Biography

Damon Albarn – Biography Early Life and Education Damon Albarn was born on March 23, 1968, in Whitechapel, London, England. Raised in a creative household, his mother, Hazel Albarn, was a theatre set designer, and his father, Keith Albarn, was an artist and manager of various performers. Damon grew up in Leytonstone, East London, and … Read more

Matty Healy – Biography Early Life and Background Matthew Timothy Healy, popularly known as Matty Healy, was born on April 8, 1989, in London, England. He is the son of British actors Denise Welch and Tim Healy, and grew up in a creative environment. Raised in Newcastle upon Tyne and later Wilmslow, Cheshire, Matty developed … Read more

Alex Turner – Biography Early Life and Background Alex Turner was born on January 6, 1986, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. He is the only child of David and Penny Turner, both of whom worked in education. Growing up in a household that appreciated literature and music, Turner was exposed to a wide range of … Read more

Dev Hynes – Biography Early Life and Background Dev Hynes was born David Joseph Michael Hynes on December 23, 1985, in Ilford, East London, England. He is of mixed heritage, with a Guyanese mother and a Sierra Leonean father, which contributed to his rich cultural upbringing. Raised in a diverse and creative environment, Hynes showed … Read more

Tom Hardy – Biography Early Life and Background Tom Hardy was born Edward Thomas Hardy on September 15, 1977, in Hammersmith, London, England. He is the only child of Anne, an artist and painter, and Edward “Chips” Hardy, a writer and screenwriter. Raised in East Sheen, London, Hardy attended Reed’s School and the Richmond Drama … Read more

Sally Hawkins – Biography Early Life and Background Sally Hawkins was born on April 27, 1976, in Dulwich, London, England. She was raised in a creative household; both of her parents, Jacqui and Colin Hawkins, are noted authors and illustrators of children’s books. Growing up surrounded by stories and art, Hawkins developed a strong passion … Read more

Lesley Manville – Biography Early Life and Background Lesley Manville was born on March 12, 1956, in Brighton, East Sussex, England. Raised in a working-class family, she showed early promise in music and acting, becoming a talented soprano as a teenager. Her passion eventually turned to drama, and she trained at the Italia Conti Academy … Read more

Dominic West – Biography Early Life and Background Dominic West was born on October 15, 1969, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. He grew up in a large Irish Catholic family with five siblings. His father owned a plastics manufacturing business, while his mother was a homemaker. West attended Eton College, one of the UK’s most … Read more

Lily James – Biography Early Life and Background Lily James was born Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson on April 5, 1989, in Esher, Surrey, England. She comes from a creative family—her mother, Ninette Mantle, was an actress, and her father, James Thomson, was a musician and actor. Lily adopted the stage name “James” in honor of … Read more

Ruth Wilson – Biography Early Life and Background Ruth Wilson was born on January 13, 1982, in Ashford, Surrey, England. She was raised in Shepperton alongside three older brothers in a close-knit family. Her father worked as an investment banker, and her mother was a probation officer. Ruth’s family also had Irish roots, and she … Read more

Adjoa Andoh – Biography Early Life and Background Adjoa Andoh was born on January 14, 1963, in Clifton, Bristol, England. She was raised in a culturally rich household by her English mother, a teacher, and her Ghanaian father, a journalist and musician. Andoh grew up in the Cotswolds and attended Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School. She … Read more

Michelle Yeoh – Biography Early Life and Background Michelle Yeoh was born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, to a prominent Malaysian Chinese family. Her father was a successful lawyer and politician. From an early age, Yeoh showed a passion for dance, particularly ballet. She moved to the United Kingdom in her teens … Read more

Henry Golding – Biography Early Life and Background Henry Golding was born on February 5, 1987, in Betong, Sarawak, Malaysia, to a Malaysian mother of indigenous Iban ancestry and an English father. When he was eight, his family moved to Surrey, England, where he spent most of his formative years. Growing up in a multicultural … Read more

Gemma Chan – Biography Early Life and Background Gemma Chan was born on November 29, 1982, in London, England, to immigrant parents of Chinese descent. Her father was an engineer originally from Hong Kong, and her mother was a pharmacist raised in Scotland. Chan grew up in Kent and attended Newstead Wood School for Girls, … Read more

Richard Madden – Biography Early Life and Background Richard Madden was born on June 18, 1986, in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His father was a firefighter, and his mother worked as a primary school teacher. He grew up in a supportive, working-class household alongside two sisters. As a shy child, Madden joined a youth theatre program … Read more

