Whether you know him from his Netflix sitcom Lovesick [1], his appearances in costume dramas such as ITV's Vanity Fair, independent movies Beast and Clouds of Sils Maria, his latest album Sillion, or even his work on stage (in the West End, at The Globe, or in his off-Broadway debut earlier this year), it's clear Johnny Flynn [2]'s career is going from strength to strength. He's come a long way from his early role in children's adventure film Crusade in Jeans and practically compulsory guest spot on Holby City. But where did he come from and where can you find him next? Read on and we'll fill you in on everything you need to know.
He's Currently on Stage Opposite Kit Harington
Johnny's performing in London's West End until February, playing one of two sparring American brothers in Sam Shepard's True West, alongside fellow Brit Kit Harington [3] from Game of Thrones. Reviews have been mixed, with the Guardian calling the leads [4] "good, if slightly mismatched" but the Evening Standard saying [5], "The leads spark off each other, often to hair-raising effect."
His Family Left South Africa When He Was a Toddler
Flynn was born in South Africa, where his mother is from, but his parents moved the family to London when he was 2 years old. "They were campaigning for the end of apartheid and had secret police on their doorstep and felt they needed to leave," he told the Evening Standard [6].
He Stripped Off For His First Audition
"I've been asked to be naked in a bunch of different things," he told W [8], including a couple of stage roles and his first audition, for an episode of the 2005 ITV show Murder in Suburbia. (He got the part.)
Lovesick Found a Second Life on Netflix
Flynn plays Dylan, the centre of a group of friends, in sweet and funny sitcom Lovesick on Netflix. But it wasn't until it was cancelled by Channel 4 and its name changed from Scrotal Recall that it took off. Now, Flynn told the Evening Standard [9], "People come up to me all the time and say, 'I love your show.'"
He Married the First Woman He Ever Kissed
He met his wife, award-winning set designer Beatrice Minns, at school when they were 16. "We were so shy, we could barely hold hands," he told W [10]. They dated briefly and shared a kiss by a lake and then were friends for a long time before getting back together. They married in 2011 and have three young children.
Becoming a Dad Made Him Anxious
Not long after he and Beatrice had their first child, Gabriel, in 2011, Flynn left for a big US tour with his band and began to have panic attacks. "Having a child, getting married. I think lots of people go through similar things around these junctures in life," he told the Guardian [11].
He Played a Genius on TV
He portrayed the younger version of one of history's most famous scientists in Genius: Einstein [12], a National Geographic miniseries directed by Ron Howard. But he almost didn't audition. "It just seemed unfeasible that anyone could turn me into Albert Einstein," he told Interview magazine [13].
Music Is in His Blood
As well as his solo albums, Johnny wrote the theme song for the Mackenzie Crook comedy Detectorists and fronts the folk-rock band Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. His talent for music isn't surprising, considering his dad, Eric Flynn, was also a TV and stage actor [14] who appeared in several West End musicals and originated the lead role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's Company.
He Went to the Dark Side in Beast
He played one of his darkest roles yet as Pascal in the 2017 Jersey-set movie Beast, a story about Moll (Jessie Buckley from War and Peace), an isolated woman who meets a charming but threatening loner. Johnny says [15] he likes playing a range of characters. "We all have these shades in our nature: it's a spectrum within all of us."
He Reprised His Hangmen Stage Role in New York
Earlier this year, Johnny starred as Mooney [16] in the off-Broadway production of Hangmen, Martin McDonagh's 1960s-set dark comedy about executioners. But it wasn't his first time in the role: he was in the original West End cast back in 2015.
Shakespeare Inspires His Creativity
Johnny's starred in several Shakespeare plays, including playing Viola in an all-male production of Twelfth Night [17] alongside Mark Rylance as Olivia. In 2015, he both starred in As You Like It at The Globe and composed the music using traditional Elizabethan instruments, a job he called [18] "the most fun I've ever had".