Biography of John Bradley
John Bradley is a British actor who shot to fame playing Samwell Tarly in the hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones," based on the novels by George R. R. Martin. He's also appeared as KC Houseman in Roland Emmerich's blockbuster "Moonfall" and delivered a compelling performance as Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici in the historical drama "Borgia." In 2024, he starred as brilliant scientist Jack Rooney in Netflix's adaptation of the sci-fi drama "The Three-Body Problem."
Childhood, Adolescence, Family
John was born in fall 1988 to the Bradley-West family in Manchester, England. He has an older sister who seemed ancient to him as a kid—she's 13 years older.Manchester has produced plenty of famous faces. St. Paul's Catholic high school, where Bradley studied, also produced musician Andy Rourke, model-actress Louise Cliffe, and footballer Tony Sinclair. Talking about his hometown, Bradley once explained:
From an early age, John gravitated toward theater and music. He was captivated by Lionel Bart's musical "Oliver!", based on Charles Dickens' work. John was so hooked that he cobbled together wild costumes from whatever he could find—his mom's coat, his dad's work boots—and bought cheap props to put on shows for his family like he was on a real stage.I live in Manchester, where people generally have a dismissive attitude toward celebrities. Here, nobody makes a fuss over famous rock musicians or football players. Those who come up to talk are real fans who already have a very good opinion of you. We're not reality show stars who are 'famous for being famous'—seven seasons proved what we can do. People either have been watching the series for a long time and love it, or have no idea who I am.
From 2005 to 2007, he studied law, psychology, English, and drama at Loreto College in Manchester. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from Manchester School of Theatre, graduating in 2010.
Talking about his training, John explained how he landed his first stage and screen roles:
Agents spotted Bradley during a showcase at a London theater. He performed a monologue from Eugène Ionesco's absurdist "The Lesson" and a scene from a Neil Simon comedy (with another student). Several agencies approached Bradley, but he signed with Shepherd Management—the first agent who contacted him, just two minutes after the curtain fell.Here's how most UK theater schools work: during the first two years, we learned techniques and different theater styles—naturalistic Chekhov, surrealist-absurdist Brecht and Beckett, tons of Shakespeare—plus intensive movement and voice training. We'd rehearse each play for about four weeks during those first two years, then perform it 'internally'—meaning just for faculty and other students. In the third year, we opened it up to the public with three plays for paying audiences. Agents come to scout these shows and approach students who catch their eye.
Acting Career
"Game of Thrones" was John Bradley's very first audition. He had to ask for time off from rehearsals for his current stage production of "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" by Joe Orton.The London audition paired John with already-cast Kit Harington for a scene atop the Wall, where the Stark bastard opens up to his friend about his past and complicated relationship with his father. As a result, John landed the role of Samwell Tarly.
When discussing his character, John revealed he hadn't even read the novels during filming, which freed him to make Sam much funnier than his book counterpart:
The newcomer's performance so impressed directors that shortly after joining "Game of Thrones," he landed the role of Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, son of the legendary Lorenzo de' Medici, in the historical drama "Borgia."He is often the butt of jokes. Additional scenes were written where Jon and Sam discuss girls and sex. Some of the quieter and conversational moments between Sam and Jon provided many opportunities for humor. I think that's what John finds appealing about Sam. I think he sees in Sam a person with great humanity and humor, based on intelligence and self-awareness. Samwell knows who he is and doesn't deceive himself into thinking he's someone he's not. John finds that very attractive.
Bradley admitted that juggling two major series simultaneously was incredibly intense, but felt lucky to gain such invaluable acting experience:
In 2012, the actor appeared in three projects, though not in leading roles. He played Tyr Seward in the British fantasy series "Merlin," appeared as Wesley in the dramedy "Shameless," and portrayed an Austrian prince in the adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina."In October and November 2010, we were constantly traveling between Belfast and Prague to fulfill our filming commitments. 'Borgia' tells the story of the notorious Italian dynasty that killed, bribed, and blackmailed its way to power in the Catholic Church and Italian society in the 16th and 17th centuries. The main role of Rodrigo Borgia in the series is played by John Doman from 'The Wire,' the screenplay is predominantly written by Tom Fontana ('Oz'), and the director is partly Oliver Hirschbiegel ('Downfall').
