Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (; born
Wokingham
Wokingham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is the main administrative centre of the wider Borough of Wokingham. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 38,284 and the wider built-up area had a populati ...
, 7 December 1989) is an English actor. He
has received several accolades, including a nomination for a
British Academy Film Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
,
two
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
nominations,
and a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nomination.
His successful start in cinema came at the age of 11 when he portrayed Marcus in ''
About a Boy'' (2002). Prior to that, he had appeared in minor television and film roles in British productions, having started acting at the age of three with his debut in
''Intimate Relations'' (1996). At 17, he played
Tony Stonem in the British series
''Skins'' (2007–2008), a role that helped him transition from a
child star to more complex, darker characters in the film industry, leading to success and critical recognition.
It would not be until a decade later that he returned to television, portraying
Emperor Peter III of Russia in
''The Great'' (2020–2023). His
notable filmography includes ''
A Single Man
''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American historical drama film, period romantic drama film based on A Single Man (novel), the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood. The List of directorial debuts, directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the fi ...
'' (2009), ''
X-Men: First Class'' (2011), ''
Warm Bodies'' (2013),
''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015),
''The Favourite'' (2018), ''
The Menu'' (2022), ''
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. '' (2023),
''The Order'' (2024), ''
Juror No. 2'' (2024), and
''Nosferatu'' (2024).
Hoult has also made a name for himself as a
voice actor
Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...
, lending his vocal talent to various mediums such as narrations,
audiobooks
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
, video games, and characters in animated films and series. His voice acting work includes narrating the audiobook ''
Slam'' in 2007, portraying Elliot in the video game ''
Fable III
''Fable III'' is a 2010 action role-playing video game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The third game in the ''Fable'' series, the story focuses on the player charact ...
'' (2010), the voice of Ace in the animated film ''
Underdogs'' (2013), his performance as Fiver in the British miniseries ''
Watership Down
''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Hampshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natur ...
'' (2018), and as Patrick in the adult stop-motion series ''
Crossing Swords'' (2020–2021). Additionally, he voiced the character
Jon Arbuckle in the animated film ''
The Garfield Movie'' (2024).
In 2009, he starred in the play ''New Boy'' at
Trafalgar Theatre in London.
He was included in
''Forbes'' ''annual 30 Under 30'' list in 2012.
In 2024,
GQ named him “Actor of the Year.” He is a member of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
and owns his own film production company, Dead Duck Films.
Early life
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult was born on December 7, 1989, in
Wokingham
Wokingham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is the main administrative centre of the wider Borough of Wokingham. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 38,284 and the wider built-up area had a populati ...
,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
, England,
to Glenis (née Brown), a piano teacher, and Roger Hoult, a commercial pilot. His middle name, Caradoc (pronounced /ka.ˈra.dɔk/), originates from
Middle Welsh
Middle Welsh (, ) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh ().
Literature and history
Middle Welsh is ...
and translates to "beloved one." His paternal great-aunt,
Anna Neagle
Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer.
She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...
, was a renowned stage and film actress, celebrated during the 1930s and 1940s.
Hoult has three siblings: an older brother, James (born in 1977), and two sisters, Clarista (born in 1992) and Rosanna (born in 1984).
Hoult spent much of his early years in the village of
Sindlesham, located in the borough of Wokingham, where his family lived on a quiet estate. His older siblings were passionate about acting and dancing from a young age, participating in classes and auditions. As a child, Hoult often accompanied them to these events, which sparked his own interest in acting. Reflecting on his childhood in a 2011 interview with ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', he described his upbringing as "pretty outdoorsy" and "normal,"
noting that he and his siblings enjoyed "running around in the garden and making tree houses."

He attended The Coombes Infant and Nursery School before moving on to Arborfield Church of England Junior School for his primary education.
Hoult also developed a passion for ballet during his early years and performed as a dancer with several high-profile companies, participating in regional productions. He notably took part in prestigious productions of ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'' and ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
'' with the
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scott ...
, showcasing his versatility and dedication to the performing arts. However, in 2002, at the age of 12, Hoult decided to shift his focus towards acting and enrolled at the renowned
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE.
Outline
The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in 19 ...
