Ed Speleers

Edward John "Ed" Speleers (born 7 April 1988)[1] is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film Eragon, the antagonist character Stephen Bonnet in the TV series Outlander, as well as a role in the TV series Downton Abbey. Speleers has been nominated for both the Saturn Awards, as Best Young Actor, and the British Academy Film Awards, for a short film he co-produced.

Ed Speleers
Born
Edward John Speleers

(1988-04-07) 7 April 1988
Chichester, West Sussex, England
NationalityEnglish
OccupationActor, producer
Years active2006–present
Notable work
Eragon, Downton Abbey, Outlander
Spouse(s)Asia Macey
Children2

Early life

Speleers was born at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, West Sussex, England. His parents divorced when he was three,[2] with his mother residing in Spain and his father in London.[3] He has two older half brothers.[2] While still in school, Speleers performed in school productions such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Richard III.[4][5] In addition to acting, Speelers wrote a play that was performed at Eastbourne College, in Sussex, where he attended. Extraordinarily controversial, Retribution dealt with the subject of paedophilia and was met with stunned reactions.[6] Speelers completed his education in 2006.[3]

Career

Acting

Speleers' first professional role in 2006 was the lead in 20th Century Fox's screen version of Christopher Paolini's hit book Eragon.[5] Before landing the role of Eragon, he auditioned for various roles, including Peter Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which he lost to William Moseley.[5] His next role, in 2008, was Jimmy Penwarden on the British prime time series Echo Beach.[7] He also appeared in the comedy Moving Wallpaper and an episode of Moving Wallpaper: The Mole, which many saw as a parody of Echo Beach.[8]

2009 saw Speleers tackle the role of Robin Cecil Byng in the Japanese television miniseries Jiro Shirasu: Man of Honor, which highlighted the intermediary between American and Japanese negotiators at the conclusion of World War II.[9] The next year, Speleers played the role of Jason Grint in the made-for-television fantasy-adventure film Witchville and starred in director Aimee Powell's short film Deathless.[10][11] Continuing with short films in 2011, Speleers appeared in director Marion Pilowski's short The Ride and Julian Gilbey's short A Lonely Place to Die.[6][12]

In 2012, Speleers starred as Jamie in Andy de Emmony's comedy horror film Love Bite, alongside Jessica Szohr and Timothy Spall.[13][14] He cast in the film A Dead Man in Deptford, based upon Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, but the film was never completed.[15][16][17] That same year Speelers was cast in the recurring role of Jimmy Kent in the award-winning ITV series Downton Abbey.[18][19]

The short film Turncoat (2013), from Dark Matter productions, featured Speleers as Nathan Reese.[20][21] He then starred as Sam in 2014's thriller Plastic, which was written and directed by Julian Gilbey for Gateway Films. Production was shot in Britain, Miami and Brunei from January 2013.[22][23] On 12 March 2014 it was reported that Speleers was among five actors being considered for a lead role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but was cut during the casting process.[24][25][26]

In 2015, Speleers had a small role in the BBC's historical drama mini-series Wolf Hall as Edward Seymour, brother of Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour.[27][28] He also played a leading role in the direct-to-DVD werewolf horror film Howl, as a young train conductor overseeing the final London train.[29] That same year, Speleers guest starred in the BBC One six-part mini-series Partners in Crime, an adaptation of two of Agatha Christie's novels, which focused on crime-solving couple Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Speleers appeared in three episodes based on the story N or M?, in the role of Carl Denim.[30] He went on to portray Greg in director Omer Fast's psychological thriller Remainder.[31][32]

In 2016, he played the role of Slean in ITV's epic fantasy drama television series from, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands.[4][33] He had a supporting role in Disney's fantasy adventure sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass from director by James Bobin.[19][34] The following year he starred in the biopic Breathe, opposite Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. The film, actor Andy Serkis' directoral debut, follows the experiences of paraplegic Robin Cavendish, who is recognized as having helped pioneer the development of wheelchairs equipped with mechanical lungs.[35]

In late 2017, Speleers was confirmed to appear in season four and five of Starz's time-travel drama series Outlander as Irish smuggler and pirate Stephen Bonnet.[36][37][38]

