, and this one woman in power has been consistent and remained dutiful and generally apolitical. In that sense, I have huge respect for her — and for
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
hois another level of someone who's literally been waiting his entire life for this moment that still hasn't come."


Acting credits


Film


Television


Theatre


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Josh Living people Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Audiobook narrators British male film actors British male television actors British male voice actors English people of Irish descent English people of Scottish descent English people of Jewish descent Labour Party (UK) people Male actors from Southampton Male actors from Cheltenham 21st-century British male actors Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners British male stage actors British male models British republicans Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Year of birth missing (living people) People of Sephardic-Jewish descent People from Newbury, Berkshire Male actors from Berkshire Actors from West Berkshire District