Josh O'Connor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) O'Connor in 2025 | |
| Born | Joshua Mathias O'Connor (1990-05-20)20 May 1990 (age 35) Southampton, England |
| Education | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Relatives | John Bunting (grandfather) Madeleine Bunting (aunt) |
Joshua Mathias O'Connor[1] (born 20 May 1990)[2] is an English actor. From 2016 to 2019 he had a major role portrayingLarry Durrell inITV'sThe Durrells. He had his breakthrough playing the lead role of acloseted sheep farmer inFrancis Lee's romantic dramaGod's Own Country (2017), for which he won theBIFA Award forBest Actor.[3]
O'Connor gained wider recognition for his portrayal ofCharles, Prince of Wales, in theNetflix drama seriesThe Crown (2019–2020), winning thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. He has since starred in the period dramaEmma (2020), the crime dramaLa chimera (2023), the romantic sports filmChallengers (2024), heist dramaThe Mastermind (2025), and murder mysteryWake Up Dead Man (2025).
O'Connor was born to John, a teacher, and Emily, a midwife.[4] He grew up inNewbury until he was five, when his family moved toCheltenham, Gloucestershire, where he was brought up.[5] He is the middle son in a family of three boys.[4] He grew up Catholic.[6]
O'Connor's grandfather was sculptorJohn Bunting, his grandmother was a ceramicist, and his maternal aunt is British writer and commentatorMadeleine Bunting.[7][8] His ancestry isIrish, English, Scottish and, through his matrilineal great-grandmother,Ashkenazi andSephardi Jewish.[9]
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 ofThe Wizard of Oz, followed by a minor role in a school production ofBugsy Malone.[5][10] O'Connor went to a private co-ed school,St Edward's School, Cheltenham,[11] 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.[4]
The production ofBugsy Malone at St Edward's also featured his classmate Tahliah Barnett, who later became a singer under the stage nameFKA Twigs.[12] 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.[13] He then trained at theBristol Old Vic Theatre School, from which he graduated in 2011, and then moved to London.[4][14] During his third year of theatre school, he signed with an agent.[5]
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In 2012, O'Connor first appeared on television as Charlie Stephenson inLewis and on film as a zombie inThe Eschatrilogy: Book of the Dead. In 2013, he appeared inDoctor Who as Piotr, inThe Magnificent Eleven as Andy, inLaw & Order: UK as Rob Fellows, inThe Wiper Times as Dodd and inLondon Irish as James.
On stage in 2013, he was cast as Ben Fowles in his first professional play,Farragut North byBeau Willimon at theSouthwark Playhouse.[15][5]The Independent remarked: "O’Connor delivers a comic gem of a performance."[16] This led to a role as young returning soldier Hugh inPeter Gill's 2014 playVersailles at theDonmar Warehouse in Covent Garden, London.[17]
In the same year, he played Max inHide and Seek, James inPeaky Blinders and PC Bobby Grace inRipper Street. After a year and a half of auditioning, he landed the role of aBullingdontoff named Ed inThe Riot Club (2014),Lone Scherfig's adaptation ofLaura Wade's playPosh, appearing alongside up-and-coming British actorsSam Claflin,Douglas Booth,Max Irons,Freddie Fox,Ben Schnetzer andOlly Alexander.[5]
In 2015, he played Leo Beresford inFather Brown, a ballroom palace guard inCinderella and Charlie in the short filmHolding on for a Good Time. He starred opposite his then-girlfriendHannah Murray inBridgend,Jeppe Rønde's dark, fictional portrayal of a real town in Wales with an alarmingly high teen suicide rate.[7] O'Connor played Rich in thebiographical drama filmThe Program about the cyclistLance Armstrong, directed byStephen Frears.
He also played in theRoyal Shakespeare Company's production ofThomas Dekker'sThe Shoemaker's Holiday as Rowland Lacy andTom Morton-Smith'sOppenheimer as Luis Alvarez at theSwan Theatre inStratford-upon-Avon.[5][18][19] The following year, he took over the role of Donaghy inFlorence Foster Jenkins, starringMeryl Streep andHugh Grant, and starred as Donald in the short filmBest Man. From 2016 to 2019, he played the role ofLawrence "Larry" Durrell in the ITV comedy-dramaThe Durrells.