In 2018, Speleers starred in the dark comedy-horror film Zoo, which centers on a couple in crisis and attempting to reconcile during a zombie pandemic.[35][39] He went on to feature in Lars Von Trier's psychological thriller The House That Jack Built, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.[40] On 20 August 2018, Speleers made his stage premiere in the play Rain Man, portraying the lead role of Charlie Babbitt.[41] The play, based upon the film of the same, name, was directed by Jonathan O'Boyle and has toured various theatres throughout the United Kingdom.[42][43][44]

Romantic comedy For Love or Money featured Speleers as Johnny, opposite Robert Kazinsky and Samantha Barks, in 2019.[45][46][47]

Producing

In 2017, Speleers was a producer on Barnaby Blackburn's short film Wale.[48][49] The film, which centers on racial prejudices in Britain today, was nominated for a British Academy Film Awards in 2018 in the Short Film category.[50]

Personal life

Speleers lives in Bristol, England. He is married to Asia Macey and has two children with her, a son and a daughter.[51]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Director Notes
2006EragonEragonStefen Fangmeier
2011A Lonely Place to DieEdJulian Gilbey
2012Love BiteJamieAndy De Emmony
2014PlasticSamJulian Gilbey
2015HowlJoePaul Hyett
RemainderGregOmer Fast
2016Alice Through the Looking GlassJames HarcourtJames Bobin
2017BreatheColin CampbellAndy Serkis
2018 The House That Jack BuiltEd (Police Officer 2)Lars von Trier
Zoo a.k.a. Death Us Do Part John Antonio Tublen
2019For Love or MoneyJohnnyMark Murphy

Shorts
Year Title Role Director Notes
2010DeathlessJohn RayAimee Powell
2011The RideStudentMarion Pilowsky
2012Metamorphosis: Titian 2012ActeonLuke White
2013TurncoatNathan ReeceWill Gilbey
2017 Wale Ed Barnaby Blackburn Producer

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2008Moving WallpaperEd Speleers4 episodes
Moving Wallpaper: The Mole1 episode
Echo BeachJimmy Penwarden12 episodes
2009Jirō Shirasu: Man of HonourRobin Cecil Byng1 episode
2010WitchvilleJason GrintTelevision film
2012–2014Downton AbbeyJames "Jimmy" Kent17 episodes
2015Wolf HallEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset4 episodes
Agatha Christie's: Partners in CrimeCarl Denham3 episodes
2016Beowulf: Return to the ShieldlandsSlean12 episodes
2018–2020 OutlanderStephen BonnetRecurring role, 13 episodes

Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
2018 Rain Man Charlie Babbitt The Classic Screen to Stage Theatre Company

Video Games
Year Title Voice
2006Eragon[52]Eragon
2016Battlefield 1Daniel Edwards

Awards and Nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2007 Saturn Award Best Young Actor Eragon[53] Nominated
2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Best Ensemble Cast (Television Drama) Downton Abbey[54] Nominated
2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Best Ensemble Cast (Television Drama) Downton Abbey[55] Won
2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Ensemble Cast (Television Drama) Downton Abbey[56][57] Won
2019 BAFTA British Short Film Wale[49] Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Guest-Starring Performance on a Television Series Outlander[58] Nominated

