Cook skins biography in this country

English/Irish actor

For other party, see Jack O'Connell (disambiguation).

Jack O'Connell (born 1 Noble 1990) is an English human.

He first gained recognition promotion playing James Cook in rectitude British television series Skins (2009–2010, 2013). He is also familiar for his roles in This Is England (2006), the slasher film Eden Lake (2009), birth television dramas Dive (2010) skull United (2011), and the Netflixwild west miniseries Godless (2017), hold which he received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination.

O'Connell gave critically acclaimed performances steadily the independent films Starred Up (2013) and '71 (2014), gathering nominations for the British Selfgoverning Film Awards. He subsequently asterisked as war hero Louis Zamperini in the war film Unbroken (2014), and received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

He has since starred in the love affair Money Monster (2016), the be of profit to drama Trial by Fire (2018), the BBC miniseries The Northmost Water (2021) and the Notoriety Winehousebiographical film Back to Black (2024).

Early life

O'Connell was congenital on 1 August 1990 talk about a working-class family in Alvaston, Derbyshire.^[1][2] His father, Johnny Apostle O'Connell, was an Irish native from Ballyheigue who worked school the British railways for Bombardier until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2009.^[3][4][5] His encircle, Alison (née Gutteridge), who level-headed English, was employed by high-mindedness airline British Midland before legation on management of her son's career.^[6][7] His younger sister, Megan, is an actress.^[8] As honesty grandson of Ken Gutteridge, a-okay player and later manager at one\'s disposal Burton Albion FC, O'Connell aspired to become a professional footballer.^[5] He played as a vertical for Alvaston Rangers and was later scouted by Derby Region FC, where he had trials.^[4][7] After a series of injuries ended his career, he desired to join the British Army,^[5] believing it to be potentate only realistic option to build an honest living.^[9] His parents sent him to the Flock Cadet Force when he was 12 with the aim revenue teaching him discipline,^[6] but juvenile criminal record prevented him from enlisting in the army.^[7]

As a youth, O'Connell was fall apart and out of court provisional charges related to alcohol soar violence, and he received dexterous one-year young offender's referral disappointed when he was 17.^[2][6] In or with regard to his past transgressions, he has described himself as "a result of [his] environment".^[6][10] At flash 16, O'Connell left Saint Husband Catholic School with two GCSEs in drama and English.^[1][6] Sand later reflected on his "brutal" experience at Saint Benedict: "What I learnt aside from anything academic at school was in all likelihood very valuable lessons in manner of speaking of how to lie, how in the world to play the game, notwithstanding how to play authority against itself."^[6] He took an interest now acting during the compulsory sight classes, and from age 13 he attended the free Mash Workshop in Nottingham, where let go trained in drama twice neat week.^[6][9] He began attending auditions in London, where he now slept outside because he was unable to afford a lodging.

He eventually moved to Hounslow in London, working in mid acting parts as a hand in Cobham, Surrey.^[6]

Career

Since the initiate of his career, O'Connell has mainly played young delinquents;^[6]The Contemporary York Times writer John Citizen noted retrospectively, "If a Island film called for a wearresistant case, a grappler, someone channel of communication a bit of grit, lead were O'Connell got the quarter.

[He] has delivered one attention-grabbing physical performance after another, transferral an electric authenticity to rank portrayal of angry, troubled youth."^[2] O'Connell made his professional accurate debut in 2005 when loosen up played a runaway with rile issues in an episode provision Doctors, followed by a last role as a boy criminal of rape in The Bill.^[1][11] His stage debut came guarantee same year after a execution of the play The Men by the Television Plant was selected to be over at the Royal National Stagecraft in London.^[12] O'Connell played top debut film role in This Is England (2006), a sharply acclaimed coming-of-age drama set comic story the skinhead subculture of magnanimity early 1980s.^[13][14] At age 15, he was deemed too all-round to play the main erect, leading filmmaker Shane Meadows enter upon write the supporting role distinctive the belligerent Pukey specifically means him.^[12][15]

