The Brit Boy Invasion: The hot, young, talented actors taking Hollywood by storm
Hollywood has long had a love affair with Brit boy actors, but over recent years this has ramped up a notch. Cast your mind back to some of this decade’s biggest film and TV hits and you’re more than likely to find a home-grown heartthrob at the helm: Robert Pattinson in Twilight, Kit Harington in Game of Thrones, Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The list goes on…
Then there are the new boys of the block including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again breakout star, Josh Dylan.
So what is it about our male stars that Tinseltown finds so appealing? It could be down to their accents – we know they can’t get enough of that posh English drawl across the pond – or the acting expertise, with many of the biggest names being trained at world-renowned British drama schools including RADA and LAMDA.
As for why the Brits are so keen on heading over there, several key reasons have been listed over the years. For a group of talented black actors, including Idris Elba and David Harewood, they felt they had a better chance of getting decent roles in Los Angeles. Then there are the big-budget superhero movies that Hollywood is so fond of making, many of which have featured Brit boys in the title roles – think Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Henry Cavill's Superman – or as the dishy villain (hello, Tom Hiddleston in Thor).
And the love affair continues. Just take a look at this year’s Golden Globes, which featured prominent nominations for several Brits, including Daniel Craig for Knives Out, Christian Bale for Ford vs Ferrari and Taron Egerton for his brilliant turn as Elton John in Rocketman.
Whatever the reasons for their warm reception on the other side of the Atlantic, we couldn’t be happier – the more they’re cast, the more opportunities we have to drool over them in all their wide-screen, surround-sound glory. Here we've rounded up the hot, young, British actors currently bagging all the best roles and getting our pulses racing.
Getty ImagesJosh Dylan
British actor Josh Dylan is best known for appearing as Young Bill in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Given that is one of our favourite films of all time, Josh has had more than our fair share of attention.
Getty ImagesJosh O'Connor
We’ve had our eye on Josh for a good few years now, ever since he appeared as rakish Larry in ITV’s The Durrels and put in a star-making performance in 2017’s God’s Own Country. But he well and truly stole our hearts playing Prince Charles in Season 3 of Netflix’s The Crown. Season 4 is set to be even bigger for the Cheltenham-born actor, as it tackles the Diana years – and we can’t wait.
Getty ImagesMicheal Ward
This Jamaican-born, Romford-raised actor stole the show when he was awarded the coveted Rising Star Award at this year’s BAFTAs – previously won by the likes of John Boyega, Tom Hardy and Daniel Kaluuya – and gave a moving tribute to his mum. Best known for his career-launching turn in Top Boy, next up you can catch him starring alongside Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor in The Old Guard.
Getty ImagesJack Lowden
Scottish heartthrob Jack first came to our attention in Christopher Nolan’s celebrated World War II flick Dunkirk, in which he took on the role of a dashing Royal Air Force fighter pilot. He’s since gone on to play Saoirse Ronan’s love interest in Mary Queen of Scots and an aspiring WWE wrestler alongside Florence Pugh in Stephen Merchant’s comedy Fighting with my Family. Next on the agenda is an Al Capone biopic, where he’ll be reunited with his Dunkirk co-star (and fellow Brit hottie) Tom Hardy.
Getty ImagesJohnny Flynn
Not only is Johnny Flynn a seriously talented actor, he also happens to be a brilliant musician and the lead singer of the band Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit. He played the dreamiest Austen hero since Colin Firth in the recent adaptation of Emma, where he took on the role of the alluring Mr Knightley opposite Anya Taylor-Joy. But it’s his next role, as David Bowie in the biopic Stardust, that’s set to send his career truly stratospheric.
Rex FeaturesDaniel Kaluuya
London-born Daniel Kaluuya is a writer and actor known for his role in the Oscar nominated film, Get Out. Kaluuya also bagged a BAFTA rising star win for this role in the horror/comedy. Prior to that, he starred in episodes of Charlie Brooker's hit Netflix show Black Mirror and can also be recognised from his work in the FBI-inspired thriller Sicario, the remake of the classic Johnny English, in Johnny English Reborn and for playing in the super funny action movie Kick-ass 2. Kaluuya also stars in the critically acclaimed Marvel thriller, Black Panther.
