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Luke Thompson (actor)

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Luke Thompson
Born (1988-07-04) 4 July 1988 (age 36)
Southampton, England
EducationUniversity of Bristol
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active2013–present

Luke Thompson (born 4 July 1988)[1] is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Benedict, the second Bridgerton child, in Bridgerton. For his theatre work, he received number of accolades, including a WhatsOnStage Award and a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award. He also appeared in the BBC One drama In the Club (2014–2016).

Early life and education

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Thompson was born in Southampton and brought up in France from the age of two. His father was an engineer and his mother a teacher. He is one of three children.[2][3] He attended the Lycée International François-Ier in Fontainebleau, a French school with an Anglophone section, from 1997 to 2005,[4]where he became a native French speaker. He is also proficient in Italian.[5][6]

Upon returning to England in 2006, Thompson spent a year with the Year Out Drama Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.[7] He studied English and Drama at the University of Bristol and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 2013.[8][9]

Career

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Thompson's first professional theatre role was as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theatre, Thompson received nominations for an Evening Standard Theatre Award and an Ian Charleson Award. He would also appear in the Globe productions of Blue Stockings as Will Bennett, Julius Caesar as Mark Antony, and The Broken Heart as Ithocles. His other stage roles include James in Tiger Country at the Hampstead Theatre, Orestes in the Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre and Laertes in the 2017 production of Hamlet.[10] Thompson took over the role of Edgar from Jonathan Bailey in the Ian McKellen-starrer King Lear in 2018 after Bailey passed on joining the West End transfer to do the musical Company instead.[11][12]

From 2014 to 2016, Thompson played Simon in the BBC One drama In the Club.[13] He narrated a new adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novella The Shepherd for BBC Radio 3, broadcast on Christmas Eve, 2016.[14] Thompson made his feature film debut with a small role as a warrant officer in Christopher Nolan's 2017 World War II film Dunkirk.[15] He played Peter Hain in Misbehaviour, a film about Miss World 1970.[16] In 2019, Thompson was cast as Benedict, the second eldest Bridgerton sibling, in the 2020 Shondaland-produced Netflix period drama Bridgerton, an adaptation of the novels by Julia Quinn.[17]

Thompson played Willem in the English-language stage adaptation of A Little Life, which began at the Richmond Theatre in March 2023 before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre and then the Savoy Theatre.[18] For his performance, he won a WhatsOnStage Award and received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. Thompson also appeared in the World War II miniseries Transatlantic, also on Netflix, as Hiram Bingham IV.[19]

In January 2024, it had been announced that Thompson would star in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Love's Labour's Lost as Berowne. The play ran between 11 April to 18 May in 2024 and was directed by Emily Burns.[20]

Personal life

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Thompson does not have social media and keeps the details of his personal life private, stating "the more you give chunks of yourself out, the more you sort of colour how you're perceived. It's a personal thing... that's from my particular experience of what it's like to be an actor."[21]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 Shakespeare's Globe: A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Live Recording
2015 Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar Mark Antony Live Recording
2016 The Complete Walk: Romeo and Juliet Romeo Short film
2017 Dunkirk Warrant Officer
2018 King Lear Edgar National Theatre Live
2019 Making Noise Quietly Oliver
2020 Misbehaviour Peter Hain
2023 A Little Life Willem Live Recording

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Joshua Hallows Episode: "The Ties That Bind"
2014–2016 In the Club Simon Main role
2018 Hamlet Laertes Television film
Kiss Me First Connor 2 episodes
2020–present Bridgerton Benedict Bridgerton Main role
2023 Transatlantic Hiram 'Harry' Bingham Recurring role, six episodes

Stage

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Year Title Role Director Venue Ref.
2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Dominic Dromgoole Globe Theatre [22]
Blue Stockings Will Bennett John Dove [22]
2014 Julius Caesar Mark Antony Dominic Dromgoole [22]
Tiger Country James Nina Raine Hampstead Theatre [23]
2015 The Broken Heart Ithocles Caroline Steinbeis Sam Wanamaker Playhouse [24]
Oresteia Orestes Robert Icke Almeida Theatre [22]
2017 Hamlet Laertes [22]
Harold Pinter Theatre [25]
2019 King Lear Edgar Jonathan Munby Duke of York's Theatre [22]
2023 A Little Life Willem Ivo van Hove Harold Pinter Theatre [26]
Richmond Theatre [22]
Savoy Theatre [27]
2024 Love's Labour's Lost Berowne Emily Burns Royal Shakespeare Theatre [28][29]

