Nicholas Holt is a celebrated British actor who shot to fame through Hollywood cinema. The guy started actively appearing in films from the age of seven. Since then, he's appeared in a huge number of notable film projects, with standouts including "X-Men: Apocalypse," "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Clash of the Titans," "Equals," and "Skins."
Nicholas Caradoc Holt
Childhood
On December 7, 1989, in the small town of Wokingham, the third child was born to the Holt family – Nicholas. At the time, his father was an airline pilot, while his mom taught music at the local school. Despite their modest income, his parents didn't complain about life's unfairness but instead raised their children with warmth and love: Clarissa, James, Nicholas, and soon-to-arrive Rosanna.
From early childhood, Nicholas Holt was known as a heartthrob
As a little kid, Nicholas started showing a pull toward performing arts, so he often performed in local theater group productions. From a young age, Holt also took up dancing and got into music – he learned to play the trombone. Thanks to his natural charisma and memorable looks, the boy was frequently cast in leading roles in various productions. The most memorable of these were "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake."
At 12, Nicholas had to leave school when Sylvia Young spotted him – a talented director who saw a certain spark in the boy's eyes. Additionally, his grandmother Florence had a significant influence on Nicholas's future, known to everyone as Dame Anna Neagle – a popular British singer and actress.
Acting Career
Nicholas Hoult landed his first film role at age 7. Director Philip Goodhew offered the boy a small part in the comedy "Intimate Relations." After that, starting in 1999, he worked exclusively in low-budget TV series, appearing in projects like "Doctors," "Waking the Dead," "Murder in Mind," "The World of Pub," and "Judge John Deed."
Nicholas Hoult in the film "About a Boy"
In 2002, the family comedy "About a Boy" hit theaters, with key roles going to Nicholas and Hugh Grant. The young actor had no trouble transforming into a troubled teenager who befriends an adult man - a wealthy slacker who begins caring for the kid, gradually falling for him and realizing it's time to have children of his own.
Up until this point, Nicholas Hoult was only known in narrow circles, but once the film hit theaters, millions of viewers fell for the young heartthrob. Critics also praised his excellent performance, confirmed by the Phoenix Film Festival awards he received: "Young Actor" and "Critics' Choice."
Nicholas Hoult has been acting in films since early childhood
At 16, the young actor took on one of the main roles in the drama series "Skins." This time he had to transform into a guy named Tony, who caught his mother cheating with his father's best friend.
That October, the young actor appeared alongside Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine in the comedy-drama "The Weather Man." The budding actor played the son of the main character, who abandoned his family for career and money.
A shot from the movie "The Weather Man" with Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage
In 2007, Hoult became a key character in the drama series "Skins," which explored the complex twists of teenage lives. Eighteen-year-old Nicholas played Tony Stonem, the life of the party and a hit with the girls. On set with Nicholas were other talented young actors: Dev Patel, Joseph Dempsie, and Hannah Murray.
The role in "Skins" was a real breakthrough for Nicholas Hoult
That fall, the young actor transformed into David in the film "Coming Down the Mountain" - a drama about the relationship between two brothers, one of whom has Down syndrome. And in 2009, he took on one of the main roles in the drama "A Single Man," where he worked brilliantly alongside Matthew Goode and Julianne Moore, earning a BAFTA nomination.
In 2010, Hoult made a brief appearance in the adventure fantasy "Clash of the Titans," and the following year transformed into Hank McCoy (Beast) in the blockbuster "X-Men: First Class." The film's plot takes viewers back to the founding of the school for mutants while revealing the dark secret that caused the rift between Xavier and Magneto. Joining Nicholas on set were other talented actors, including standouts Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence.
'X-Men: First Class': Nicholas Hoult as Beast
At 24, Hoult landed a key role in "Warm Bodies." The film tells the story of a zombie who, instead of eating his victim, saves her. After this act, the walking dead and the beauty face dangerous trials, but they're willing to go the distance for love. For his incredibly realistic zombie transformation, Nicholas won the prestigious Teen Choice Award for "Breakthrough Performance." He also earned a nomination for "Best Drama Actor."