Getty ImagesJoe Alwyn
Ok, so we know Joe Alwyn is dating Taylor Swift, but other than that this hot British actor is best known for his role in the period drama, The Favourite, where he played the love interest of Emma Stone. Next up you can catch him in Last Letter from your Lover alongside Shailene Woodley and Felicity Jones. Watch this face!
Getty ImagesTom Hughes
You've probably seen Tom in the hit ITV show, Victoria, opposite Jenna Coleman. He also starred next to Emma Watson in a Burberry campaign. Before all that, the Cheshire-born lad was known for his work in the TV-series Casualty 1909, Silk and for his role in the romcom About Time.
Getty ImagesDan Stevens
Surrey boy Dan Stevens is known for playing Matthew Crawley in ITV's historical drama Downtown Abbey and movie The Guest. But in 2016 he got the biggest break of his career, in the much anticipated Walt Disney production of Beauty and the Beast , where Stevens plays the Beast next to Emma Watson.
Getty ImagesCharlie Hunnam
Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam, plays Arthur in the 2017 adventure film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, produced by Guy Ritchie. Charlie, who was born in Newcastle, has also starred as Raleigh Becket in Pacific Rim and its sequel, as well as in English production Green Street Hooligans.
Getty ImagesTheo James
If you are a fan of The Divergent Series chances are you instantly recognised this hunk - Theo James starred in all four movies of the much-loved saga. Next up, Theo will appear in the sci-fi thriller Archive.
Getty ImagesTaron Egerton
This lad from Cheshire put his name on the map after playing the full-of-swag rebel boy turned secret agent, Eggsy in the thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service and then as Eddie Edwards in Eddie The Eagle, but it was his Golden Globe-nominated turn as Elton John in Rocketman that really took his career to the next level.
Getty ImagesTom Holland
Although young, Tom has been on the acting scene for a while now, with a resume full of big hits like 2015's In the Heart of the Sea, and 2016's Captain America: Civil War where we first got a glimpse of him as Spider-Man. Then followed two of his very own Spider-Man movies, where he played alongside Zendaya as Michelle. He's currently filming the third as of yet untitled sequel.
Getty ImagesAlex Pettyfer
The actor has appeared in Wild Child, Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL and I Am Number Four with then-girlfriend and Glee star, Dianna Agron. He is currently filming Hunters in the Dark alongside Aneurin Barnard.
Getty ImagesJeremy Irvine
This Cambridgeshire lad saw his star rocket after being picked over thousands for the role in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. Since then, he’s starred in The Railway Man and Now Is Good.
GettyJohn Boyega
Peckham-born John Boyega impressed us in Attack The Block but his star has certainly risen since his role as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Seriously, we’re not exaggerating; the franchise made the career of Harrison Ford and its revival will do the same for him.
Rex FeaturesJack Whitehall
Bad Education star Jack Whitehall landed a major role alongside Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston in the 2016 film Mother's Day by director Garry Marshall. This led to huge things because he's now due to star in Jungle Cruise alongside heavy weights Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson.
PA PhotosDouglas Booth
Douglas Booth rose to prominence after his portrayal of Boy George in the BBC Two drama Worried About The Boy. He has since starred in television adaptations of Great Expectations and The Pillars Of The Earth, and has made the transition from television to film with Romeo & Juliet and Posh.
Getty ImagesFreddie Stroma
The aesthetically-pleasing Freddie Stroma is best known for playing Cormac McLaggen in Harry Potter and also for assuming the role of that irritating Ben in the Inbetweeners 2 film (you know, the one with the guitar and white dreadlocks). Freddie also played Luke in the blockbuster hit Pitch Perfect.
Rex FeaturesDavid Oyelowo
David Oyelowo didn’t set out to be an actor. He went along with his A-level theater studies teacher, who suggested he make a career out of it. Whoever his teacher was, he wasn’t wrong – he was the first black man to play the King of England in Henry VI. He also went on to act in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Last King of Scotland and Selma, in which he played Martin Luther King.
