Charlie Heaton is an English actor and musician, best known for his role as Jonathan Byers, the older brother of the main character in the series "Stranger Things".
British musician and actor Charlie Heaton
Childhood
Charlie was born on February 6, 1994, in the small coastal town of Bridlington in England. Charlie has an older sister, Susan. At 16, Heaton moved to London where his father was living at the time.
Charlie Heaton in childhood
After moving to London, Charlie became the drummer of the noise-rock band "Comanechi", which had already released one album and was working on the second. Charlie toured the world for almost a year and a half with his band, occasionally working as a bartender. "We were not rolling in money. When I returned home, I hardly had any funds left. I had to look for additional work," he explained later.
A very young Charlie Heaton and the Comanechi band
But he didn’t have to stand behind the bar for long: he joined a private talent agency on his sister’s advice. Charlie's first ever role was in a commercial for a Swiss insurance company. It was an 8-minute clip that won an award at the Cannes Film Festival, so even then, the young actor managed to avoid mainstream, in his opinion.
Comahechi (Charlie Heaton's band) – Dream of Dream (2013)
Acting Career
In 2015, Heaton made his film debut, appearing in two episodes of season 4 of the crime epic "DCI Banks". That same year, Charlie starred in the short film "The Schoolboy" by Paloma Lommel and appeared in the first episode of season 5 of the crime series "Vera". The budding actor could also be seen in two episodes of season 29 of the medical series "Casualty" (notably, Charlie played different characters in it).
Charlie Heaton played his first film role in 2015
Additionally, in 2015, the British drama "Urban & the Shed Crew" and the biographical drama "The Rise of the Krays" were released.
The Performers: Act III - Charlie Heaton
In 2016, the actor made his debut in American cinema, starring in the leading role in the crime thriller "As You Are". The plot, which won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, is set in the early 1990s and tells the story of the relationship between three teenagers, played by Heaton, Owen Campbell, and Amandla Stenberg, known for her role as Rue in "The Hunger Games".
Charlie Heaton's height is 173 centimeters
Despite the film not gaining worldwide success, other American directors noticed Charlie. Soon, Heaton was invited to one of the leading roles in the new supernatural series "Stranger Things".
'Stranger Things': Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
The plot of the series is set in the 1980s in Indiana, where a girl with telekinetic abilities escapes from a secret government lab. At the same time, a teenager mysteriously disappears in a small town, and his friends begin their search.
A shot from the 'Stranger Things'
Charlie played the role of the reclusive teenager Jonathan Byers, the son of Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and the older brother of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). Also in the series, which gained popularity and love from viewers worldwide, starred Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, and Gaten Matarazzo.
I've already played the role of a gloomy spoilt guy, and a drug addict from the slums... But this is different. In 'Stranger Things' and my character, I found a lot in common with myself.
In November 2016, the Canadian-French horror film "Shut In" was released, featuring Charlie Heaton, Naomi Watts, and Oliver Platt in the leading roles. The film received relatively low ratings from critics and viewers, but Charlie's performance was noted as excellent.
The actor is already being called a new style icon
In the fall of 2017, Spanish director Sergio G. Sánchez released the horror film "Marrowbone". In addition to Heaton, the thriller about brothers and sisters hiding their beloved mother's death to keep their family together also starred George MacKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Mia Goth.
A frame from the movie 'Marrowbone'
In 2020, the 11th part of the "X-Men" franchise, the superhero film "The New Mutants", was released. Heaton joined the cast as the superhero Cannonball (real name — Sam Guthrie), whose main ability is to generate thermochemical energy and, as a result, fly like a cannonball.
In 'The New Mutants', Charlie Heaton played the mutant Cannonball
In 2020, Charlie also appeared in the series "Soulmates" (episode 5), set in the future where technology allows every person to find a perfectly matching soulmate. He also played a leading role in the drama "No Future", portraying a young man who becomes very close to his deceased friend's mother.
A shot from the movie 'No Future'
In 2021, the actor could be seen in the sequel to Joanna Hogg's melodrama "The Souvenir". Initially, the role of Jim Dagger, the love interest of Julie (Tilda Swinton), was supposed to go to Robert Pattinson, but he declined it in favor of "The Batman". And of course, he was part of every season of "Stranger Things".
The actor has admitted that he dreams of combining his passion for cinema and music and starring in a music-themed film similar to "Quadrophenia" with a young Sting.
Charlie Heaton's Personal Life
The actor has a son named Archie, who was born to him by his ex-girlfriend, ex-vocalist of the band "Comanechi", Japanese Akiko Matsuura in 2014.
Charlie Heaton and his ex-girlfriend Akiko
Despite the couple no longer being together, Akiko and Charlie maintain a strong friendship.
Charlie Heaton with his son
After breaking up with Akiko, the actor started dating his "Stranger Things" co-star Natalia Dyer.
Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer
In October 2017, after flying to the States from the UK for the premiere of the new season of "Stranger Things", Heaton was stopped by the police - traces of cocaine were found in the actor's suitcase. Charlie wasn't arrested: he spent some time at the airport, then boarded a plane back to London.
Charlie Heaton Now
In 2024, fans of Charlie Heaton were eagerly awaiting the release of the drama "Billy Knight", where Charlie Heaton played one of the main roles. Additionally, at the beginning of the year, the actor was busy filming the fifth season of "Stranger Things", which was expected to be the final one.
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Dorothy Osborne
2021-04-15 11:29:32
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Mary Adkins
2021-04-02 17:27:56
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Barbara Stewart
2021-03-31 10:26:05
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Linda Mendez
2021-03-24 11:12:43
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Amanda Young
2021-02-22 16:53:43
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