Douglas Booth
Douglas Booth | |
---|---|
![]() Booth in 2011 | |
Born | Douglas John Booth 9 July 1992 London, England[1] |
Education | |
Occupation(s) | Actor, musician |
Years active | 2006–present |
Spouse | |
Relatives | Mark Powley(father-in-law) |
Douglas John Booth(born 9 July 1992) is an English actor and musician. He first came to public attention through his performance asBoy Georgein theBBC TwofilmWorried About the Boy(2010). He went on to star in the BBC adaptations ofGreat ExpectationsandChristopher and His Kind(both 2011), Carlo Carlei's film adaptation ofRomeo & Juliet(2013), and theNetflixbiopicThe Dirt(2019).
Booth also appeared inDarren Aronofsky'sNoahandLone Scherfig'sThe Riot Club(both 2014) and co-starred inThe Wachowskis'Jupiter Ascending(2015).
Early life and education
[edit]Douglas John Booth was born inGreenwich,London,[2][3]to Vivien (néeDe Cala), a painter, and Simon Booth, a shipping finance consultant and former managing director of bothCitiGroupandDeutsche Bank's shipping finance divisions.[4][5]Booth's father is English, and his mother is of Spanish and Dutch ancestry.[6]His older sister, Abigail, is aChelsea School of Artgraduate.[7]Booth spent his early childhood in Greenwich and moved toSevenoaks, Kentat the age of ten.[6]
Booth is severelydyslexicand found it "very hard" to read or write up until the age of ten; he remains "a really slow reader".[8]He struggled at school, "having to put in double or triple the amount of effort as everyone else" but said the condition made him "more resilient in every sense".[9]He played the trumpet as a child.[10]Booth took his first major roles in musicals presented by the Sackville Children's Choir at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks. He played Leader of the Rats inRats! The Musical,and Uncle Andrew inThe Magician's Nephew.He further developed his interest in drama at the age of twelve, after starring in a school production ofAgamemnon:"I found myself feeling really engaged for the first time... I thought, 'I rather like being the centre of attention. This is where I want to be.'"[11][12]By the age of thirteen, he was involved with theNational Youth Theatreand theGuildhall School of Music and Drama.[13][14]
Booth received both private and state education; he attended Solefield School, a boys' juniorindependent schoolin Sevenoaks, followed byBennett Memorial Diocesan School,a Church of England stateVoluntary Aided schoolin the town ofRoyal Tunbridge Wells(Kent), andLingfield Notre Dame School,anindependent schoolin the village ofLingfieldinSurrey.[citation needed]
Booth joined theCurtis Brownacting agency at the age of fifteen.[14]He won his first professional acting role at the age of sixteen and quit hisAS levelsin drama, media studies and English literature.[13]
Career
[edit]Early work
[edit]Booth's first professional role was in the children's adventure filmFrom Time to Time(2009), directed byJulian Fellowesand starringMaggie SmithandTimothy Spall.Following the film's release, Booth signed to theUTAtalent agency for American-based representation.[15]He then had a minor role as Prince Eustace in theChannel 4miniseriesThe Pillars of the Earth(2010), a medieval saga filmed in Budapest withIan McShaneandDonald Sutherland.[13]Also in 2009 and 2010, Booth modelled in severalMario Testino-shot campaigns for the luxury fashion labelBurberry;he starred in the Autumn 2009 campaign withEmma Watson,the Autumn 2010 campaign withRosie Huntington-Whiteley,and the Burberry Sport fragrance campaign withLily Donaldson.[16]
Breakthrough
[edit]Booth rose to prominence in 2010 following his performance as the pop starBoy Georgein theBBC TwodramaWorried About the Boy.[17]He underwent a physical transformation for the role, shaving off his eyebrows and wearing heavy makeup. Booth met Boy George during filming, with the singer remarking: "He just gets it. There's something about him that reminds me of me when I was 17."[18]Writing inThe Daily Telegraph,Ceri Radford said Booth delivered a "mesmerising" performance: "He offered a convincing portrayal of O'Dowd as a beautiful young man who oozed ambiguous sex appeal and protected his feelings with a carapace of prickly wit."[17]Mike Higgins ofThe Independentdeclared Booth "a discovery": "Moving, witty, he also got the singer's wheezy enunciation down pat."[19]