Vanessa Kirby – Biography Early Life and Background Vanessa Kirby was born on April 18, 1988, in Wimbledon, London, England. Her father is a urologist, and her mother is a former magazine editor. Raised in a supportive, well-educated household, Vanessa attended Lady Eleanor Holles School before studying English at the University of Exeter. From an … Read more

Claire Foy – Biography Early Life and Background Claire Foy was born on April 16, 1984, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. She grew up in Buckinghamshire after her parents separated when she was eight years old. Raised mainly by her mother, Claire attended Aylesbury High School, where she first became interested in drama. Her early … Read more

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Biography Early Life and Background Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw, known professionally as Gugu Mbatha-Raw, was born on April 21, 1983, in Oxford, England. Her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a South African doctor, and her mother, Anne Raw, is an English nurse. Raised primarily by her mother in Witney, Oxfordshire, Gugu developed a strong … Read more

Tom Ellis – Biography Early Life and Background Tom Ellis was born on November 17, 1978, in Cardiff, Wales, and was raised in Sheffield, England. His father was a Baptist minister, and his mother also came from a religious background, instilling strong faith-based values in the household. Tom grew up with three sisters, making for … Read more

Brett Goldstein – Biography Early Life and Background Brett Goldstein was born on July 17, 1980, in Sutton, South London, into a creative and tight-knit family. His parents encouraged his love for performing, which became clear early on. He studied at Reigate Grammar School before gaining a scholarship to the University of Warwick, where he … Read more

Phil Dunster – Biography Early Life and Education Phil Dunster was born on March 31, 1992, in Northampton, England. Raised in a supportive and creative household, he showed an early interest in the performing arts. Although he initially aspired to be a professional athlete—particularly in rugby—his passion gradually shifted toward acting during his teenage years. … Read more

Hannah Waddingham – Biography Early Life and Background Hannah Waddingham was born on July 28, 1974, in Wandsworth, London, England. Raised in a family deeply connected to music—her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer—Waddingham was exposed to the arts from an early age. She studied at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, where … Read more

Luke Newton – Biography Early Life and Background Luke Newton was born on February 5, 1993, in Brighton, East Sussex, England. Growing up with a passion for the performing arts, he was involved in music and drama from a young age. He attended the London School of Musical Theatre, where he honed his acting and … Read more

Nicola Coughlan – Biography Early Life and Background Nicola Coughlan was born on January 9, 1987, in Galway, Ireland. Growing up in a close-knit Irish family, she developed an early passion for performance and storytelling. She attended Scoil Mhuire for her primary education and later studied at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where she … Read more

Simone Ashley – Biography Early Life and Background Simone Ashley was born on March 30, 1995, in Camberley, Surrey, England, to Indian Tamil parents. Growing up in a multicultural household, she developed a deep appreciation for both her South Asian heritage and British upbringing. Simone was always drawn to the arts, often more interested in … Read more

Asa Butterfield – Biography Early Life and Background Asa Butterfield was born on April 1, 1997, in Islington, London. Growing up in a creative and supportive household—his mom a psychologist and his dad a writer—Asa was surrounded by ideas and imagination from the start. He got into acting when he was just seven, joining a … Read more

Emma Mackey – Biography Early Life and Background Emma Mackey was born on January 4, 1994, in Le Mans, France. Her father is French and her mother is English, giving her a bicultural upbringing. She spent most of her early life in the French countryside before moving to the United Kingdom for her education. Mackey … Read more

Ncuti Gatwa – Biography Early Life and Background Ncuti Gatwa was born on October 15, 1992, in Kigali, Rwanda, during a time of great unrest. His family fled the Rwandan genocide when he was still a baby, eventually finding refuge in Scotland. Growing up in Edinburgh and later Dunfermline, he experienced a mix of cultures … Read more

Ziwe Fumudoh – Biography Early Life and Background Ziwe Fumudoh, known mononymously as Ziwe, was born on February 27, 1992, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Nigerian immigrant parents. Raised in a Nigerian-Catholic household, she grew up navigating dual cultural identities. Ziwe showed a strong interest in literature, humor, and performance early on. She attended Phillips Academy, … Read more

Hasan Minhaj – Biography Early Life and Background Hasan Minhaj was born on September 23, 1985, in Davis, California, to Indian Muslim parents from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. His father, a chemist, moved to the U.S. for work, while his mother, a medical student, remained in India for several years. Minhaj grew up in a mostly … Read more