Audio

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 The Shepherd Narrator BBC Radio 3
2018 The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: The Vertical Ladder Riz BBC Radio 4[30]
The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: The Judge's House Malcolmson
2021 The Brothers Karamazov Narrator Penguin Classics
2021 While Paris Slept Jean Luc Audible
2023 Seventeen: A Coming of Age Story Narrator Simon & Schuster Audio UK

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Outstanding Newcomer A Midsummer Night's Dream Nominated [3]
2014 Ian Charleson Awards Nominated [31]
2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Bridgerton Nominated [32]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Performer in a Play A Little Life Won [33]
Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated [34]

References

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  1. ^ "How old is Benedict from Bridgerton? - Luke Thompson". PopBuzz. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  2. ^ Eyre, Hermione (2021-04-03). "Bridgerton's Luke Thompson on the joy of sex, secrets and sideburns". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  3. ^ a b "London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2013: the ones to watch". The Evening Standard. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Memory Book". Anglophone Section. p. 41. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Profile". app.spotlight.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  6. ^ "Luke Thompson". Sue Terry Voices. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  7. ^ "See Luke in the cinema and in the West End". Year Out Drama Company. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ^ "The Team". Activate Workshops. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Luke Thompson". RADA. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  10. ^ Dillon, Luke (19 April 2018). "Ian McKellen finds his Company". West End Theatre. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  11. ^ Wood, Alex (23 March 2022). "Stage stars to look out for in Bridgerton". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  12. ^ Lash, Jolie (22 March 2022). "'Bridgerton' Star Luke Thompson on Expanding the Benedict-Anthony Relationship in Season 2". The Wrap. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Roanna & Simon". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  14. ^ Between the Ears: The Shepherd
  15. ^ Mitchell, Molli (27 January 2021). "Bridgerton cast: Who is Luke Thompson? Meet the Benedict Bridgerton star". Express. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  16. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (22 January 2021). "'Bridgerton' Star Luke Thompson Signs With UK Management Firm Insight". Deadline. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  17. ^ Jordan, Marsha (29 January 2021). "'Bridgerton' cast members Luke Thompson, Luke Newton discuss season 2". ABC 7 Chicago. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  18. ^ Wood, Alex (23 November 2022). "A Little Life to run in the West End with James Norton, Omari Douglas, Luke Thompson and Zach Wyatt". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  19. ^ Flam, Charna (8 February 2023). "'Transatlantic': Netflix Reveals First Images of Upcoming Limited Series (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  20. ^ "New season announced for 2024/25 | Royal Shakespeare Company". www.rsc.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  21. ^ "Luke Thompson: Social Media rots my brain!". Yahoo News. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g "Luke Thompson On Stage". London Theatre. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  23. ^ Mountford, Fiona (2014-12-17). "Tiger Country, Hampstead - theatre review". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  24. ^ Fisher, Philip (2015-03-21). "The Broken Heart proves a stylish, amusing and thoughtful play at Shakespeare's Globe". Wales Online. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  25. ^ "Hamlet at Harold Pinter Theatre 2017". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  26. ^ Solomon, Anna (2023-04-04). "Bridgerton's Luke Thompson on bringing A Little Life to the theatre". Luxury London. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  27. ^ "A Little Life to transfer to the Savoy Theatre starring James Norton, Omari Douglas, Luke Thompson, Zach Wyatt | West End Theatre". www.westendtheatre.com. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  28. ^ "Luke Thompson | West End Theatre". www.westendtheatre.com. 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  29. ^ "Luke Thompson to star in LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at RSC". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  30. ^ "The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: Episodes". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  31. ^ "Jessie Buckley, Jack Lowden and Olivia Vinall among Ian Charleson shortlist". WhatsOnStage. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  32. ^ "The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  33. ^ "James Norton and Luke Thompson win WhatsOnStage Awards for A Little Life". 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  34. ^ "Olivier awards 2024: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. 2024-03-12. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
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