Booth next played the role ofPipin theBBC OneadaptationofDickens'Great Expectations(2011), alongsideGillian AndersonandRay Winstone.Broadcast over the Christmas period, the miniseries was a huge ratings success.[20]Anne BillsonofThe Telegraphfelt it was a misstep to cast someone "so distractingly lovely" in the role of Pip: "It's not that Douglas Booth was bad, it's just that one can't imagine Dickens ever intended Pip to be more beautiful thanEstella,who, after all, has been brought up to break men's hearts. "[21]Mike Hale ofThe New York Timesdismissed Booth as "aCW-style actor whose exceptionally pretty face doesn't convey much beyond puzzlement and petulance. "[22]Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times,however, found the actor's performance "haunting"[23]while Emma Jones ofThe Huffington Postdismissed the "debate over the extreme prettiness of Douglas Booth", arguing that "Booth's beauty is only a backdrop to Pip's naivety."[24]
Also in 2011, Booth appeared in the BBC filmChristopher and His Kind,which explored novelistChristopher Isherwood's formative years in 1930s Berlin. He played Heinz, a German street-sweeper who became the lover ofMatt Smith's Isherwood.[25]
In 2012, Booth starred oppositeMiley CyrusandDemi Moorein the teen dramaLOL.He witnessed the paparazzi interest surrounding co-star Cyrus during filming: "It was bizarre and, interestingly, not at all glamorous."[26]Filmed in 2010, when Booth was seventeen, the movie received a very limited theatrical release and unfavourable reviews.[27]Later that year, Booth read selected extracts fromDavid Copperfieldas part ofSky Arts'sIn Love With Dickensdocumentary; other contributors includedSimon CallowandMiriam Margolyes.[28]
In 2013, Booth starred oppositeHailee Steinfeldin Carlo Carlei'sfilm adaptationofShakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet.[29]Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Timespraised Booth's memorable performance: "It's not so much that he makes a great Romeo; franklyDiCaprio's was better inLuhrmann's version,as wasLeonard WhitinginZeffirelli's…But it has been a while since a camera has so loved a face... If anything, the movies in general are too intent on reducing Booth to that singular feature, when he is actually a fine actor. "[23]R. Kurt Osenlund ofSlantfelt that Booth gives "a rather fantastic breakthrough performance, offering a poignant interpretation of one of literature's greatest lovers."[30]Mick LaSalleof theSan Francisco Chroniclebemoaned the poor casting of Steinfeld: "And this is especially a shame because Douglas Booth as Romeo is quite good and could have been better, if only he had someone to play off of."[31]Todd McCarthyofThe Hollywood Reporterremarked that Booth "seems to have a grasp of what he's saying and behaves in credibly laddish fashion... but Booth's vocal range is very narrow, and he speaks in a monotone."[32]Claudia Puig ofUSA Todayfound Booth "more skilled" than Steinfeld "in the passionate intonation department"[33]whileThe Independent's Geoffrey MacNab asserted that Booth "shows a certain star quality."[34]
2014–present
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/SDCC_2015_-_Douglas_Booth_%2819698472706%29.jpg/220px-SDCC_2015_-_Douglas_Booth_%2819698472706%29.jpg)
In March 2014, he appeared asSheminDarren Aronofsky's biblical epicNoah.[35]Emma Watson played his character's wife; she first met Booth while shooting a Burberry fashion campaign in 2009: "There's something old-mannish about Doug, which he had even then. He knows who he is. He doesn't get intimidated, doesn't hold back, and is generally fearless."[36]
In September 2014, Booth starred alongsideSam Claflin,Max IronsandFreddie Foxin the black comedyThe Riot Club,directed byLone Scherfig.[37]Based on the stage play byLaura Wade,the ensemble piece centres around ten members of an exclusive Oxford University dining club known as The Riot Club, based on the real-lifeBullingdon Club.[38]Booth made "friends for life" during the film shoot, and has said of the characters: "When you meet these sort of guys, they're always so charming. It's almost more discomfiting for the audience to be charmed by them, to like them a lot, and to see how far they'll go with them."[37]In February 2015, he appeared inThe Wachowskis' science-fiction filmJupiter Ascending,starringMila Kunis,Channing TatumandEddie Redmayne."They're just the most original people," Booth has said of the Wachowskis. "They've created something very exciting and special and bonkers."[37]He played Mr. Bingley inPride and Prejudice and Zombies(2016), an adaptation of the novelof the same namebySeth Grahame-Smith.[39][40]
In November 2017, Booth starred in the international filmLoving Vincent,as Armand Roulin, one of the models forVincent van Gogh'sRoulin Familyportraits. Booth playedMötley CrüebassistNikki Sixxin the 2019 filmThe Dirt.[41]
Booth played the writer boyfriend, Don, oppositeMargaret Qualleyin the 2020 filmMy Salinger Year.