References
  1. "Ed Speleers". Facebook.
  2. Hiltbrand, David (15 December 2006). "'Eragon' star Edward Speleers is on quite the ride". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. "Ed Speleers biography". Tribute.ca.
  4. Weiss, Haley (11 February 2016). "Ed Speleers at 10 Years". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. "Eragon". Scholastic News Online. Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  6. Jones, Aled (1 July 2011). "FrightFest Week – A Lonely Place To Die: Ed Speleers Interview". Filmwerk. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  7. Green, Kris (15 November 2007). "First Look: The sexy cast of 'Echo Beach'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  8. Wilkes, Neil (22 January 2008). "How about they do it?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  9. "Filming the life of a Clare College alumnus". University of Cambridge. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. "Witchville on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  11. "Deathless", FilmAffinity, retrieved 10 March 2019
  12. "The Ride". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  13. "Love Bite", Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 27 August 2016
  14. Dibdin, Emma (9 November 2012). "'Love Bite' interview - video". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  15. Kilday, Gregg (12 September 2010). "Sam Riley to play Kit Marlowe in 'Dead Man'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  16. "Little Film Company to sell Sam Riley in A Dead Man in Deptford". Screen Daily. 12 September 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  17. "A Dead Man in Deptford Movie (Pre-Production): Sep. 13, 2010 - added Ballpark Productions as a production company". Movie Insider. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  18. Sperling, Daniel (22 March 2012). "'Downton Abbey' recruits 'Eragon' actor Ed Speleers". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  19. MacNaghten, Holly (25 September 2014). "An Interview with Ed Speleers". The Gentleman's Journal. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  20. Debnath, Neela (1 October 2018). "Outlander season 4 cast: Who is Stephen Bonnet? Who is actor Ed Speleers?". Express. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  21. "Jennifer Handorf". Norwich University of the Arts. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  22. Rosser, Michael (6 December 2012). "Speleers, Poulter and Allen to star in Plastic". Screen Daily. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  23. "Plastic", Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 23 January 2019
  24. Kroll, Justin (12 March 2014). "'Star Wars Episode VII': Actors Battle for Lead Role". Variety. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  25. Crow, David (12 March 2014). "John Boyega, Ed Speleers Up For Star Wars: Episode VII?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  26. Fletcher, Harry; Berry, Jo (27 December 2015). "Ed Speleers confirms he screen-tested for Star Wars". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  27. Robinson, Joanna. "Here's Why the Cast of Wolf Hall Looks So Familiar". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  28. Jones, Nate (18 April 2015). "The Gruesome Ways Every Character in Wolf Hall Died in Real Life". Vulture. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  29. "Howl", Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 27 August 2016
  30. "N or M? - Part Three, Partners in Crime". BBC One. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  31. "Movie Review – Remainder (2015)". 22 June 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  32. Romney, Jonathan (11 February 2016). "'Remainder': Berlin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  33. "Beowulf Official Site". Esquire Network. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  34. Pearce, Lucy (20 May 2016). "West Sussex actor Ed Speleers stars in the fantasy movie Alice Through the Looking Glass alongside a stellar cast". The Argus. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  35. Shzr Ee, Tan (25 January 2018). "Defying medical odds to Breathe". The Straits Times. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  36. Harnick, Chris (11 October 2017). "Outlander Season 4 Adds Downton Abbey Veterans in Pivotal Roles". E Online. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  37. Petski, Denise (11 October 2017). "'Outlander': Maria Doyle Kennedy & Ed Speleers Join Season 4 Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  38. Thompson, Avery (4 November 2018). "Stephen Bonnet: 5 Things To Know About The New 'Outlander' Character". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  39. Kay, Jeremy (5 February 2018). "Seville International heads to EFM with 'Zoo' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  40. Cannes, James Mottram in (15 May 2018). "The House That Jack Built review: Profound, disgusting". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  41. Gans, Andrew (25 May 2018). "Gavin & Stacey's Mathew Horne and Downton Abbey's Ed Speleers Will Star in Rain Man U.K. Tour". Playbill. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  42. Aldred, Natalie (23 August 2018). "Movie classic was Royal treat". Henley Standard. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  43. "Full Casting Announced For RAIN MAN Starring Mathew Horne And Ed Speleers". Broadway World. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  44. "Mathew Horne and Ed Speleers in Rain Man: first look photos". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  45. Mosthof, Mariella. "Lana Condor Serves Up Something Very Different in Syfy's 'Deadly Class'". Romper. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  46. "We chat with Mark Murphy about his new film The Revenger: An Unromantic Comedy". Critical Hit. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  47. For Love or Money (2019), retrieved 8 October 2019
  48. Wale (2018) - IMDb, retrieved 10 March 2019
  49. Clarke, Stewart (9 January 2019). "'The Favourite' Leads BAFTA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  50. Nannar, Nina (21 January 2019). "Wale actor Raphel Famotibe 'shocked' to make Oscars shortlist". ITV News. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  51. "Ed Speleers to be a dad". Express. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  52. "Sierra Entertainment Announces Hot Hollywood Talent From Upcoming 20th Century Fox Film Eragon Featured in Video Game". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  53. "Superman Returns Leads the 33rd Annual Saturn Awards with 10 Nominations". MovieWeb. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  54. "2014 SAG Awards: Winners and Nominees". Variety. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  55. "SAG Award Winners 2015: Full List". Variety. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  56. "The Complete List of the 2016 SAG Award Winners". Vogue. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  57. "Downton Abbey Wins Best Ensemble in a TV Drama at the SAG Award". E! Online. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  58. Mancuso, Vinnie (16 July 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame', 'Game of Thrones' Lead the 2019 Saturn Awards Nominations". Collider. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
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