{{Short description|English actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Edward Holcroft | birth_name = Edward Patrick Holcroft | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1987|6|23}} | birth_place = London, England | other_names = Ed Holcroft | education = Oxford Brookes University<br>Drama Centre London | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2011–present | notable_works = ''Kingsman: The Secret Service''<br/>''Kingsman: The Golden Circle''<br/>''Wolf Hall''<br/>''London Spy''<br/>''Alias Grace'' }} '''Edward Patrick Holcroft''' (born 23 June 1987) is an English film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his roles in the ''Kingsman'' film franchise and in the television series ''Wolf Hall'' (2015), ''London Spy'' (2015), ''Alias Grace'' (2017), and ''The English Game'' (2020).
==Early life and education== Holcroft is the second of three sons born to Lt. Col. Patrick Holcroft, a soldier, and Kathleen "Annie" Holcroft (''née'' Roberts), a former publisher at Condé Nast. His elder brother, Oliver, is a former soldier who served with the Grenadier Guards in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|title=How to make your child's brain bigger |url=http://www.tatler.com/article/childrens-exercise-class|access-date=19 December 2017|work=Tatler|date=17 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Yorke|first=Harry|title=Celebrity mums turn to Scandinavian-inspired exercise classes to brain-train their children |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/04/celebrity-mums-turn-scandinavian-inspired-exercise-classes-brain/|access-date=19 December 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=4 November 2017}}</ref>
Holcroft was sent to boarding school at age 8, first attending prep school at Summer Fields School in Oxford, and then a Catholic school, Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire.<ref name="independent6112017"/>
He initially wanted to become a professional drummer, having attended music school, but switched to acting after appearing in a play at Oxford Brookes University.<ref name="independent6112017">{{cite news|last=Aftab|first=Kaleem|title=Edward Holcroft on Alias Grace, Holcroft is hot. Gunpowder and Michael Fassbender |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/edward-holcroft-alias-grace-netflix-margaret-atwood-michael-fassbender-gunpowder-wolf-hall-a8040026.html|access-date=19 December 2017|work=The Independent|date=6 November 2017}}</ref> He then undertook post-graduate studies in acting at the Drama Centre London of Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, graduating in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/news/edward-holcroft|title=Who Is Edward Holcroft? And Why You Need To Know|access-date=21 December 2015|archive-date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017042509/http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/news/edward-holcroft|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
==Career== Holcroft is best known for his roles as Charlie Hesketh in the 2015 film ''Kingsman: The Secret Service'' and its 2017 sequel ''Kingsman: The Golden Circle''; as George Boleyn in the 2015 British drama series ''Wolf Hall'';<ref name="Harpers">{{cite web|url=http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture-news/news/in-conversation-with-edward-holcroft-wolf-hall-kingsman-the-secret-service|title=In Conversation with Edward Holcroft|date=10 February 2015}}</ref> and as Alex Turner in the 2015 BBC drama series ''London Spy''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/london-spy-what-you-need-to-know-about-new-bbc-two-thriller-starring-ben-whishaw-and-edward-holcroft-a3110431.html|title=London Spy: What you need to know about new BBC Two thriller|date=9 November 2015}}</ref>
In 2015, Holcroft acted with Dominic West and Janet McTeer in ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' at the Donmar Warehouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/dec/18/les-liasons-dangereuses-review-dominic-west-janet-mcteer-donmar-warehouse|title=Les Liaisons Dangereuses review – Dominic West on love's battlefield|first=Michael|last=Billington|date=18 December 2015|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
In 2017, he appeared in the historical miniseries ''Gunpowder'' on the BBC and ''Alias Grace'' on Netflix and the CBC.<ref name="independent6112017"/>
In 2020, he was one of the lead actors in ''The English Game'', playing Arthur Kinnaird.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/mar/20/the-english-game-review-julian-fellowes-football-drama-is-an-own-goal |title=The English Game review – Julian Fellowes football drama is an own goal |last=Mangan |first=Lucy |date=20 March 2020 |website=The Guardian |access-date=16 September 2024}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2014 | ''Vampire Academy'' | Aaron Drozdov | |- | rowspan="2"|2015 | ''Kingsman: The Secret Service'' | Charles "Charlie" Hesketh | |- | ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' | Duncan Forbes | |- | rowspan="2"|2017 | ''The Sense of an Ending'' | Jack Ford | |- | ''Kingsman: The Golden Circle'' | Charles "Charlie" Hesketh | |- | 2020 | ''Kindred'' | Ben | |- | 2022 | ''Hill of Vision'' | Edward Ramberg | Italian/English<ref>{{Citation |last=Faenza |first=Roberto |title=Hill of Vision |date=2022-06-16 |type=Biography, Drama |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13848274/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |others=Laura Haddock, Edward Holcroft, Elisa Lasowski |publisher=Jean Vigo Italia, Rhino Films, Rai Cinema}}</ref> |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | rowspan="2"|2015 | ''Wolf Hall'' | George Boleyn | Miniseries; 5 episodes |- | ''London Spy'' | Alistair "Alex" Turner | Miniseries; 5 episodes |- | rowspan="2"|2017 | ''Alias Grace'' | Dr. Simon Jordan | Miniseries; 6 episodes |- | ''Gunpowder'' | Thomas Wintour | Miniseries; 3 episodes |- | 2020 | ''The English Game'' | Arthur Kinnaird | Miniseries; main role |- | 2022 | ''The Undeclared War'' | James Cox | 6 episodes |- | 2024 | ''The Agency'' | Dr. Charlie Remy | 5 episodes |- |2025 |''A Wolf's Prey'' |Steve Wilkins |6 episodes; Lithuanian<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ntim |first=Zac |date=2025-10-06 |title=AGC Acquires Lithuanian-German Thriller Series ‘A Wolf’s Prey’ Ahead Of MIPCOM |url=https://deadline.com/2025/10/agc-wolfs-prey-mipcom-1236571287/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2026 |''Industry'' |Sebastian Stefanowicz |Series 4; Ep. 1, 7, 8 |}
===Theatre=== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Director ! Company/Venue ! Notes |- | 2015–2016 | ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' | Le Chevalier Danceny | Josie Rourke | Donmar Warehouse |<ref name="cbc">{{cite news|title=Edward Holcroft – Cast – Alias Grace|url=http://www.cbc.ca/aliasgrace/cast/edward-holcroft|access-date=19 December 2017|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|5685205}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holcroft, Edward}} Category:People educated at Summer Fields School Category:English male film actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English male television actors Category:Alumni of Oxford Brookes University Category:Alumni of the Drama Centre London Category:People educated at Ampleforth College Category:Male actors from London Category:1987 births Category:Living people