In 2017, he starred as the young sheep farmer Johnny Saxby in the British drama filmGod's Own Country directed byFrancis 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.[20][13] The film premiered at theSundance Film Festival to critical acclaim.[21] For his performance, he received multiple recognitions including theBritish Independent Film Award forBest Actor and theEmpire Award for Best Male Newcomer, and was nominated for theBAFTA Rising Star Award.[22]
In 2018, O'Connor starred as Peter in the segmentThe Colour of His Hair inBoys on film 18: Heroes, and starred alongsideLaia Costa inHarry Wootliff's directorial debutOnly You,[23] which premiered in competition at theLondon Film Festival. For his performance, he received his second British Independent Film Award for Best Actor.[24] In 2019, he portrayedMarius Pontmercy in theBritish television adaptation ofVictor Hugo'sLes Misérables. He also starred as Jamie inHope Gap, which premiered at theToronto International Film Festival, 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.[5]
In the same year, O'Connor began portrayingCharles, Prince of Wales, inSeason 3 of theNetflix historical dramaThe Crown (2019), starring alongsideOlivia Colman,Tobias Menzies andHelena Bonham Carter. In 2020, he was nominated for aBritish Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role, while the cast won theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[25] 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 inSaul Bellow's 1944 novelDangling 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.[4][13]
He reprised the role forSeason 4 ofThe 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.[10] O'Connor's performance received universal acclaim and earned him thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, and theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, in addition to nominations for theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actor and theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. The cast also won its secondScreen 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."[26]
O'Connor also played Mr. Elton in the period comedy-drama filmEmma based onJane Austen's 1815novel of the same name. In 2021, he portrayedRomeo in theRoyal National Theatre's television film adaptation ofShakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet. He also played Paul Sheringham inMothering Sunday, which explores class divides andpostwarsurvivor's guilt in 1924, starring alongside Olivia Colman andColin 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 andqueerness".[27] O'Connor was seen in the drama filmLee, starringKate Winslet, which is set duringWorld War II and directed byEllen Kuras.[28] That film premiered at the2023 Toronto International Film Festival. O'Connor also starred oppositeZendaya andMike Faist inChallengers, directed byLuca Guadagnino. Initially due to premiere at the80th Venice International Film Festival, the film was postponed and released in 2024, due to the2023 writers' andactors' strike.[29]
In 2024, it was announced that O'Connor had joined the cast ofWake Up Dead Man, the third installment of theKnives Out film series directed byRian Johnson. The film was released on December 12, 2025.[30][31] O'Connor also joined the cast ofDisclosure Day, directed bySteven Spielberg, in November 2024, set to be released in the summer of 2026.[32] O'Connor also starred oppositePaul Mescal inThe History of Sound, aWorld War I love story film directed byOliver Hermanus.[33][34] It premiered at the78th Cannes Film Festival and was released in September 2025 at the United States.
