Elliott Heffernan is an English child actor. He made his film debut playing George Hanaway in

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...

drama ''

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, several ships of the Prussian, Imperia ...

'' (2024).

Career

He had a starring role as George Hanaway in

's World War Two drama ''

'', playing the son of

Saoirse Ronan Saoirse Una Ronan ( ; born 12 April 1994) is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, with nominations for four Academy Awards and sev ...

's character, making his way back to London after fleeing evacuation. For the role he began auditioning at the age of 8 years-old in 2021, having just completed a school play as The Genie in a production of ''Aladdin''. Filming took place in 2022 and into 2023. It was released in 2024, when he was eleven years-old. McQueen said he was looking for a child actor who would display the "innocence of childhood...as well as the immense emotional journey he endures as he makes his way back home through many terrifying experiences," he says. "I didn't know if he existed and then I discovered Elliott." He has discussed completing a lot of his own stunts for the film, including being immersed in water when an underground station was flooded, and being winched 50 feet into the air for a scene that was later cut from the final film, although he did not film a wide shot where his character jumps from a moving train. Praise for his performance included ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' who called him "gravely captivating" and able to wrap "each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust." Clarisse Loughrey in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' said that the revelations of the film were "communicated with such grace through Heffernan's performance." Robbie Collin in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' described it as "a wonderful performance that's by turns clear and enigmatic". For the role in ''Blitz'', he was nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress at the

30th Critics' Choice Awards The 30th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on February 7, 2025, at the Santa Monica Airport#Barker Hangar, Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, honoring the finest achievements of filmmaking and television ...

in February 2025. He was also nominated in the Young British or Irish Performer category at the

London Film Critics Circle Awards The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally. The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards did not convey the full context of the ...

. He was nominated for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. He was nominated for Best Youth Performance (For a performer under the age of 18) at the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2024. He won Best Youth Performance at the

Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2024 The 23rd Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards winners were announced on December 8, 2024, presented to recognize the best of film in 2024. Nominations were announced on December 7, 2024. ''The Brutalist'' led the nominations with ...

Personal life

He is from

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

, England. He has two sisters.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heffernan, Elliott Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 2010s births English male child actors English male film actors Male actors from Bedfordshire