Rex FeaturesDamien Molony
Damien Molony was born in Ireland but is now based in London. You might recognise him from BBC drama series Ripper Street, or as vampire Hal in BBC3 series Being Human. Damien also starred next to Nicholas Hoult in the thriller Kill your Friends in 2015, and the drama Tiger Raid.
Rex FeaturesBenedict Cumberbatch
The Sherlock star has Hollywood in his back pocket these days. He bagged roles in two of the industry's biggest franchises – Star Trek and The Hobbit, and was Oscar-nominated in 2015 for his role as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. Alongside Johnny Deep and an amazing cast, Benedict starred in the suspense, based on a true story, Black Mass and in 2016's big hit Zoolander 2. His latest cinematic role sees him in the lead of Doctor Strange, with the latest in the franchise, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, currently in post-production.
Getty ImagesKit Harington
You might know Kit Harington better as Jon Snow from the hugely successful
Game Of Thrones. Interestingly, the young Brit has his own royal connection and is a descendant of Charles II through his father’s family.
PA PhotosFreddie Fox
Emilia Fox’s little brother is making quite a name for himself in acting circles. The fair-haired Brit has already starred in The Three Musketeers, Posh and Parade’s End, but the future’s looking even brighter.
PA PhotosBen Whishaw
Ben Whishaw hit the big time after taking on the stage role of Hamlet in 2004 and hasn’t looked back since. With roles in Brideshead Revisited, Skyfall and 007: Spectre (as Q), he’s endeared himself to indie and mainstream audiences alike.
PAJosh Bowman
Josh played the privileged Daniel Grayson, opposite real-life girlfriend Emily VanCamp, in the hugely-successful TV show, Revenge. Josh also starred as the leading character of the 2016's Level Up, where he has only one day to save his kidnapped girlfriend in London.
PAJoseph Morgan
Originally from Swansea, this actor already has the film world at his feet, after appearances in The Vampire Diaries and Immortals. Now he has viewers obsessed with his role as Klaus Mikaelson in The Originals - a Vampire Diaries spin-off.
Rex FeaturesColin Morgan
After starring as the leading character in BBC One's iconic Merlin and in the 50s-inspired crime mini-series Quirke, Colin played the Duke of Blackwood next to Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron in the hit movie The Huntsman: Winter's War. He made a return to TV screens in 2016 with the eerie ghost dramaThe Living and the Dead.
PAChristian Cooke
Christian’s done Shakespeare (he played Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet), comedy (in Ricky Gervais’ Cemetery Junction) and Doctor Who. You might also recognise him as the shit boyfriend in Love, Rosie.
Rex FeaturesArthur Davill
This Birmingham lad received rave reviews after his appearance as the Rev Paul Coates in Broadchurch. But he was already a bit of a household name among Whovians (Doctor Who fans) for taking on the part of Rory Williams in the show.
PAChiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel’s role as Solomon Northup in 12 Years A Slave has made him the toast of Tinseltown. He’s got an Oscar nomination under his belt and bucket-loads of film offers. His new movie, Infinite, will see him star alongside Mark Wahlberg.
PA PhotosSam Claflin
Sam’s made his name with appearances in The Hunger Games and Snow White And The Huntsman. But he's since moved away from action-films with Love, Rosie and Posh.
PA PhotosJamie Bell
Jamie Bell wooed us with his brilliant performance as boy ballerina wannabe in Billy Elliot. Since then he's appeared in King Kong, Hallam Foe and even voiced TinTin.
PA PhotosNicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult first came to our attention as the adorably geeky tween in About A Boy - but oh boy, has Nicholas grown up. After playing cool kid Tony in Skins, Hoult starred with Colin Firth in A Single Man, has taken a lead role in the X-Men prequels and appeared as a hot zombie in Warm Bodies.
PA PhotosTom Hardy
Hard-man heartthrob Tom Hardy has been gracing our screens since 2001’s Band Of Brothers, but before scooping the prestigious Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award at the 2011 BAFTAs, you would have spotted him in Inception, TV’s Wuthering Heights and Layer Cake. Since then, though, Tom's played Batman rival Bane and appeared opposite Charlize Theron in big-budget flick Mad Max: Fury Road.
19 pictures of Tom Hardy looking fit. Because we're team players like that.