, marking the beginning of his formal training in the craft.
Initially, Hoult viewed acting more as a hobby than a potential career path. In an interview with ''
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 ...
'', he candidly admitted that he wasn’t “in love with it... I just enjoyed it. It was like playing for a football team. When you got a part it was great. And meeting new people. It was an exciting new world.”
His attitude towards acting was that of a young boy discovering a new and thrilling activity rather than a serious professional pursuit.
At the age of 14, Hoult left his previous school and attended
Ranelagh School
Ranelagh School is a Church of England day school in Berkshire close to the centre of Bracknell. The school was founded by Lord Ranelagh in 1709.
Admissions
Attendance is limited to Church of England children whose parents attend church at lea ...
,
a
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
's secondary school in Bracknell, Berkshire, where he continued his education while balancing his growing interest in acting.
By 2006, he made the decision to further his studies at
Farnborough Sixth Form College in Hampshire, where he pursued advanced-level courses in English Literature, Biology, and Psychology.
Despite his academic commitments, Hoult’s acting career continued to gain momentum, and he secured the role of
Tony Stonem in the groundbreaking TV series ''
Skins''. After filming the first season, he chose to leave his studies behind and dedicate himself fully to acting, marking the turning point in his career.
Apart from his acting pursuits, Hoult also had a musical background. As a child, he played the
trombone
The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
and was an active member of his local
choir. Hoult played
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
for the
Reading Rockets, who played in the
English Basketball League
The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a league competition representing semi-professional and amateur basketball clubs from England and Wales. It forms levels 2 to 5 on the British basketball pyramid, in line with the Scottish B ...
.
He was later appointed as the club's ambassador.
Career
1996–2005: Early career
Hoult's acting potential was discovered at age three by a theatre director during a performance of a play that starred Hoult's brother. The director was impressed at Hoult's ability to "concentrate well" and offered him a role in his next theatre production ''
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' () is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than the baby's wealthy b ...
''.
Hoult began attending auditions and at age five was cast in the 1996 drama ''
Intimate Relations'', his first feature-film role. He later appeared in the television programmes ''
Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'', ''
Silent Witness
''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...
'', ''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
'', ''
Judge John Deed'', and ''
Doctors
Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to:
Titles and occupations
* Physician, a medical practitioner
* Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree
** Doctorate
** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...
'', among others. Hoult initially treated acting as a hobby rather than a potential career option; in a March 2009 interview with ''
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 ...
'', he said he was not "in love with it ... I just enjoyed it. It was like playing for a football team. When you got a part it was great. And meeting new people. It was an exciting new world."
Hoult's next feature-film appearance came at age eleven in
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...
and
Paul Weitz's 2002 comedy-drama film ''
About a Boy''.
Hoult was initially reluctant to audition for the role as the casting process was a lengthy one and interfered with his schooling. He nonetheless decided to participate in the early rounds of auditions and was eventually cast in the role of Marcus, a "woolly-hatted, oddball son of a suicidal, hippy-ish single mother,
hogets bullied horribly at school".
''About a Boy'' was a commercial success, grossing more than $130million worldwide and receiving praise by film critics.
Hoult's portrayal of a lonely schoolboy was well-received; David Thomas, writing for ''The Daily Telegraph'', attributed the film's appeal and success to Hoult's performance.
By the time the film was released, Hoult had left his junior school in Arborfield and began attending Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. He said the change was difficult; his time there was short and he preferred attending a regular school. He still did not want to pursue acting as a profession and at 14 he left Sylvia Young Theatre School in favour of Ranelagh School.
Hoult starred in
Richard E. Grant's semi-autobiographical film ''
Wah-Wah'' (2005) as Ralph Compton, a boy who is forced to deal with the disintegration of his family. The film, set in
Swaziland
Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where ...
during the 1960s, chronicles the waning years of the
Swaziland Protectorate.
Hoult made his debut in Hollywood with
Gore Verbinski
Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski (born March 16, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing ''Mouse Hunt'', '' The Ring'', the first 3 ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, and '' Rango''. For '' ...
's film ''
The Weather Man'' (2005) as the son of a television weather presenter undergoing a
mid-life crisis
A midlife crisis is a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically 45 to 65 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a person's grow ...