Bradley went on to star in several feature films, winning the Independent Days Best Actor award for his role as Roy in the short film "Roger," and delivering a masterful performance as Ricky Rollins in the supernatural musical thriller "American Satan."
John's next big break came in 2022. He was involved in two premieres: the musical comedy "Marry Me" and the sci-fi action film "Moonfall."
In the first film, he played Colin Calloway, manager to famous singer Kat, working alongside Jennifer Lopez. After seeing John's work in "Game of Thrones," Lopez personally recommended him to the director, and Bradley was genuinely grateful for the chance to reinvent his image.
In Roland Emmerich's blockbuster, he took on the lead role of KC Houseman, a conspiracy theorist who first alerts the world to the coming disaster, while Halle Berry brought former astronaut Jo Fowler to life.
John Bradley's Personal Life
The actor remains unmarried and keeps his romantic life private. Media outlets once speculated that John might marry his "Game of Thrones" co-star Hannah Murray, who played Gilly, the wildling girl who bonds with the gentle Samwell.The rumors stemmed from their close friendship: Bradley would drive Murray home after work, pick her up in the morning, and bring her flowers. They were spotted dining together and hitting up movie theaters. John once mentioned that he would like to work with Hannah on another project:
Unfortunately for hopeful fans, Bradley and Murray never became an item. In 2017, the actor began dating journalist Rebecca April May. They rang in 2019 together and shared Valentine's Day, but wedding bells never rang—there wasn't even an engagement.I would make Samwell Tarly and Gilly restaurant critics, sending them to write reviews of all the pubs and taverns from the South to the North. There was chemistry between Hannah Murray and me on screen. I would like to work with her more. Imagine, there's a historical reality show for our screen family. Are there children's chairs in the pub? Is the pork knuckle any good? Where's the best ale? I would watch such a culinary show...
During the filming of "Game of Thrones," John formed a rock band called "Brotherhood Without Banjos," where he played the drums, Rory McCann played guitar, and Kit Harington was the vocalist. He's also a huge "WrestleMania" fan and devoted supporter of Manchester United.
John Bradley Now
In 2023, Bradley joined Netflix's sci-fi drama "The Three-Body Problem," playing Jack Rooney, one of five brilliant friends whose incredible discoveries help them understand a global threat. The film also stars Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, and Benedict Wong. The premiere took place in the spring of 2024. Unfortunately, the series couldn't escape unfavorable comparisons to the Chinese adaptation of Liu Cixin's novel, which had premiered a year earlier.In a recent interview, Bradley hinted that "Game of Thrones" continuation rumors might have some truth to them, and he'd happily return if asked. When asked what will happen in the new season, Bradley responded quite evasively.
Interesting Facts
- John Bradley revealed he was hurt when he came across a meme featuring Samwell online. The caption read: "Wandered around Westeros for months without food, and he's still fat!" Bradley explained:
The English language has a term 'fat-shaming' — condemning someone for being overweight. But as an actor, I'm actually grateful for my appearance. It landed me work and this role. If I'd been just another skinny twenty-year-old, would I have gotten cast in 'Game of Thrones'? Probably not. Look around—you'll see people of all shapes, sizes, and colors, so there's no point trying to fit someone else's idea of beauty. Just be yourself.
- While filming the hit series, Bradley got so deep into Samwell Tarly's character that he sometimes struggled to snap back to reality. In the show, Samwell's character had a traumatic childhood under a tyrannical father, which gave him a stutter. Even after filming wrapped, John kept stuttering for a while. Sometimes he'd go completely silent talking to colleagues between takes—still channeling shy Sam.
- Bradley calls himself old-school in some ways. He still likes to buy music albums on physical media:
There's nothing better than buying a new album and listening to the whole thing straight through. I think that's disappearing with streaming, where you just cherry-pick songs and skip the rest. Take Fleet Foxes—they're this American folk band with incredible harmonies. They're amazing. I bought their latest album blind—hadn't heard a single track. Listened to it on the train and it was absolutely fantastic. An album is its own art form—the pacing, the song order, it all matters. Listening to a full album from beginning to end is one of my favorite things. Nothing elicits such an emotional response in me as music.