Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor. His filmography includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in independent projects in the American and British film industries. He has received several accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012.
Hoult performed in local theatre productions as a child. He made his screen debut in the 1996 film Intimate Relations after being cast at age five and later appeared in several television programmes between 1998 and 2001. His breakthrough came with his role in the 2002 comedy-drama About a Boy. He achieved wider recognition for his performance as Tony Stonem in the E4 teen series Skins (2007–2008). His transition to adult roles began with the 2009 drama A Single Man, for which he earned a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination, and the fantasy film Clash of the Titans (2010). He played the mutant Hank McCoy in the 2011 superhero film X-Men: First Class, a role he reprised in later instalments of the film series.
Hoult played the titular Jack in the fantasy adventure film Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and a zombie in the romantic comedy Warm Bodies (2013). He had a supporting role in the action film Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and starred in a number of independent films before portraying various historical figures such as Robert Harley in the black comedy The Favourite (2018), writer J. R. R. Tolkien in Tolkien (2019), and Peter III in the Hulu comedy-drama series The Great (2020–present). His work on the latter earned him nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has since starred in the 2021 action thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, black comedy The Menu (2022), and horror comedy Renfield (2023).
Outside of film, Hoult voiced Elliot in the 2010 action role-playing game Fable III and appeared in the 2009 West End play New Boy. He supports the charitable organisations Teenage Cancer Trust and Christian Aid.