. The film and Hoult's performance went largely unnoticed.
Both ''Wah-Wah'' and ''The Weather Man'' performed poorly at the box office.
2006–2010: ''Skins'' and West End debut

Hoult was a student at
Sixth Form College Farnborough in 2006 when he was cast in the lead role of the television teenage-drama ''
Skins''. He was initially sceptical of his ability to play
Tony Stonem, a manipulative, egocentric anti-hero, and identified more closely with the supporting character Sid.
The programme was a success and ran for seven series, only two of which Hoult appeared in. His performance was well received; the character was popular, and Hoult garnered widespread attention.
''Skins'' won the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
(BAFTA) Philip Audience Award, and Hoult was nominated for the
Golden Nymph Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Critic Elliott David lauded Hoult for his performance in a 2016 retrospective review, and wrote that he "maintain
dthe inexplicable core of his character throughout".
During his time on ''Skins'', Hoult felt overwhelmed by the attention he received and considered quitting acting altogether at one point. Instead, he left school at the end of ''Skins'' first series and chose to focus solely on acting.
Hoult briefly appeared as Stefan Fredman in the pilot episode of the British television series ''
Wallander Wallander may refer to:
TV, film, books
* Kurt Wallander, a fictional Swedish police inspector in novels by Henning Mankell
:*Wallander (film series), ''Wallander'' (film series), Swedish-language television films of the Wallander stories starring ...
''.
He later made his
West End theatre
West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
debut as Mark, the protagonist in
William Sutcliffe
William Sutcliffe (born 9 March 1971) is a British novelist. He has written many acclaimed novels, spanning genres from satire to YA fiction. His 2008 book ''Whatever Makes You Happy'' has been adapted into a 2019 film by Netflix, under the titl ...
's coming-of-age play ''New Boy''; the production premiered at
Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Theatre is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. The Grade II listed building was built in 1930 with interiors in the Art Deco style as the Whitehall Theatre; it regularly staged ...
and had record-breaking ticket sales, which was mostly attributed to Hoult's popularity among viewers of ''Skins''.
The play was staged for a week in March 2009 because Hoult had committed to a part in the fantasy-adventure film ''
Clash of the Titans'' (2010), filming for which was scheduled for mid-2010. Hoult's performance as Mark, a "ferociously bright and articulate but sexually confused sixth-former" received mixed responses from critics. Dominic Cavendish of ''The Daily Telegraph'' wrote that his performance was persuasive, but Lyn Gardner of ''The Guardian'' found him average and highlighted his inability to bring out the "unresolved sexual tension beneath
hebanter".
''
Clash of the Titans'' was panned by critics but was a success at the box office, grossing nearly $500,000,000 worldwide.
Hoult next appeared in
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...
's ''
A Single Man
''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American historical drama film, period romantic drama film based on A Single Man (novel), the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood. The List of directorial debuts, directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the fi ...
'' (2009), after the actor originally cast in the role of Kenny Potter left the film a few days before filming commenced. Hoult had previously shown interest in the project and had sent a recorded audition tape; he was eventually chosen for the role of Kenny, a homosexual college student who helps a college professor deal with his grief.
''A Single Man'' was variously described by media outlets as the first adult role for Hoult, who described Kenny as a "spontaneous" character not simply defined by his sexuality.
Because the role was his first as an American character, Hoult worked on his
accent; Sukhdev Sandhu of ''The Daily Telegraph'' noted Ford's choice of casting British actors as Americans (Hoult and
Matthew Goode) and vice versa (
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...
).
''A Single Man'' opened to widespread acclaim despite reservations from critics about Ford's directorial abilities; it was a box-office success.
The film earned Hoult a nomination for the
BAFTA Rising Star Award
The EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Rising Star Award, currently styled as the EE Rising Star Award for commercial reasons and previously known as the Orange Rising Star Award, is a film award that acknowledges new talents ...
at the
2010 ceremony.
In 2010, Hoult voiced the character of Elliot in
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios Limited was a British video game developer founded in July 1997 by Peter Molyneux, Mark Webley, Tim Rance, and Steve Jackson (British game designer), Steve Jackson. The company is best known for the ''Black & White (series), Bl ...
