Nicholas Hoult

British actor Nicholas Hoult seamlessly made the transition from child star into one of the top actors of his generation. A native of Workingham in England, he began acting in stage productions while still a toddler.

His screen debut came at the age of five when he was cast in Philip Goodhew's "Intimate Relations" (1996). He began appearing regularly on television, notching guest roles on shows like "Silent Witness" (BBC, 1996- ) and "Doctors" (BBC, 2000- ). At 11, he found himself in an international hit when he played Marcus in the big screen adaptation of Nick Hornsby's novel "About a Boy" (2002).

The film, which co-starred Hugh Grant and Toni Collette, was a critical and box office success. In his teens, he appeared as Tony Stonem in the youth drama "Skins" (E4, 2007-13) for two seasons. He also appeared in actor Richard E. Grant's semi-autobiographical film "Wah-Wah" (2005) and as Nicholas Cage's son in "The Weather Man" (2005).

He began moving into more adult roles when he was cast in the remake of the fantasy film "Clash of the Titans" (2010). He gained notice throughout the film industry when he appeared as the gay college student helping Colin Firth's professor deal with the loss of his longtime companion in "A Single Man" (2009). He soon found himself immersed in the blockbuster superhero genre when he signed on to play Hank McCoy (aka Beast) in "X-Men: First Class" (2011).

Acting alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy, he would reprise the role in three subsequent films, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014), "X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016), and "Dark Phoenix" (2019). Apart from playing the Marvel mutant hero, he starred in the fantasy adventure "Jack the Giant Slayer" (2013) and appeared with Charlize Theron in "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015).

With his blockbuster bona fides secure, he began seeking work in smaller films. He took to playing real life legends, starring as reclusive author J.D. Salinger in "Rebel in the Rye" (2017), inventor Nikola Tesla in "The Current War" (2017), and "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien in "Tolkien" (2019).

Teaming with Rachel Weisz (whom he had worked with as a child on "About a Boy"), Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman, he appeared as Robert Harley, the Earl of Oxford, in the Oscar-winning period drama "The Favourite" (2018). Continuing to expand his resume, he joined the cast of Taylor Sheridan's thriller "Those Who Wish Me Dead" (2020), alongside Angelina Jolie and Tyler Perry.