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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Mo Amer – Biography Early Life and Background Mo Amer, born Mohammed Amer on July 24, 1981, in Kuwait, comes from a Palestinian family. His early life changed dramatically during the Gulf War when he and his family were forced to flee Kuwait. They eventually
Ramy Youssef – Biography Early Life and Background Ramy Youssef was born on March 26, 1991, in Queens, New York City, to Egyptian immigrant parents. He grew up in a devout Muslim household in Rutherford, New Jersey, where his upbringing played a significant role in
Quinta Brunson – Biography Early Life and Education Quinta Brunson was born on December 21, 1989, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised in a supportive and religious household, she discovered her love for comedy and performance at a young age. Brunson attended the Charter High School for
Janelle James – Biography Early Life and Background Janelle James was born on September 11, 1982, in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. She spent her early years in the Caribbean before eventually moving to the United States, where she would later build her comedy and