'
action role-playing game
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and Role-playing video game, role-playing game genres.
Definition
Action role-playing games empha ...
''
Fable III
''Fable III'' is a 2010 action role-playing video game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The third game in the ''Fable'' series, the story focuses on the player charact ...
'' (2010).
2011–2016: Commercial success with ''X-Men'' and ''Mad Max''
Hoult was cast as
Nux in
George Miller's action film ''
Mad Max: Fury Road''; the project spent several years in
development hell
Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...
because plans for a fourth film in the
''Mad Max'' franchise encountered financial difficulties. Filming was planned for mid-2010, but heavy rain caused severe delays during pre-production in Australia.
With no other immediate commitments, Hoult began to look for other prospects. He was eventually cast in the role of
Hank McCoy / Beast for the
''X-Men'' film series owing to his ability to play somebody "gentle with a capability of being fierce". Before filming began on the 2011
Matthew Vaughn
Sir Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn (legal name Matthew Allard Robert de Vere Drummond; born 7 March 1971) is an English filmmaker. He has produced films including ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998) and ''Snatch (film), Snatch'' (2000 ...
-directed instalment ''
X-Men: First Class'', a prequel to the franchise's earlier films, Hoult familiarised himself with his character; he said he "formulated
isown version of the Beast" and took inspiration from
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...
's performance in the previous ''X-Men: The Last Stand'' because he wanted to emulate Grammer's charm and eloquence. Hoult learned to speak in a dialect similar to Grammer's without trying to imitate it. He also underwent physical training and gained weight to better suit his character. The film, which was widely praised by critics for its script and performances, performed moderately well at the box office, collecting about $353million against a production budget of $160million. Although it was the lowest-ranked production in the entire series in terms of revenue, Chris Aronson of
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
deemed it "an excellent start to a new chapter of the franchise".
''Mad Max: Fury Road'' was eventually filmed in 2012 in the
Namibian desert. Miller had conceived Nux, a terminally ill slave, as a "quasi kamikaze pilot"; Hoult said of his character; "he's very enthusiastic and committed and affectionate but also kind of clumsy".
Hoult shaved his head and followed a strict diet because his role required him to lose a lot of weight.
He also talked about performing stunts in the film, describing the entire experience as "scary",
but favourably compared the stunt crew and Miller's choice to incorporate real action sequences instead of using a
green screen
Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two or more images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fie ...
, saying it made the performance more believable because the actors are placed in a real situation.
''Fury Road'' opened to critical acclaim on 14 May 2015 and grossed more than $378million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the ''Mad Max'' franchise. The technical aspects and stunt sequences drew particular praise from film critics and it was credited for reviving interest in the series. Shalini Langer noted that while the real hero of the film was
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 201 ...
, "
oultis the closest in the acting department ... as Joe's 'war boy' chasing imagined glory". Hoult's "fabulously unhinged" performance was also praised by
Robbie Collin
Robbie Collin is a British film critic.
Collin studied aesthetics and the philosophy of film at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He edited the university's student newspaper, '' The Saint''.
Collin has been the chief film critic at ''The ...
of ''The Daily Telegraph''. Also in 2012, Hoult was included in the
''Forbes'' 30 under 30 list.
In 2013, Hoult had starring roles in two major films; he first played a
zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...
named R in
Jonathan Levine's
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
''
Warm Bodies'', which was released on 1 February. An adaptation of
Isaac Marion's
novel of the same name, the film is presented from
point of view
Point of View or Points of View may refer to:
Concept and technique
* Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronoun used in narration
* Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or ...
of the central character, mostly through narration. Levine said he had difficulties finding a suitable actor to play R until he met Hoult, who was attracted to the project—which he described as "much more than a horror movie" owing to the use of multiple pop culture and literary allusions—and even more so to the role which "bowled
eover". Hoult said he drew inspiration from ''
Edward Scissorhands
''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as the title ...