Nicholas Hoult as a zombie ('Warm Bodies')
Spring 2013 saw the release of "Jack the Giant Slayer," where the actor transformed into a brave and courageous hero ready to battle giants for a beautiful princess.
Scene from 'Jack the Giant Slayer'
In 2013, the actor became the official face of Jaguar Cars' advertising campaign. Tom Hooper directed the commercial. In 2014, Nicholas appeared in the highly anticipated sequel "X-Men: Days of Future Past." This time, the plot focused on a future where ruthless robots have exterminated all mutants. To prevent catastrophe, Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) sends Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the distant past.
In 2015, the actor joined Charlize Theron, Christina Hendricks, and Corey Stoll in the twisted thriller "Dark Places."
Lily Collins and Nicholas Hoult Answer Google's Most Popular Searches
That same May, he was entrusted with an important role in "Mad Max: Fury Road," where Nicholas transformed into one of the desert bandits from the Citadel nicknamed Nux. Summer 2015 saw Owen Harris, director of the dark comedy "Kill Your Friends," make Hoult a key character in his project. The actor appeared before audiences as Steven, a vain and greedy talent scout for musicians and singers.
In 2016, Nicholas joined Kristen Stewart and Guy Pearce in a key role in the sci-fi dystopia "Equals," while also working on "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "Collide."
Equals Official Trailer
In 2017, the actor played young writer J.D. Salinger in the biographical film "Rebel in the Rye."
Nicholas Hoult and Jerome Salinger
2017 brought two films featuring Nicholas: the virtual romance "Newness" and the war drama "Sand Castle."
In 2018, Hoult shined as the scheming Earl Robert Harley in the dark comedy "The Favourite," diving into a world of sophisticated court intrigue alongside Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, gaining valuable experience working with director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Nicholas Hoult in "The Favourite"
That same year, the actor voiced Fiver the rabbit in Netflix and BBC's animated adaptation of "Watership Down" – an unexpected turn for the blockbuster star that showed his willingness to experiment with different formats.
The following year marked Hoult's dive into biographical cinema. In "Tolkien," he brought young J.R.R. Tolkien to life, the future author of "The Lord of the Rings."
Nicholas Hoult in "Tolkien"
Meanwhile, the actor played the brutal Constable Fitzpatrick in "True History of the Kelly Gang." The role allowed him to explore the dark side of human nature within the context of an Australian western.
He capped off the year with his final appearance in the X-Men franchise as Beast in "Dark Phoenix," saying goodbye to a character that had been with him for nearly a decade.
In "Dark Phoenix," Hoult bid farewell to his role as Beast
Hoult's real triumph came with Hulu's series "The Great." From May 2020 to May 2023, he embodied Russian Emperor Peter III in the historical satire from Tony McNamara. Playing the petulant, narcissistic ruler with a tragic fate alongside Elle Fanning as Catherine the Great became the actor's shining moment.
Hoult masterfully balanced absurd humor with emotional depth, transforming Peter from antagonist into a morally complex character. Particularly impressive was his performance in the dual role, playing not only the emperor but also his double, Yemelyan Pugachev.
Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning in "The Great"
His work on the series earned him two Golden Globe nominations (2021 and 2022) and an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series (2022). Critics praised Hoult's ability to make the despotic character simultaneously repulsive and sympathetic.
While working on "The Great," Hoult didn't abandon feature films. In 2021, he played one of the main villains in Taylor Sheridan's thriller "Those Who Wish Me Dead," where his character Jack pursued a witness boy through the forests of Montana.
In 2022, the actor starred in the psychological horror "The Menu" alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, playing a gastronomy-obsessed young man named Tyler who agrees to a deranged chef's maniacal proposition.
Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage
2023 brought Hoult face-to-face with Nicolas Cage in the horror-comedy "Renfield" – he played Dracula's tormented servant.
2024 proved to be a packed year for the actor. He appeared in the crime thriller "The Order" as radical leader Bob Mathews, and also took the lead role in Clint Eastwood's courtroom drama "Juror #2" – the story of a juror who begins to suspect he might be the killer himself. Hoult called working with the legendary director "one of the highlights of my life and career."
