Alex Sharp | |
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 Sharp signing autographs at the stage door ofThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 2015 | |
| Born | 1988 or 1989 (age 35–36) Westminster, London, England |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2014–present |
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Alexander Ian Sharp (born 1988/1989) is an English actor. He is known for originating the role of Christopher Boone in the Broadway production ofThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.[1] He is also known to a wider audience as Will Downing in3 Body Problem.
After graduating from theJuilliard School in the summer of 2014, he made hisBroadway and acting debut in the playThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the autumn.[1] For his role as the autistic teenager Christopher Boone, he was awarded theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play,Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, and theOuter Critics Circle Award.[2][3]
Sharp was born circa 1988/1989,[4] and was raised travelling throughout Europe and the Southwest of the United States in a caravan, before moving to east Devon, England, age eight. He was educated by his mother, a teacher, and his father, who worked inreal estate, until the family moved back to England.[5][6] He has a sister, Nicole, also highly successful in her own field.[7] His mother homeschooled him with both "rigorous and unorthodox" lessons. Upon his return to east Devon, he was unable to adjust easily to a traditional school environment, and eventually left England aged 18.[6][8]
Sharp wanted to be an actor from an early age.[8] According to theIrish Mirror, his acting debut was at age 4 when he appeared inA Touch of Frost for £10.[9] According toThe Daily Beast, at age 7, he made his acting debut asPiglet inWinnie-the-Pooh.[8] He also did extensive regional theatre work at theNorthcott Theatre inExeter.[8] Sharp studied Performing Arts atYeovil College inYeovil, Somerset and attendedBeaminster Comprehensive School in Dorset.[10][9]
In 2008, Sharp went to North America and worked as a carpenter and handyman, and in call centres often, in Canada. At times, he travelled toLatin America to pursue physical activities.[6]
When working on a house inMontreal, Sharp decided that he wanted to become an actor. He asked a friend what the best theatre schools were, and the friend told himYale andJuilliard. Sharp decided onJuilliard due to its location in the middle ofManhattan, and he auditioned with a scene fromHamlet. Against school rules, he also performed a scene from a play that he had written, claiming that it was the work of a little-known English playwright.[6] He was accepted to Juilliard and attended the Drama Division'sGroup 43. During his time at Juilliard, he wrote and directed a play that was an adaptation ofA Clockwork Orange.[6] He graduated from Juilliard with aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2014.[11]
After graduating from theJuilliard School in the summer of 2014, Sharp made hisBroadway and acting debut in the playThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the autumn.[12] For his role as the autistic teenager Christopher Boone, he was awarded theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play,Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, and theOuter Critics Circle Award.[13][14] As of August 2015[update], he is the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[15] Sharp's final performance ofCurious Incident was 13 September 2015.[16][17][18]
In 2017, he starred inJohn Cameron Mitchell'sHow to Talk to Girls at Parties, alongsideNicole Kidman,Elle Fanning, andRuth Wilson.[19]Also in 2017, Sharp starred alongsideLily Collins andKeanu Reeves inTo the Bone, directed byMarti Noxon.To the Bone was released onNetflix on 14 July 2017. The semi-autobiographical movie garnered some controversy regarding its depiction of eating disorders, to which Sharp responded, "I think controversy is an interesting thing in that it usually goes hand in hand with starting conversations that surround taboo or under-discussed topics that need to be discussed and need to be less in the shadows. I would hope that [To the Bone] just creates an awareness and encourages people to talk about [eating disorders]".[20]
Sharp co-starred as activistRennie Davis inAaron Sorkin's feature film,The Trial of the Chicago 7, in 2020, alongsideEddie Redmayne,Sacha Baron Cohen, andJoseph Gordon-Levitt. He was also set to star as an unspecified lead part inHBO's untitledGame of Thrones[21] prequel alongsideNaomi Watts. Sharp appears in one of the principal supporting roles in the 2022Oliver Hermanus/Kazuo Ishiguro filmLiving, starringBill Nighy.
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Christopher Boone | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | To the Bone | Luke | |
| How to Talk to Girls at Parties | Enn | ||
| 2018 | Better Start Running | Harley | |
| UFO | Derek Echevaro | ||
| 2019 | The Sunlit Night | Yasha | |
| The Hustle | Thomas Westerburg | ||
| 2020 | The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Rennie Davis | |
| 2022 | Living | Mr Wakeling | |
| 2023 | One Life | Trevor Chadwick |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Good Lord Bird | Preacher | Episode: "A Wicked Plot" |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | Will Downing |
In 2015, he brokeHarvey Fierstein's record as the youngest winner of theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[citation needed] In addition to winning the Tony Award in 2015,[22] he also won anOuter Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play,[23] aTheatre World Award in recognition of his Broadway debut.[24] and theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.[14] He also received a nomination for the distinguished performance award at the 2015Drama League Awards.[25] In addition he was nominated for the 2015Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Outstanding Male Dancer for his work inThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.[26] He also won the 2014 Logo TVNewNowNext Awards for Best New Broadway Lead Actor.[27]
| Year | Work | Award(s) | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play[14] | Won |
| Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Nominated | ||
| Fred and Adele Astaire Awards | Outstanding Male Dancer | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway Theatre Debut | Won | ||
| Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| 2020 | The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won |
Sharp, who is 35, grew up in the U.K.
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