Sebastian de Souza

Sebastian Denis de Souza (born 19 April 1993)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England and Wales, 1916–2005'' B100D is an English actor. He is best known for playing Matty Levan in the E4 teen drama series '' Skins''. He has since starred in the period television series '' The Borgias'' from 2012 to 2013, '' Medici: Masters of Florence'' (2018), and '' The Great'' (2020).

Early life

De Souza is the second of the two sons of Elinor Kelly and Chris de Souza, an opera producer of Goan descent. He was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and has an older brother named Tristan. He grew up in Boxford, Berkshire, and was a boarder at Brockhurst and Marlston House School developing a fascination with theatre, music, and writing. At the age of 11 he decided to dramatise '' The Willows at Christmas'', William Horwood's adaptation of ''The Wind in the Willows'', and performed it in the barn with his classmates. In 2006 when he was 13, he starred in the short film ''Hangman'', premiered at the Corn Exchange. It was a story of witchcraft in the mould of ''Macbeth'', that he co-wrote with the Prep School's Film Club.

He went on to St Edward's School, Oxford, where in 2006 he won a music award as a pianist, clarinettist and singer. He later completed A-levels in English, History and Philosophy. He also attended acting workshops at the Watermill Theatre, near Newbury. At the North Wall Arts Centre, he performed lead roles in school productions of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' playing Puck, ''Great Expectations'' as Pip, C. P. Taylor's ''Good'' as Maurice, and ''Henry V'' as Henry, which earned him a drama prize in 2010. In the same year he became a member of the National Youth Theatre.

Career

After a brief appearance in Nick Ross's documentary series '' The Truth About Crime'', de Souza got his break on television at the age of 17, when he was cast as Matty Levan in the fifth and sixth instalment of cult drama '' Skins''. In 2012 he joined the cast of historical drama '' The Borgias'', created by Neil Jordan for the American TV network Showtime and filmed at Korda Studios, near Budapest. His character, Alfonso d'Aragona, first appeared in The Confession and closed his run at the end of the third and final season. While in Hungary, he was filmmaker with photographer Benjamin Lebus for ''Evelyne's World'', a concept short film about the allegory of the Cave starring Evelyne Brochu.

De Souza's first big screen role is in Julian Gilbey's thriller ''Plastic''. Production took place in early 2013 on location in Miami and London. As a screenplay writer, he made his cinematic debut in '' Kids in Love'', a film produced by Ealing Studios with de Souza also taking a title role. In 2014 he was cast as the male lead in a new Freeform show called '' Recovery Road'', which was broadcast for a single season in 2016.

In addition to his acting career, de Souza is a singer and musician. In 2011 he featured as a guest vocalist for ''Cubiq'' in their ''Say'' EP released by Hidden Label. The tune, related to current electro club music, has been remixed by Matanza and Timmy P in an alternative version that fits the traditional house template. In 2016 the '' Recovery Road'' cast including de Souza performed for the spring finale a musical ensemble version of ''Lean On Me'' by Bill Withers.

De Souza also works in the field of producing. In 2013 he co-founded with actor Will Poulter the TV and film production company ''Good Soil''. The following year he created his own brand management called ''de Souza'' aimed at helping young storytellers, producers or filmmakers develop their scripts.

In March 2021 de Souza's first novel, ''Kid: A History of The Future'', was published by Offliner Press, a publisher established and owned by de Souza himself.

Personal life

With his family, de Souza annually runs drama courses for 9 to 16 year olds at a home-based Centre for Music Drama and Art. In 2013 he has been made a patron of The Globe Theatre Education Fund, which runs drama projects for schools around the country, mostly Shakespearean. Through a practical experience provided by orchestras he can sing in the tenor range and play different instruments.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Music videos

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:de Souza, Sebastian
Living people
1993 births
21st-century English male actors
Goan people
Male actors from Oxford
British people of Goan descent
British people of Portuguese descent
English film producers
English male screenwriters
English male Shakespearean actors
English male stage actors
English male film actors
English male television actors
English people of Portuguese descent
English screenwriters
Male actors from Berkshire
National Youth Theatre members
People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford
Actors from West Berkshire District