Nicholas Hoult and Clint Eastwood
The year's crowning achievement was his role as Thomas Hutter in Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu." Hoult embodied the naive real estate agent who falls into the web of ancient evil. Critics praised his ability to convey genuine terror without over-the-top theatrics.
Nicholas Hoult's Personal Life
In 2009, the talented actor's chosen one became singer Victoria Justice, though their relationship lasted only a year.
For a long time, Nicholas Hoult's girlfriend was Jennifer Lawrence
In 2010, on the set where they filmed the first part of "X-Men," the young man met Jennifer Lawrence and sparks immediately flew between them. Unfortunately, they couldn't handle all the hardships of separation that come hand in hand with the acting profession.
In 2013, they broke up, but Hoult didn't stay single for long. During filming of "Warm Bodies," the actor met femme fatale blonde Teresa Palmer, but on New Year's Eve he left her, returning to Jennifer.
Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence
In early 2014, the couple officially announced their engagement, but six months later, media reports surfaced about the star couple's final breakup. After this, Hoult dated Kristen Stewart for some time, but in spring 2015 he was spotted with another actress – Dianna Agron.
Pictured: Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart
In spring 2017, Nicholas Hoult revealed in an interview that he was dating former Playboy model Bryana Holly. They met in Los Angeles, where the actor frequently traveled for work. Holly, who specializes in lingerie and swimwear advertising and has signed contracts with Wilhelmina Models and No Ties Management agencies, became a new chapter in the British actor's personal story.
Nicholas Hoult and Bryana Holly
In April 2018, the couple welcomed their first child, son Joaquin. Hoult spoke enthusiastically about his new experience of fatherhood:
The level of tiredness is off the charts. No one warns you about that! But the love that comes with it outweighs everything. It's phenomenal. It fills you as a person completely.
In 2022, the Hoult family welcomed another child, whose name and gender the couple keeps secret. The actor and model carefully guard their private life from prying eyes, rarely appearing in public together.
In November 2024, at the Governors Awards ceremony, Nicholas, talking about Bryana's reaction to his film "Nosferatu," called her his "wife": "I remember my wife's nail marks were left on my arm," he told E! News journalists. The actor later confirmed: "I think my words make everything pretty clear."
In December 2024, at the "Nosferatu" premiere in Los Angeles, the couple made their first red carpet appearance as a married couple – after seven years of dating.
Nicholas Hoult with his wife at the "Nosferatu" premiere
Hoult and his family split their time between two cities: London and Huntington Beach, California. In his free time, he plays basketball and golf, trains in jiu-jitsu and boxing, and is passionate about Formula 1 and MotoGP racing.
In 2022, he completed the Ferrari Corso Pilota driving school and competed in the Ferrari Challenge. In 2024, he won "Track Attack" at Watkins Glen in his Ferrari 296 GTB.
Nicholas Hoult and his Ferrari 296
Sometimes the family makes public appearances – for instance, in March 2024, Hoult brought five-year-old Joaquin to an Atlanta Hawks basketball game, marking the boy's first public appearance.
Nicholas Hoult and his son Joaquin
Nicholas Hoult Now
James Gunn's "Superman," released in 2025, became a new milestone in Hoult's career. He brought to life Lex Luthor, CEO of LuthorCorp and Superman's arch-nemesis (David Corenswet).
Nicholas Hoult on the "Superman" set
He's fabulously wealthy and wages hybrid warfare against Superman: appearing on TV shows where he calls Superman an alien despot, owning a bot farm of monkeys that post negative comments about the superhero around the clock.
Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet
Hoult described Luthor as "an obsessed, determined, and ruthless character who wants to feel like a formidable threat to Superman." DC universe fans have called Hoult's version the best screen adaptation of Lex Luthor ever, the first one that actually resembles the comic book version of Luthor.
-
Mary Edwards
2021-05-15 08:50:26
-
Ryan Lewis
2021-04-09 19:21:44
-
Ruby Peterson
2021-04-05 23:10:58
-
Jeffrey Underwood
2021-03-31 22:33:35
-
Edwin Hunt
2021-03-23 20:10:45
5