'' (1990) because he thought the central characters in both films share the same difficulties. To prepare for the role of a zombie, Hoult and the other actors practised with
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...
performers; he said of the experience; "we would take our shoes off in a dance studio ... kind of grow out of the wall and make our bodies feel very heavy". The film garnered positive response from critics and audiences. Ben Kendrick praised Hoult for the restraint in a potentially
Razzie-worthy role: "
ebrings a lot of life to R without stepping too far in the other direction
nd although hiszombie mannerisms may come across a bit forced but, overall, his memorable moments outnumber (and outweigh) the awkward ones." Hoult was also described as "an extremely appealing actor,
hois charm personified" in his role of the living-dead.
Hoult's next film,
Bryan Singer
Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series.
After graduating from the Univ ...
's 2013 fantasy adventure ''
Jack the Giant Slayer
''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (previously titled ''Jack the Giant Killer'') is a 2013 American heroic fantasy, fantasy adventure film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, from a story by Lemke ...
'', failed at the box office and received mixed response from critics. He played
the eponymous hero in the film, which is based on the British fairy tales "
Jack the Giant Killer
"Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a man who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore, Breto ...
" and "
Jack and the Beanstalk
"Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale with ancient origins. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition :File:Round about our Coal Fire, or, Christmas Entertainments, 4th edn, 1734.pdf, On C ...
". Hoult's performance was poorly received by film critics Mary Pols,
Justin Chang
Justin Choigee Chang is an American film critic and columnist currently working at ''The New Yorker''. He previously worked for '' Variety'' and for ''Los Angeles Times''. His 2023 reviews at the ''Times'' won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Critici ...
and
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
; Pols was critical of his "disconcerting" imitation of Hugh Grant and the other two dismissed him and his character as "bland" and "boring", respectively.
Hoult then appeared in
Jake Paltrow's science-fiction film ''
Young Ones'' (2014). Set in a dystopian future where water is scarce, the film had Hoult play Flem Lever, a young man who is trying to claim the land owned by the film's central character Ernest Holm.
Hoult thought the role was unlike any of his previous work and said his character's questionable choices throughout the film intrigued him. Hoult read novels written by
S. E. Hinton
Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA ge ...
to prepare for the role. The film was shot in a deserted location in South Africa; Hoult said filming in the hot weather conditions was difficult but the "beautiful" scenery helped to tell the story better.
He said it also made him more conscious of environmental concerns. The film premiered at the
2014 Sundance Film Festival
The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Utah, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opene ...
and was met with mixed responses.
Commentators highlighted the film's standout scenery but were critical of its plot.
Keith Uhlich of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' said Hoult was a poor fit for the story's "stoically retrograde machismo".
Hoult reprised his role as
Beast in Bryan Singer's ''
X-Men: Days of Future Past'', his other release of 2014. Hoult said playing the character was a freeing experience for him and that it was "fun to suddenly be able to break loose ... when you're wearing the makeup ... you can perform big ... you get to have two very different techniques, performances." He also said the lengthy make-up procedure could last up to three and a half hours. ''X-Men: Days of Future Past'' earned more than $747million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the series and in Hoult's career at that time.
In 2015, Hoult had three other releasesthe
feature film adaptation of
Gillian Flynn
Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her Thriller (genre), thriller and Mystery fiction, mystery novels ''Sharp Objects'' (2006), ''Dark Places (Flynn novel), Dark Plac ...
's mystery novel ''
Dark Places'';
Owen Harris'
dark comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
''
Kill Your Friends'', based on the 2008 novel of the same name; and ''
Equals'', a dystopian, science-fiction
romantic drama
Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
directed by
Drake Doremus
Drake Doremus (; born March 29, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing the films ''Like Crazy'' (2011), which won the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, ''Douchebag (film) ...
all of which were critical failures and rank among the lowest-grossing films of his career. Response to Hoult's performance in ''Equals'' was relatively better; Peter Travers called him and his co-star
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe ...
"quietly devastating", and Katie Walsh, writing for ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', said the duo were "finely matched both in their androgynous beauty and in their performances of a repressed humanity". Despite doubts about his contract with the franchise, Hoult returned for the 2016 film ''
X-Men: Apocalypse''. Upon release, the film became the third-ranked ''X-Men'' film in terms of worldwide box office collections, earning about $540million. It was also a top-grossing production outside the United States.
