Billy Harris (born 12 April 1994), is an English actor. He appears as Colin Hughes in all seasons of the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...

television show ''

Ted Lasso ''Ted Lasso'' is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character of the same name that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for ...

''.

Career

Harris was a student of theatre at the

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...

from 2014 and 2017. After graduation, he appeared in a wide number of stage roles.

Influences

Harris has cited Marlon Brando as an acting inspiration. He emulated Brando in a performance of his speech from the

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best ...

film '' Julius Caesar'' in an unsuccessful audition and it helped him find his own voice as an actor. He has also expressed admiration for actor

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

and his philosophy on preparing for a role.

Early roles

Harris started out in commercials, notably one for

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

starring

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...

. He then had a few small parts in short films and web series. Harris' first lead role was as Callum McGregor in a stage adaptation of the ''Noughts & Crosses'' novel series by author Malorie Blackman, OBE.

''Ted Lasso'' and other work

Harris appears in the

series ''

'' as Welsh winger Colin Hughes. He was part of the recurring cast in the first and second seasons, and was upped to series regular for season 3. He received praise for his portrayal of Hughes when it was revealed that the character was

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

, especially from

LGBTQ+ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

fans. Co-creator of Ted Lasso,

Brendan Hunt Brendan Hunt is an American actor and writer known for roles in the films ''We're the Millers'' (2013) and ''Horrible Bosses 2'' (2014) as well as voicing two characters in the video game ''Fallout 4'' (2015). He is a co-creator of the Apple TV+ ...

, said "Billy's been really amazing in this part" as the series discusses issues such as male vulnerability and homosexuality which are still taboo in the world of

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

. Harris had a small role in the BBC One series ''The Outlaws'' in 2022. His upcoming projects include voice acting in an animated show by writer and previous collaborator, Elliot Blake.

Personal life

Harris is from

Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...

, Essex and he has a sister. He is a fan of

Manchester United F.C Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

Selected filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Billy Living people 1994 births Male actors from London British male television actors Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 21st-century English male actors