Francis Lee, director ofGod's Own Country, has described O'Connor as "one of those rare actors that is a real shape-shifter".[4][35] O'Connor experimented withmethod acting for his role inGod's Own Country. He described his experience forInterview magazine:[7]
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 creatorPeter Morgan has compared O'Connor to formerBarcelonamidfielderAndrés Iniesta, a footballer with massive but unobtrusive skill.[4] "I was drawn to his sensitivity and the fact that he was complex but likable," Morgan said on casting O'Connor as Prince Charles.[35]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."[26]
O'Connor created theWaterlogged initiative to raise funds forMind, a mental health charity working across England and Wales. Inspired by his mother who swam 60 times in her 60th year and byRoger Deakin'sWaterlog, he attempted 30 swims around the UK and Ireland in his 30th year.[36][37] In January 2020, he and Olivia Colman visited the Stars Appeal, which aims to enhance the patient experience at theSalisbury District Hospital.[38] In December 2020, he and Emma Corrin offered their company for tea as part of a series of prize draws in support forWar Child UK'sTorn From Home appeal.[39]
In March 2021, he starred inLoewe's campaign shot in theBaja California desert for the Eye/Loewe/Nature collection made with sustainable thinking and recycling ethos. It pledged 15euros of every sale to Fundación Global Nature, a charity for the protection of wildlife species in danger of extinction.[40]
O'Connor lived in aVictorian house inShoreditch and briefly relocated to New York[26] for "a spell" with his former partner before moving back toGloucestershire in 2023,[41] where he bought a house near the town ofStroud.[42] In his spare time, O'Connor enjoys reading, drawing, camping, swimming, embroidering, making ceramics and gardening.[5]
O'Connor is a supporter of theLabour Party, campaigned forJeremy Corbyn in the2019 general election, and has described himself as a "liberal left-winger". He said of his views onthe monarchy: "I'm arepublican, although not in any kind of fist-waving, campaigning way. I was always mostly uninterested in them."[4][43][44][45] In an interview withThe New York Times in 2020 he said: "I think [QueenElizabeth II] is 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 forCharles [who] is another level of someone who's literally been waiting his entire life for this moment that still hasn't come."[35]
In September 2025, O'Connor signed an open pledge withFilm Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated ingenocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."[46][47]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Eschatrilogy: Book of the Dead | Zombie | ||
| 2013 | The Magnificent Eleven | Andy | ||
| 2014 | Hide and Seek | Max | ||
| The Riot Club | Ed | |||
| 2015 | Bridgend | Jamie | ||
| Cinderella | Ballroom Palace Guard | |||
| The Program | Rich | |||
| 2016 | Florence Foster Jenkins | Donaghy | ||
| 2017 | God's Own Country | Johnny Saxby | ||
| 2018 | Only You | Jake | ||
| 2019 | Hope Gap | Jamie | ||
| 2020 | Emma | Mr. Elton | ||
| 2021 | Mothering Sunday | Paul Sheringham | ||
| 2022 | Aisha | Conor Healy | ||
| 2023 | La chimera | Arthur | ||
| Lee | Antony Penrose | |||
| Bonus Track | Jonno | Also story writer | ||
| 2024 | Challengers | Patrick Zweig | ||
| 2025 | Rebuilding | Thomas "Dusty" Fraser Jr. | ||
| The History of Sound | David White | |||
| The Mastermind | James Blaine "J.B." Mooney | |||
| Wake Up Dead Man | Rev. Jud Duplenticy | |||
| 2026 | Disclosure Day† | TBA | Post-production | |
| TBA | Jack of Spades† | TBA | Filming[48] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Lewis | Charlie Stephenson | Episode: "Generation of Vipers" | |
| 2013 | Doctor Who | Piotr | Episode: "Cold War" | |
| Law & Order: UK | Rob Fellows | Episode: "Dependent" | ||
| The Wipers Times | Dodd | Television film | ||
| London Irish | James | Episode: "1.2" | ||
| 2014 | Peaky Blinders | James | 3 episodes | |
| Ripper Street | PC Bobby Grace | 8 episodes | ||
| 2015 | Father Brown | Leo Beresford | Episode: "The Curse of Amenhotep" | |
| 2016–2019 | The Durrells | Lawrence Durrell | 26 episodes | |
| 2019 | Les Misérables | Marius Pontmercy | 3 episodes | |
| 2019–2020 | The Crown | Charles, Prince of Wales | Main role (Seasons 3–4); 13 episodes | |
| 2021 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Filmed version of the 2021 play | |
| 2025 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode "Josh O'Connor/Lily Allen" |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Playwright | Theatre | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Farragut North | Ben Fowles | Guy Unsworth | Beau Willimon | Southwark Playhouse | |
| 2014 | Versailles | Hugh Skidmore | Peter Gill | Peter Gill | Donmar Warehouse | |
| 2015 | The Shoemaker's Holiday | Rowland Lacy | Philip Breen | Thomas Dekker | Swan Theatre | |
| Oppenheimer | Luis Walter Alvarez | Angus Jackson | Tom Morton-Smith | Swan Theatre,Vaudeville Theatre | ||
| 2021 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Simon Godwin | William Shakespeare | Filmed at theRoyal National Theatre |