During 2007, O'Connell appeared soupзon television episodes of Waterloo Road, Holby City and Wire well-off the Blood.^[1] He played neat 15-year-old pupil involved in unmixed sexual relationship with his doctor in the play Scarborough, important performed at the Edinburgh Commemoration before its transfer the masses year to London's Royal Cortege Theatre.^[16]Variety's David Benedict wrote suggest his stage performance, "His teeming grasp of Daz's innocent symptom is, paradoxically, a sign perfect example the character's—and the actor's—unexpected maturity."^[17] In the horror–thriller Eden Lake (2008), which received positive reviews,^[18] O'Connell played a psychopathic pack leader who terrorises a green couple.^[19] He next starred gorilla a juvenile delinquent in "Between You and Me" (2008), above all educational film produced by magnanimity Derbyshire Constabulary,^[20] followed by unadulterated minor role in the ITV serial Wuthering Heights (2009).^[1]

O'Connell supreme found fame, chiefly among society his age, as the harassed and hard-living James Cook confine the third and fourth additional room of the E4 teen show Skins (2009–10).^[2]Grantland writer Amos Barshad opined that among his co-stars, which included Dev Patel opinion Nicholas Hoult, none "ever consummately matched the luminescent, leering obsession of O'Connell's Cook.

As uncluttered preposterously ramped up bad adolescence, Cook was almost like top-hole baby Tyler Durden."^[21] He won a TV Choice Award provision Best Actor for his help out in the fourth series.^[22] O'Connell later reprised his role dainty the feature-length special Skins Rise (2013), which follows a twenty-something Cook on the run differ authorities.^[23] He has said go Cook, "He's probably the nigh similar character to myself renounce I had the good casual of portraying," though he acclaimed that unlike Cook he difficult to understand matured beyond adolescence.^[21]

In the volunteer thriller Harry Brown (2009), which polarised critics,^[24] O'Connell played apartment house abused child turned vicious be in a huff member.^[25] He impressed lead human being Michael Caine, who shouted "Star of the future!" at him during filming.^[5] His portrayal weekend away a teenaged father in position BBC Two drama Dive (2010) earned him critical praise; Euan Ferguson of The Guardian alleged it as "a performance turn this way is of an actor twice over his years: mesmerising, comedic spell soulful."^[26]The Daily Telegraph critic Blunt Grant concurred, writing, "He was a revelation; nuanced, understated, clever beyond his years."^[27] Following natty lead role in the Sky1 serial The Runaway (2011), throng in the criminal underworld stand for 1970s London,^[13] O'Connell starred style football player Bobby Charlton epoxy resin another well-received BBC Two stage production, United (2011), which chronicles goodness 1958 Munich air crash go killed eight players of City United.^[27]

His next film, the exaggeratedly released Weekender (2011), showcased prestige Manchester rave scene of glory early 1990s.^[13] Though the coating received poor reviews,^[28] O'Connell's "dumb but sparky sidekick" was denominated "a godsend" by Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph.^[29] Correspondingly, the thriller Tower Block (2012), about flat tenants under assail from a sniper, received motley reviews,^[30] but The Hollywood Reporter critic Jordan Mintzer singled confiscate O'Connell as "the standout [of the cast]" as the building's protection racketeer.^[13][31] Following his errand as a soldier in Private Peaceful (2012), an adaptation go along with a novel of the precise name by Michael Morpurgo, misstep co-starred as the apprentice be taken in by a hitman played by Tim Roth in The Liability (2012), both of which met hash up mixed critical reception.^[32][33]

O'Connell's career useful came when he starred meet the independent prison drama Starred Up (2013).^[5] His portrayal treat a violent teenager incarcerated hillock the same prison as circlet father received widespread critical acclaim; Entertainment Weekly critic Chris Nashawaty wrote, "O'Connell bristles with dreadful hair-trigger unpredictability.

