George Blagden
George Blagden | |
|---|---|
 Blagden in 2014 | |
| Born | George Paul Blagden 28 December 1989 London, England |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2011) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
George Paul Blagden (born 28 December 1989) is an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his role as Louis XIV in the French-produced television series drama Versailles. He also played Grantaire in the 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables and Athelstan in the television series Vikings (2013–2016). He has also narrated the Penguin Classics audiobook version of Homer’s The Odyssey and an immersive audiovisual tour for the Circus Maximus in Rome written by Margaret George for the BARDEUM mobile app.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
Blagden who was raised near to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk,[2] began singing at age 13, performing in various choirs and his own rock band.[3] After studying at Old Buckenham Hall School, Suffolk,[2] he was accepted into Oundle School with a drama scholarship,[4] and appeared in the school's Stahl Theatre in such roles as The Baker in Into the Woods and Marc in 'Art'.[5] Also while at Oundle, Blagden became a member of the National Youth Theatre and was selected as one of four students to participate in a masterclass with Sir Ian McKellen.[6] Following his graduation, he studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 2011.[7] He has a younger sister, Katie, who is a writer and filmmaker.[2]
Career[edit]
In 2011, Blagden received his first acting role as Andy in the feature film After the Dark, which was released in 2014. He has since appeared in Wrath of the Titans, Les Misérables,[2] Vikings, and as the lead character of Louis XIV in the drama series Versailles.[8]
Blagden played the role of PJ in the 2018 revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical comedy, Company, at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End of London.[9]
Blagden co-stars in the upcoming musical film, The Land of Dreams, directed by Nicola Abbatangelo, with shooting underway in October 2019.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Blagden married actress Laura Pitt-Pulford on 29 September 2019.[11] The couple have a son, Arlo Peter Blagden born in October 2020.[12]
He is a supporter of Diabetes UK; from 4–6 September 2015, he cycled from London to Paris in under 72 hours and raised nearly £5,000 for the charity.[13]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Wrath of the Titans | Soldier No. 1 | |
| 2012 | Les Misérables | Grantaire | National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2013 | After the Dark | Andy | |
| 2014 | Blood Moon | Jake Norman | |
| 2014 | Holding on for a Good Time | Fellini | Short |
| 2014 | The Tap Tap Lady | Hugh | Short |
| 2015 | Blight | Fr Carey | Short Winner Best Actor - FilmQuest International Film Festival 2016 |
| 2017 | No Postage Necessary | Sam | |
| 2019 | How You Look at Me | Charlie | |
| 2020 | The Land of Dreams | Armie | Post-production[14] |
| 2022 | The Gallery | Morgan/Dorian | Interactive movie |
| 2022 | Rubikon | Gavin Abbott |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2016 | Vikings | Athelstan [2] | Main cast (seasons 1–3) Recurring (season 4); 30 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Versailles | Louis XIV | Leading role [2] |
| 2017 | Black Mirror | Lenny | Episode: "Hang the DJ" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Gallery | Morgan/Dorian | Interactive player |
Theatre[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | Platinum | Simon | Leading role | Hampstead Theatre | Regional |
| 2017 | The Pitchfork Disney | Presley Stray | Leading role | Shoreditch Town Hall | |
| 2018 | Tartuffe | Damis | Main Cast | Theatre Royal Haymarket | West End |
| 2018-2019 | Company | PJ | Main Cast | Gielgud Theatre | |
| 2023 | White Christmas | Bob | Leading Role | Crucible Theatre | Regional |
Awards[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | National Board of Review of Motion Pictures | Best Acting by an Ensemble | Les Misérables | Won |
| Best Ensemble | ||||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Performance | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Ensemble, Motion Picture | Won | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Acting Ensemble | |||
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
References[edit]
- ^ "George Blagden". BARDEUM. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Alice-Azania Jarvis (2 June 2016). "Meet George Blagden, the Star of TV's Sexiest new show Versailles". Evening Standard Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023.
- ^ "About". George Blagden. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "George Blagden pictures, bio, movies". Pop Tower. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ "George Blagden Signs on to Play Grantaire in LES MISERABLES Film". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ "News Trinity 2008: Sir Ian Kellen Masterclass". Oundle School. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ "George Blagden". Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "Vikings' Actor George Blagden to Play Louis XIV in 'Versailles". Variety. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ "CompanElliott and Producer Chris Harper". Elliott & Harper Productions. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ Scarpa, Vittoria (31 October 2019). "Shooting is under way on the musical The Land of Dreams". Cineuropa. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Laura Pitt-Pulford on Instagram: "A year ago today I married you @gblagden . It truly was the best day of my life! I still thank the stars every night that we found each…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Laura Pitt-Pulford on Instagram: "So, for the last 9 months I have been pretty busy growing this little fella, who finally made his appearance a week ago. Being pregnant and…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "George Blagden's Cycling Adventure". JustGiving. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ "The Land of Dreams". iMDB. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 21st-century English male actors
- Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
- People educated at Oundle School
- English tenors
- 1989 births
- Living people
- English male actors
- National Youth Theatre members
- 21st-century English singers
- 21st-century British male singers
- Male actors from London
- Singers from London