Mario TestinoTom Sturridge
British actor Tom Sturridge is known for a host of film and theatre appearances, as well as for being best friends with Twilight star Robert Pattinson. His biggest film appearances to date have been in Being Julia, On The Road and The Boat That Rocked.
WennTom Hiddleston
After reading Classics at Cambridge University, Tom Hiddleston attended RADA before making numerous television, theatre and radio appearances, but his big break came following his portrayal of Loki in 2011's Thor (a franchise he continues to work within). This was followed by The Deep Blue Sea, where he starred alongside Rachel Weisz, Midnight in Paris (where he played writer F. Scott Fitzgerald), and Steven Spielberg's War Horse, which received rave reviews.
Getty ImagesAndrew Garfield
Broodingly handsome Andrew Garfield kicked off his career in TV’s Sugar Rush, Doctor Who, Boy A and Red Riding. Since then he’s become globally famous after award nominations for The Social Network and appearances in Never Let Me Go and of course The Amazing Spider-Man.
Getty ImagesEddie Redmayne
Eton-schooled Eddie Redmayne started his career as something of a period drama darling, having starred in two adaptations about Elizabeth I, The Other Boleyn Girl and Tess Of The d’Urbervilles opposite Gemma Arterton. Since then, Redmayne has stolen the heart of his Redmayniacs with stirring performances in Bird Song, My Week With Marilyn and Les Mis, but it's his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and the Oscar he got as a result that have brought Hollywood to his feet. His performance as transgender woman Lili Elbe, in The Danish Girl, also earned him an Oscar.
Getty ImagesHenry Cavill
Henry Cavill has leapt from being a Tudors actor to Superman – almost in a single bound! His dashing good looks made Cavill a model for Dunhill fragrance and he was Stephenie Meyer’s first choice for Edward Cullen in the Twilight films - until he was deemed too old. Henry starred as Superman again in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and in 2017's Justice League.
Getty ImagesJack O’Connell
Skins star Jack O’Connell (he played Cook in series three and four) has also appeared in This Is England, the TV adaptation of Wuthering Heights and BBC drama, Dive. Jack also starred in Angelina Jolie's notorious Unbroken, playing the Olympian Louis Zamperini sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Getty ImagesJamie Campbell Bower
Jamie Campbell Bower rose to prominence when he starred in the final two installments of Harry Potter and Twilight. He bagged a lead role in The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones and has appeared in the West End version of Bend It Like Beckham. He has now made a career in music with his band Counterfeit.
Getty ImagesJim Sturgess
Actor and musician Jim Sturgess had his breakout role in Across The Universe, the 2008 Beatles-inspired flick starring Evan Rachel Wood. The 35-year-old’s film credits also include The Other Boleyn Girl, Cloud Atlas and let's not forget his magical performance as Dexter in One Day.
Getty ImagesMax Irons
Max Irons is the son of legendary actors Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2008, Max had a few small parts before hitting the big time when he landed the role of Henry in Red Riding Hood, alongside Amanda Seyfried. Max played the leading role in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's sci-fi romance novel, The Host, Edward IV in the BBC adaptation of The White Queen and appeared in Posh, along with half this list!
Rex FeaturesRobert Pattinson
If you don’t know who Robert Pattinson is now, you never will. He starred in a little thing called Twilight, which just a few people went to watch. Since the franchise wrapped, he's bagged roles in Maps To The Stars, Queen of the Desert and Cosmopolis.
PA PhotosDaniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe has made a good job of distancing himself from his Harry Potter roots, with roles in The Woman In Black, A Young Doctor’s Notebook and playing Igor in Victor Frankenstein.
WennAaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has already bagged a number of lead roles in the likes of Godzilla, The Avengers and Kick-Ass 2 and Hollywood is now sitting up and taking serious notice.
Getty ImagesJamie Dornan
Fifty Shades of Grey has transformed Jamie Dornan from a Calvin Klein model who used to date Keira Knightley into a household name.
PA PhotosAiden Turner
GLAMOUR's Sexiest Man of The Year 2016, Aiden Turner caused a bit of a stir playing Ross Poldark in the BBC adaptation of the Poldark books.