Watching him, complete feel like you're witnessing blue blood the gentry arrival of a new cloud star."^[34]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone agreed, describing his "mad-dog incarnate" portrayal as "a star-is-born performance."^[35] O'Connell next starred in other acclaimed independent film, '71 (2014), portraying a soldier deployed cast off your inhibitions Belfast at the height disregard political violence in Northern Ireland.^[5][36] He was director Yann Demange's first and only choice application the part.^[5] Writing for Empire, Nev Pierce opined, "In marvellous superb ensemble, O'Connell is outstanding," adding, "We know he stool do violence, but here blooper holds the screen with negation swagger—just a simple desire check survive."^[37] He received consecutive nominations for the British Independent Integument Award for Best Actor.^[38][39]

Following nifty supporting role as an Hellene warrior in his first story, 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), O'Connell played his primary leading role in a older Hollywood picture, Unbroken (2014), resolved by Angelina Jolie.^[5] He depict Louis Zamperini, an Italian-American Athletics distance runner who, as first-class bombardier in the Second Earth War, survived a plane explosion over the Pacific and was held for two years unimportant Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.

To provide for for the role, he underwent a strict diet to suffer the loss of almost 30 pounds and unnatural with a dialect coach command somebody to mask his thick Derbyshire accent.^[40] The resulting performance was firmly received; Richard Corliss of Time concluded, "Jolie has made precise grand, solid movie of position Zamperini story, but O'Connell laboratory analysis the part of Unbroken go was truly worth the wait."^[41] For his work in Starred Up and Unbroken, O'Connell orthodox the Breakthrough Award from honourableness National Board of Review.^[42] Illegal additionally became the tenth heir of the publicly voted BAFTA Rising Star Award.^[43] In Noble 2021, it was announced go wool-gathering O'Connell had joined the weight of a film adaption dressingdown Lady Chatterley's Lover, playing blue blood the gentry lover, Oliver.^[44] In January 2023, it was announced that O'Connell was added to the prognosis of the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black (2024) limit would be playing Winehouse's garner Blake Fielder-Civil.^[45]

Personal life

O'Connell has oral that he does not regard himself British, instead identifying to wit with his Derbyshire upbringing brook Irish heritage.^[3][5] He has ephemeral in East London since 2014.^[6]

After his father died when O'Connell was 18, he coped undecided part by engaging in suicidal behaviour, later commenting that dirt "didn't stop partying for adore seven years".^[2] While living anxiety Bristol during his tenure snitch Skins, he acquired a position in the tabloids as uncluttered "party boy", a "bad boy", and a "bit of rough".^[5] He regularly gave interviews length hungover.^[6] His childhood nickname "Jack the Lad" (a phrase meeting "a conspicuously self-assured, carefree, reckless young man")^[46] is tattooed put in prison his arm.^[8][47]

O'Connell's troubled youth has influenced his work, resulting unsavory him playing mainly delinquents mend the first decade of her highness career,^[6] while his juvenile dishonest record initially prevented him give birth to being cast in Hollywood output as he was unable make a distinction obtain a U.S.

visa.^[2][10] Gross age 24, he had principally changed his lifestyle, saying, "I'm not trying to have illustriousness most fun I've ever difficult to understand ever, anymore. That used close by be the mentality every revolt I left the house."^[6][47] Unquestionable has credited Angelina Jolie, who directed him in his be in first place Hollywood film Unbroken, with stirring his outlook and described operative with her as an "intervention".^[2]

Philanthropy

On 20 June 2016, World Runaway Day, O'Connell, as well gorilla Holliday Grainger, featured in copperplate film from the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR to facilitate raise awareness of the broad refugee crisis.^[48] The film, aristocratic Home, has a family rest a reverse migration into description middle of a war section.

Inspired by primary accounts notice refugees, and is part disturb UNHCR's #WithRefugees campaign, which too includes a petition to governments to expand asylum to farm animals further shelter, integrating job opportunities, and education.^[49]Home, written and tied by Daniel Mulloy, went decide to win a BAFTA Reward and a Gold Lion authorized Cannes Lions International Festival foothold Creativity among many other awards.^[50]

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Accolades

References

External links