2017–2019: Biographical and independent films
The action film ''
Collide'', in which Hoult starred as a drug dealer, was released in the United States in February 2017 to a poor response from audiences and critics.
The film garnered negative reviews; its dismal box office performance was attributed to poor marketing and multiple delays caused by the 2015
chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
of its production company
Relativity Media
Relativity Media, LLC is an American independent media company founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company brokered film finance deals and later branched into film production and other entertainment ventures. The company ...
.
''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' Scott Mendelson analysed the film's failure and said Hoult did not necessarily have enough "star power" to draw audiences.
He highlighted the
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
and sense of entitlement in the entertainment industry, writing that director
Eran Creevy
Eran Creevy is a British director most famous for his films '' Shifty'' (2008) and ''Welcome to the Punch'' (2013), and several music videos.
Career
After assisting Matthew Vaughn and Woody Allen on the films ''Layer Cake'' and ''Scoop'' respect ...
and Hoult would get better offers despite the failure of films like ''Collide'', as opposed to the women and other
minority group
The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
s, who are either ignored or stereotyped.
Responses to Hoult's next film, the romance drama ''
Newness'', were more enthusiastic. The production had its world premiere at the
2017 Sundance Film Festival
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to January 29, 2017. The first lineup of competition films was announced November 30, 2016.
Awards
The following awards were presented:
* Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – '' I Don't Feel ...
; it stars Hoult as one half of a Los Angeles-based couple who meet through
online dating
Online dating, also known as internet dating, virtual dating, or mobile app dating, is a method used by people with a goal of searching for and interacting with potential romantic or sexual partners, via the internet. An online dating service ...
and begin an
open relationship
An open relationship is an intimate relationship that is sexually or romantically non-monogamous. An open relationship generally indicates a relationship where there is a primary emotional and intimate relationship between partners, who agree to ...
.
Drake Doremus, the film's director, said Hoult's role was unlike his previous work; "a very complex and emotionally mature performance that we haven't seen yet".
Hoult starred in a series of biographical and historical films in 2017; he said he preferred playing characters that might help him improve as an actor and that the "actors I look up to started doing their best work in their early 30s and I'll be hitting that age ... I'm just trying to learn".
He portrayed American author
J. D. Salinger
Jerome David Salinger ( ; January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel '' The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger published several short stories in '' Story'' magazine in 1940, before serving in World Wa ...
in
Danny Strong
Danny Strong (born ) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. As an actor, Strong is best known for his roles as Jonathan Levinson in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', Doyle McMaster in ''Gilmore Girls'' and Danny Siegel in '' Mad ...
's ''
Rebel in the Rye'', which chronicles Salinger's life from his youth to the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
era and the years preceding the publication of his debut novel, ''
The Catcher in the Rye
''The Catcher in the Rye'' is the only novel by American author J. D. Salinger. It was partially published in serial form in 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its theme ...
''. Hoult auditioned for the role because he was intrigued by the film's script and Salinger's enigmatic personality; "I didn't know he fought in the second world war and landed on
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
: ... had intermittent
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
or that he became interested in
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...
philosophy and meditated and did yoga."
To prepare for the role, Hoult read ''The Catcher in the Rye'' and biographies about Salinger. Hoult said the biggest challenge was to get a real understanding of Salinger's character; "everyone has an idea of
alingerin their mind ... you're creating a character that people have very strong feelings about. You can't prove to be right or wrong through impressions." ''Rebel in the Rye'' opened to a poor response from film critics. Carson Lund of ''
Slant'' was largely unimpressed by Hoult's "feeble" performance and his inability to "reinvest the character with the complexities lost in the story's programmatic telling".
RogerEbert.com's Matt Fagerholm wrote that although Hoult was capable of illuminating the insecurities and fixations of his character, he is never "quite believable as Salinger". Fagerholm ascribed the failure to the script, which left the character's key motivations "frustratingly muddled".

Hoult co-starred in ''
The Current War'', a dramatisation of the feud between electrical pioneers
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
and
George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was a prolific American inventor, engineer, and entrepreneurial industrialist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his creation of the railway air brake and for bei ...
. Hoult was cast in the role of
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla (;["Tesla"](_blank)
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; 10 July 1856 – 7 ...