Personal life
[edit]On 3 July 2021, Douglas announced on his Instagram account that he had proposed to his girlfriend and fellow actressBel PowleyonPrimrose Hill,having met in 2016 on the set ofMary Shelley.[42]The wedding took place on 28 October 2023 at Petersham Nurseries inRichmond,followed by an afterparty at theInstitute of Contemporary Arts.The couple were married under achuppahmade by Booth's sister, an artist, to honour Powley's Jewish heritage.[43]
Philanthropy
[edit]Booth has been supportingUNHCRsince 2015. Booth has supported various UNHCR fundraising events and campaigns.[citation needed]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Hunters of the Kahri | Sagar | |
2009 | From Time to Time | Sefton | |
2012 | LOL | Kyle Ross | |
2013 | Romeo & Juliet | Romeo Montague | |
2014 | Noah | Shem | |
The Riot Club | Harry Villiers | ||
2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Titus Abrasax | |
2016 | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies | Mr. Charles Bingley | |
The Limehouse Golem | Dan Leno | ||
2017 | Loving Vincent | Armand Roulin | |
Mary Shelley | Percy Bysshe Shelley | ||
2019 | The Dirt | Nikki Sixx | |
2020 | My Salinger Year | Don | |
2023 | Unwelcome | Jamie | |
Shoshana | Tom Wilkin | ||
TBA | Young Werther | Werther | Post-production |
TBA | The Way of the Wind | Post-production |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Worried About the Boy | Boy George | Television film |
The Pillars of the Earth | Eustace IV | Miniseries | |
2011 | Christopher and His Kind | Heinz Neddermayer | Television film |
Great Expectations | Philip "Pip" Pirrip | Miniseries; main role | |
2012 | In Love with Dickens | Ham Peggotty | Television film |
2015 | And Then There Were None | Anthony Marston | Miniseries |
2022 | That Dirty Black Bag | Red Bill | Main role |
Audiobooks
[edit]Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2017 | Northanger Abbey | John Thorpe |
Scarlet City Part I, II, III | Jonah |
References
[edit]- ^[1]Archived5 October 2015 at theWayback Machine
- ^Douglas Booth."Douglas Booth: Celebrity Biography and photos on Glamour (Glamour UK)".Glamourmagazine.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 6 March 2016.Retrieved24 July2012.
- ^"Douglas worried about his skin".The Belfast Telegraph.15 May 2010.Retrieved24 July2012.
- ^"Deutsche Bank further strengthens Deutsche Shipping platform".Db.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Lloyd's List".Lloydslist. 16 November 2012.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^abLucy Hunter Johnston (27 September 2013)."Alpha Romeo: Douglas Booth on following DiCaprio and leading London's corset crew".London Evening Standard.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Luaine Lee (1 April 2012)."TV: At 19, Douglas Booth is starring in Dickens story".Press of Atlantic City. McClatchy-Tribune News Service.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"The Movie Star".Interview.11 December 2013.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"First News"(PDF).Literacytrust.org.uk.June 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 December 2013.Retrieved25 December2015.
- ^"March 2013 archive".Mr Blasberg. Archived fromthe originalon 9 February 2014.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Douglas Booth on Becoming an Actor".YouTube. 1 April 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 15 December 2021.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Douglas Booth Interview – Romeo and Juliet Movie".Vogue.UK. 3 January 2012.Retrieved24 July2012.
