Biography of Cosmo Jarvis
The impressive actor never doubted from childhood that he was destined to become a star. However, he reached serious movie roles through his passion for music: in the early 2010s, Cosmo Jarvis released four albums in the pop-rock genre.In 2012, he burst into the film world by writing the screenplay and directing the dark auteur film "The Naughty Room." Over the past ten-plus years, the actor has captivated British and Irish audiences with his roles in "Armadillo" and "It's In Us All." Then he aimed for global fame, shining in the lead role in the popular series "Shogun" in 2024.
Early Years
Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis was born on September 1, 1989, in the New York suburb of Ridgewood. His father is English, and his mother is American with Armenian roots; her parents were refugees from Armenia who settled in the United States. Cosmo also has a younger brother, Fletcher, with whom he has a great relationship.A few years after their first child was born, the family decided to move to the father's homeland, the United Kingdom. In 1998, Cosmo's parents divorced. He and his brother stayed with their mother. The three of them settled in the town of Totnes in Devon, in the southwest of England.
Jarvis attended Ivybridge School, where he didn't excel academically but was interested in the arts, from music (he wrote songs himself) to filmmaking. In 2001, Cosmo picked up a camera for the first time to shoot a video for his single. At 16, he dropped out of school and focused on music.
Music
Musician Jarvis first gained attention performing with his band Pull My Finger, mainly in Plymouth clubs. In 2006, the group reached the finals of the Battle of the Bands music competition (in the "under 18" category).In 2009, Jarvis released his debut solo double album, Humasyouhitch/Sonofabitch. He wrote all the songs himself in his bedroom using a home computer and a cheap microphone. His lyrics focused on the "dark side" of life, teenage crushes on TV stars, and his personal experiences growing up in a small town.
A year later, the singer performed at Germany's Hurricane and Southside festivals. In 2011, the musician's second album, Is the World Strange or Am I Strange?, was released. The album opened with the song Gay Pirates, inspired by life in the slums.
Film Career
In 2011, Cosmo moved to London but quickly realized he couldn't afford the rent even on the city's outskirts. He returned to Devon and rented an apartment above a shop in the coastal town of Paignton with his childhood friend Dave Egan. This was when he began working on his first feature film.Back in 2012, Cosmo announced in an interview that he was working on his own film titled "The Naughty Room." Jarvis wrote the script and music, directed, produced, and edited the film, and also played the lead role. He was supported by friends, including his brother Fletcher. The film's budget was only £8,000, and Cosmo's grandmother kindly provided the shooting location.
This film experience inspired Jarvis so much that he decided to pursue acting instead of music. He eventually moved to London and started attending auditions actively. In 2015, he appeared in the film "Spooks: The Greater Good," but the turning point came the following year when he participated in six projects, even in supporting roles.
These included minor roles in the series "Moving On," "Humans," "My Mother and Other Strangers," as well as in films "Monochrome" and "The Habit of Beauty," along with a significant role in the drama "Lady Macbeth," where Cosmo played Sebastian, the lover of the heroine Florence Pugh, a worker on her husband's country estate.
"I was equally excited and terrified by the opportunity to work on something like this," the actor said about this experience. The following year, Jarvis was nominated for the British Independent Film Awards as "Most Promising Newcomer" for this role.
During this time, he also tried his hand at theater, performing in "The Hairy Ape" at Park Avenue Armory and "The Twilight Zone" at Almeida Theatre.
Another pivotal moment in Cosmo's career came in 2019 when he landed a role in the crime drama "Calm with Horses." He played a former boxer who, driven by poverty, agrees to work for a drug dealer clan. For this role, the actor had to master an Irish accent. Barry Keoghan, an Irish actor, played another central role.
Critics praised Jarvis's talent, and in 2020, he was nominated for the British Independent Film Awards as Best Actor and London Critics' Circle Film Awards.
"We filmed in places where locals lived, who didn't care about the film. You just sat in a pub and chatted with anyone, so all the necessary context was there," Cosmo recalled.
In 2020, Jarvis also guest-starred in the fifth season of "Peaky Blinders," playing a character named Barney. Additionally, he appeared in the series "Raised by Wolves," the drama "The Evening Hour," and the thriller "Funny Face." The latter was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Furthermore, Jarvis appeared in the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's novel "Persuasion." He played one of the main characters, Captain Frederick Wentworth, while his love interest, Anne Elliot, was portrayed by Dakota Johnson. Critics had mixed reviews of the film, and Cosmo's performance received less flattering comments from critic Christy Lemire: "It's impossible to care whether Anne and Frederick end up together because Cosmo Jarvis's portrayal is so stiff and lacking charisma."
Cosmo Jarvis's Personal Life
From his very first significant roles, the actor gained a lot of female fans. He was rumored to have romances with star partners, including Florence Pugh and Dakota Johnson. However, in rare interviews, Jarvis made it clear that his heart was already taken and that he dreams of becoming a father in the future.In early 2024, several sources reported the actor's marriage to a woman named Emily, whom he had reportedly been dating for several years. However, this information has not been confirmed (nor denied).
Cosmo Jarvis Now
Back in 2021, it was announced that Jarvis would play a central role in the miniseries "Shōgun," the second television adaptation of James Clavell's bestselling novel. The FX project premiered in February 2024. Cosmo took on the role of John Blackthorne, an English sailor who lands on the Japanese archipelago and immediately gets involved in the events, participating in the struggle against Lord Toranaga.After the first episodes, the press released numerous positive reviews, highlighting Jarvis's performance. The Washington Post wrote that he brilliantly captured his role, Empire described the actor as "irresistible." Evening Standard emphasized that Cosmo demonstrated an incredible ability to transform, recalling his previous characters in "Calm with Horses" and "Persuasion."
In 2024, the premiere of the Australian drama "Inside" was also scheduled, with Jarvis in the lead role. The plot follows a prisoner forced to commit the murder of the country's most notorious criminal. Cosmo starred alongside Guy Pearce.
Jarvis also worked with Robert De Niro on the gangster drama "Alto Knights." The film had been in development since the 1970s, with studios constantly passing the script to each other. The story focuses on the relationships between rival bosses of the Italian-American mafia. The film was slated for release in March 2025.
Interesting Facts
- They often compare Cosmo to Marlon Brando and Tom Hardy. However, the actor disapproves of such comparisons, asserting that no one can be put on the same level as these stars.
- Jarvis doesn't have social media accounts. He only got a smartphone in 2020 at his agent's insistence.
- The actor has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He regularly takes insulin injections and follows a strict diet.
Important Dates
- 2009 – Released the debut album Humasyouhitch/Sonofabitch
- 2011 – Released the second album Is the World Strange or Am I Strange?
- 2012 – Released the album Think Bigger
- 2016 – Acted in the drama "Lady Macbeth"
- 2017 – Made his theater debut in the productions "The Hairy Ape" and "The Twilight Zone"
- 2019 – Appeared in the movie "The Shadow of Violence"
- 2022 – Acted in the series "This Is in Us All" and the film "Persuasion"
- 2024 – Appeared in the series "Shogun"
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