, for which he grew a moustache and attended science lessons about
electromagnetism
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interacti ...
and dynamos.
He lost weight for his role by following a strict diet.
Response to ''The Current War'' was mixed; David Ehrlich of ''
IndieWire'' described Hoult's performance as a tribute to
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, who had previously played Tesla in ''
The Prestige
''The Prestige'' is a 1995 epistolary science fantasy mystery novel by Christopher Priest. It tells the story of a prolonged feud between two stage magicians in late 1800s England. Its main structure is that of a collection of diaries that ...
'' (2006). In a departure from biographical dramas, Hoult then starred as an American soldier in ''
Sand Castle
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural cl ...
'', a production he described as a very different war film "in terms of the pacing and the emotion ... very under the surface, that futility-of-war idea".
He recalled the filming experience in the Jordanian military bases practising clearing procedures: "we put on these masks, get given these guns, are put inside this pitch-black house ... try and hunt down these bad guys hiding inside. You're in all the gear ... the adrenaline starts pumping."
Released on Netflix in 2017, the film garnered mixed reviews.
In ''
The Favourite'' (2018), a critically acclaimed period drama about
Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England, List of Scottish monarchs, Scotland, and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 8 March 1702, and List of British monarchs, Queen of Great Britain and Irel ...
, Hoult played the supporting role of
Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, KG PC FRS (5 December 1661 – 21 May 1724) was a British statesman of the late Stuart and early Georgian periods. He began his career as a Whig, before defecting to a new Tory ministr ...
. He next voiced
Fiver in the animated
television miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
adaptation of
Richard Adams
Richard George Adams (10 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist. He is best known for his debut novel ''Watership Down'' which achieved international acclaim. His other works included ''Maia'', '' Shardik'' and '' The Plague Do ...
' 1972 novel ''
Watership Down
''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Hampshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natur ...
''. In 2019, Hoult portrayed author
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
in the biopic ''
Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
''. He next reprised his role as Hank McCoy in the X-Men film ''
Dark Phoenix''. Both ''Tolkien'' and ''Dark Phoenix'' were poorly received.
2020–2024: ''The Great'' and portrayal of dark characters
The following year, Hoult began starring as
Peter III of Russia
Peter III Fyodorovich (; ) was Emperor of Russia from 5 January 1762 until 9 July of the same year, when he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine II (the Great). He was born in the German city of Kiel as Charles Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holst ...
in the
Hulu
Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
comedy-drama series ''
The Great''. The series and his performance received critical acclaim. He was nominated for two
Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
and a
.
In 2021, Hoult appeared in a villainous role in the thriller ''
Those Who Wish Me Dead''. Hoult starred in the black comedy film ''
The Menu'', alongside
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ralph Fiennes, various accolades, including a British Academy Film ...
and
Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
, in 2022. It received positive reviews. Hoult next played the
titular role in the comedy-horror film ''
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. .'' In June 2023, he was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
in the actors branch.
In 2024, Hoult voiced
Jon Arbuckle in the animated film ''
The Garfield Movie''. That same year, he also starred in the crime thriller ''
The Order'' (2024), directed by
Justin Kurzel, and the courtroom drama ''
Juror #2'' (2024), directed by
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
. Hoult also starred as
Thomas Hutter in ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
''
(2024), written and directed by
Robert Eggers
Robert Houston Eggers (born July 7, 1983) is an American filmmaker who has written and directed '' The Witch'' (2015), '' The Lighthouse'' (2019), '' The Northman'' (2022), and ''Nosferatu'' (2024). His films blend elements of horror, folklore, ...
.
2025-Present: Lex Luthor and future

Hoult will play
Lex Luthor
Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
in ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (2025) from director
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
. The CEO of
LuthorCorp and the arch-nemesis of Superman, who hates Superman for having the power to do everything but not aligning with Luthor's own beliefs.
Hoult described Luthor as obsessive, determined, and relentless, and wanted the character to feel like a credible threat to Superman.
He already has his end goal in sight and is motivated by many emotions, including a need to be recognized for his scientific genius.
Gunn took inspiration for the character from
Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello (born August 11, 1962) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter who first came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series ''100 Bullets'', published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo. ...