- ^abc"Douglas Booth: the new boy at Burberry".London Evening Standard.22 October 2009.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^abRandall, Lee (12 December 2011)."Interview: Douglas Booth, actor".The Scotsman.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Douglas Booth".Variety.16 September 2009.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Andy Barker (23 October 2009)."Douglas Booth: the new boy at Burberry".London Evening Standard.Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2010.Retrieved6 September2010.
- ^abRadford, Ceri (17 May 2010)."Worried About the Boy, BBC Two, Review".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved6 September2010.
- ^Wickham, Fiona."Boy George: What I thought of Worried About The Boy".BBC.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Higgins, Mike (23 May 2010)."Worried About the Boy, BBC2 Royal Wedding, BBC2Ashes to Ashes, BBC1".The Independent.London, UK.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Great Expectations meets BBC's high hopes thanks to young actor Douglas Booth".The Daily Telegraph.London, England. 28 December 2011.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^TV and Radio (27 December 2011)."Great Expectations, BBC One, review".The Daily Telegraph.London, UK.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Hale, Mike (30 March 2012)."Gillian Anderson in 'Great Expectations' on PBS".The New York Times.
- ^abSharkey, Betsy (10 October 2013)."Review: 'Romeo & Juliet' treads carefully where it should blaze".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Emma Jones: Great Expectations – the Sleeper Hit of Christmas TV".Huffington Post.30 December 2011.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Press Office – Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 12 Christopher And His Kind feature – interview with Matt Smith".BBC.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Wiseman, Eva (18 December 2011)."Douglas Booth: Lines of beauty".The Observer.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"OMG! Miley Cyrus' 'LOL' gets no love from Lionsgate".Los Angeles Times.18 April 2012.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"In Love With Dickens".Dickens 2012. 21 February 2012.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Julian Fellowes Talks Romeo & Juliet, Downton Abbey Seasons 4 and 5, Gilded Age, and More".Collider.20 November 2013.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Romeo and Juliet | Film Review".Slant Magazine.10 October 2013.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^LaSalle, Mick(27 December 2013)."'Romeo and Juliet' review: A blight on the Bard ".San Francisco Chronicle.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^McCarthy, Todd(8 October 2013)."Romeo & Juliet: Film Review".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Puig, Claudia (10 October 2013)."Oh 'Romeo,' the Bard himself would be bored by remake".USA Today.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Macnab, Geoffrey (10 October 2013)."Film review: Julian Fellowes' Romeo and Juliet is thoroughly lacking in any emotional oomph".The Independent.London.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (4 June 2012)."Douglas Booth And Logan Lerman Board Boat For 'Noah'".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved25 July2012.
- ^"V Magazine/New School Romeo".Vmagazine. Archived fromthe originalon 3 December 2013.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^abcWilliams, Holly (8 October 2013)."Douglas Booth: New romantic plays the heartthrob in new film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet – Features".The Independent.London, UK.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"Flaunt Magazine |People:Douglas Booth ".Flaunt.Retrieved14 February2014.
- ^"'Noah's Douglas Booth Joins 'Pride And Prejudice And Zombies'".Deadline Hollywood.3 September 2014.Retrieved13 March2015.
- ^Moran, Sarah (31 October 2014)."'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' First Look Image & Details ".Screen Rant.Retrieved13 March2015.
- ^Blabbermouth (2 December 2018)."Mötley Crüe Biopic 'The Dirt' To Arrive In March".blabbermouth.net.Retrieved8 March2019.
- ^Rice, Nicholas (5 July 2021)."Bel Powley and Douglas Booth Are Engaged: We're 'Very, Very Happy!'".People.Retrieved22 January2023.
- ^Macon, Alexandra (2 November 2023)."Bel Powley Wore An Embellished Miu Miu Dress At Her Wedding To Douglas Booth In London".British Vogue.Retrieved29 November2023.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Living people
- 1992 births
- 21st-century English male actors
- Actors from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Actors with dyslexia
- Models with dyslexia
- Musicians with dyslexia
- English people with disabilities
- English feminists
- English male child actors
- English male film actors
- English male models
- English male television actors
- English people of Dutch descent
- English people of Spanish descent
- Male actors from Kent
- British male feminists
- British feminists
- National Youth Theatre members
- People from Sevenoaks
- Male actors from London
- People from Greenwich
- Models from London
- Models from Kent