Josh O’Connor

Josh O’Connor Bio

Joshua Mathias O’Connor, known professionally as Josh O’Connor, is an English actor born on 20 May 1990 in Southampton, England. Raised primarily in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, he trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and graduated in 2011 before launching a professional career that spans stage, film, and television. He first drew widespread attention for his portrayal of Larry Durrell in the ITV drama The Durrells and went on to earn international acclaim as a young Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown.

O’Connor is widely regarded as one of the most versatile performers of his generation, with credits ranging from independent British dramas to large-scale Hollywood productions. His Golden Globe, Emmy, and Critics’ Choice wins for The Crown established him as a leading dramatic actor on both sides of the Atlantic. He continues to balance independent features with high-profile studio work while maintaining ties to his hometown in the English countryside.

Early Life and Background

Joshua Mathias O’Connor was born on 20 May 1990 in Southampton, England, to John O’Connor, a teacher, and Emily O’Connor, a midwife. He grew up initially in Newbury before his family relocated to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, when he was five years old. As the middle son in a family of three boys raised in a Labour-supporting Catholic household, O’Connor spent much of his childhood exploring the surrounding countryside and the regional arts scene.

His maternal grandfather was the sculptor John Bunting, and his grandmother worked as a ceramicist, instilling in him an early appreciation for visual art. His maternal aunt is the British writer and commentator Madeleine Bunting. O’Connor has traced his ancestry to Irish, English, Scottish, and Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish roots through his matrilineal great-grandmother. His early dream of becoming a professional artist gave way to rugby and, eventually, to acting, sparked at age seven when he played the Scarecrow in a school production of The Wizard of Oz.

He attended St Edward’s School, Cheltenham, a private co-educational institution, where he spent weekends at a local arts centre called the Axiom. A classmate in a school production of Bugsy Malone was Tahliah Barnett, later known as the singer FKA Twigs. O’Connor has spoken publicly about living with dyslexia and credited the school’s drama programme with helping him manage the condition, particularly while preparing for his GCSEs.

Path to Acting

After completing secondary school, O’Connor enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated in 2011. During his third year, he signed with a talent agent and moved to London to begin his professional career. His earliest stage work included a turn as Ben Fowles in Beau Willimon’s political play Farragut North at the Southwark Playhouse in 2013, where The Independent praised his comic timing.

His early television credits quickly multiplied, with appearances in Lewis, Doctor Who, Law & Order: UK, The Wiper Times, Peaky Blinders, and Ripper Street. He also landed a role in Lone Scherfig’s The Riot Club and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in productions of The Shoemaker’s Holiday and Oppenheimer. These varied experiences helped him develop a reputation as a serious dramatic actor willing to take on challenging material.

Josh O’Connor Career

Early Career (2012-2016)

O’Connor’s screen debut came in 2012 with a small role as a zombie in The Eschatrilogy: Book of the Dead and a guest appearance in Lewis. Over the following years, he built a steady resume across British television, including Doctor Who, Peaky Blinders, and Ripper Street, while continuing to take on stage work. In 2015, he starred opposite Hannah Murray in the Welsh-set drama Bridgend and appeared in Stephen Frears’s biographical film The Program about cyclist Lance Armstrong.

From 2016 to 2019, he played Lawrence “Larry” Durrell in the ITV comedy-drama The Durrells, a role that introduced him to a wider British audience. He also joined the cast of Florence Foster Jenkins alongside Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, further demonstrating his comfort within ensemble-driven prestige projects.

Breakthrough (2017-2019)

In 2017, O’Connor delivered his breakout performance as Johnny Saxby, a closeted young sheep farmer in the Yorkshire-set romantic drama God’s Own Country, directed by Francis Lee. To prepare, he worked alongside a Yorkshire farmer, labouring in the fields and assisting with the birth of more than 150 lambs. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and earned him the British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, the Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer, and a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination.

He followed that success with the lead role in Harry Wootliff’s directorial debut Only You, which premiered in competition at the London Film Festival and brought him a second British Independent Film Award for Best Actor. In 2019, he portrayed Marius Pontmercy in the BBC adaptation of Les Misérables and starred as Jamie in Hope Gap, winning Best Actor at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival.

Notable Works and Milestones

That same year, O’Connor began his career-defining role as a young Charles, Prince of Wales, in Season 3 of Netflix’s The Crown. He reprised the role in Season 4, earning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama, and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He has also starred in the period comedy-drama Emma, Luca Guadagnino’s sports drama Challengers opposite Zendaya and Mike Faist, and the World War I love story The History of Sound opposite Paul Mescal.

Josh O’Connor Award Nominations

Across his career, Josh O’Connor has earned nominations from many of the most respected bodies in film and television. In addition to his BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination for God’s Own Country, he has received a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and later one for Best Actor for his work in The Crown. He has also been nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards recognising both his individual performance and his ensemble contributions.

Josh O’Connor Awards Won

O’Connor’s award wins reflect a career shaped by both independent British cinema and major international television. He has won the British Independent Film Award for Best Actor twice, for God’s Own Country and Only You. His performance in The Crown brought him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama, and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, along with Screen Actors Guild Award wins shared with the ensemble cast.

Josh O’Connor Family

O’Connor is the son of John O’Connor, a teacher, and Emily O’Connor, a midwife. He has two brothers and is the middle of the three boys. His maternal grandfather was the sculptor John Bunting, his grandmother worked as a ceramicist, and his maternal aunt is the writer and commentator Madeleine Bunting. He has spoken warmly about his family’s working-class roots and the role his parents played in supporting his decision to pursue acting.

Personal Life

O’Connor previously lived in a Victorian house in Shoreditch and spent time in New York before relocating back to Gloucestershire in 2023, where he bought a house near Stroud. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, drawing, camping, swimming, embroidering, making ceramics, and gardening. As of 2025, he is in a relationship with the Irish actress Alison Oliver. He has also served as a brand ambassador for Loewe since 2017 and was announced as a brand ambassador for Dior in January 2026.