's limited comic book series ''
Lex Luthor: Man of Steel'' (2005) as well as
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He was the co-creator of ...
's "reckless scientific genius" version of Luthor in comic books from the 1950s and 1960s.
Hoult will star in ''
How to Rob a Bank'' directed by filmmaker
David Leitch
David Leitch (; born November 16, 1975) is an American filmmaker, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and actor. He made his directorial debut on the action film ''John Wick'' (2014) with Chad Stahelski, though only Stahelski was credited. He la ...
, with a script by Mark Bianculli, which tells the story of a bank robbery for
Amazon MGM Studios
Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
. It is set for release September 4, 2026.
Personal life
Hoult divides his time between
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of ...
. In his free time, he plays
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
and trains in
jiu-jitsu
Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...
and
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
.
He is also an avid fan of
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
and
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
and has been spotted at various Grand Prix events over the years. Hoult graduated from Ferrari’s Corso Pilota driving school in 2022 and has competed in multiple
Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge is a One-Design, single-marque Auto racing, motorsport championship that was created in 1993, initially catering to owners of the 348 Challenge who wanted to race their cars. The first European season took place in 1993, ...
events. In 2024, he won the "Track Attack" at
Watkins Glen with his
Ferrari 296 GTB.
Hoult is the father of two children with California model Bryana Holly, with whom he had been in a relationship since December 12, 2016.
Their first child was born on April 17, 2018, and their second in October 2022. Hoult and Holly secretly tied the knot.
Philanthropy
Hoult is a philanthropist and supports numerous charities; he has been associated with organisations that support children. He was appointed the first
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...
(NSPCC) Young Person Ambassador, for supporting the charity's activities aimed at children and young people. Since 2009, he has also been involved with the
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
; he continues to visit patients supported by the organisation and has helped promote its awareness campaigns, including the sun-safety campaign "Shunburn". Hoult designed sweaters for
Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide.
The organization raises money to imp ...
's and Selfish Mother's joint
Christmas Jumper Day campaign. He encouraged customers to buy the festive collection and support the charitable cause, which he thought would bring a "real change to children's lives". He also donated a pair of shoes, which was auctioned by Small Steps Project, an organisation that helps homeless and malnourished children. Hoult was inducted into the NSPCC Hall of Fame in 2010 for his contributions to the campaign against child cruelty.
Hoult visited
Nairobi
Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, Kenya, as a part of a
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is a relief and development charity of 41 Christian (Protestant and Orthodox) churches in Great Britain and Ireland, and works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster rel ...
project aimed at providing clean water and sanitation. During his stay he met local people and helped clean the locality. He said of his experience; "I met great people making the best of the situation... it is heart-breaking in many ways to see the living conditions". Hoult also participated in the
Rickshaw Run in January 2017, in which participants drove an
auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...
(also called a ''tuk tuk'') for across India to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named th ...
. He has also been associated with Jeans for Refugees, a project and fundraising initiative intended to help refugees around the world. He donated a signed pair of jeans to the organisation; profits from the campaign were donated to the refugee support agency
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. Founded in 1933 as the International Relief Association, at the request of Albert Einstein, and changing its name in 1 ...
.
On August 1, 2020, he participated in the Outreach Project campaign alongside
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 201 ...
, where the film ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' was screened at a drive-in theater in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
to raise funds. In 2021, for
Save the Children UK, he took part in Misan Harriman's campaign to raise awareness about the urgent changes children want to see in the world: "Ban plastic. Reduce pollution."In June 2022, he participated in
Biotherm's #BeAWaterLover campaign to raise awareness about ocean preservation and to announce the brand's commitment to becoming'' Ocean Positive'' by 2030.' In both 2022 and 2023, he championed
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
's Acqua for Life campaign.''
''
See also
*
List of roles and awards of Nicholas Hoult
References
External links
*
*
''About a Boy'' interview with Hoult
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoult, Nicholas
1989 births
Living people
21st-century English male actors
Actors from Wokingham
Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School
English expatriate male actors in the United States
English male child actors
English male film actors
English male radio actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
Male actors from Berkshire
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people
People educated at Ranelagh Grammar School
People educated at Sixth Form College, Farnborough