{{Short description|English child actor}} '''Elliott Heffernan''' is an English child actor. He made his film debut playing George Hanaway in Steve McQueen's World War Two drama ''Blitz'' (2024).
==Career== He had a starring role as George Hanaway in Steve McQueen's World War Two drama ''Blitz'', playing the son of Saoirse Ronan's character, making his way back to London after fleeing evacuation.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.geo.tv/latest/575815-steve-mcqueen-praises-saoirse-ronan-elliot-heffernan-for-blitz-performance |website=Geo.tv|accessdate=8 February 2025|title= Steve McQueen praises Saoirse Ronan, Elliot Heffernan for Blitz performance|date=22 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2024/awards/actors/blitz-elliott-heffernan-crying-on-command-1236195308/ |website=Variety|accessdate=8 February 2025|date= Oct 31, 2024|title=Elliott Heffernan, the 11-Year-Old Star of 'Blitz', on His Oscar Buzz and Crying on Command: 'I Pretended My Mom Was Taking Away My PlayStation'|first=Jenelle|last= Riley}}</ref> For the role he began auditioning at the age of 8 years-old in 2021, having just completed a school play as The Genie in a production of ''Aladdin''. Filming took place in 2022 and into 2023.<ref>{{cite web|website=Vogue.co.uk|title= "Wow, I Did That!": Meet Britain's Brightest, Youngest – And Cheekiest – Breakout Star Elliott Heffernan|first=Riann|last=Phillip|date=22 November 2024|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/elliott-heffernan-blitz-interview |accessdate=8 February 2025}}</ref> It was released in 2024, when he was eleven years-old.<ref>{{cite web|title= ELLIOTT HEFFERNAN: THE 11-YEAR-OLD STEALING HEARTS IN BLITZ|date=November 25, 2024|url= https://wdkx.com/elliott-heffernan-the-11-year-old-stealing-hearts-in-blitz/|website=wdkx.com|accessdate=8 February 2025}}</ref> McQueen said he was looking for a child actor who would display the "innocence of childhood...as well as the immense emotional journey he endures as he makes his way back home through many terrifying experiences," he says. "I didn't know if he existed and then I discovered Elliott."<ref>{{cite web|website=Lamag|accessdate=8 February 2025|url=https://lamag.com/film/elliott-heffernan-steve-mcqueen-apple-blitz-1|title= Meet Elliott Heffernan, the 11-Year-Old Star of Apple's 'Blitz'|first=Jasmine|last=Rosemberg|date=8 November 2024}}</ref> He has discussed completing a lot of his own stunts for the film, including being immersed in water when an underground station was flooded, and being winched 50 feet into the air for a scene that was later cut from the final film, although he did not film a wide shot where his character jumps from a moving train.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/awards/actors/june-squibb-elliott-heffernan-thelma-blitz-1236264875/ |website=Variety|accessdate=8 February 2025|date= Jan 6, 2025|title=June Squibb and Elliott Heffernan Bond Over Starting Acting at a Young Age and Landing Their First Lead Roles With 'Thelma' and 'Blitz'|first=Jenelle|last=Riley}}</ref> Praise for his performance included ''The New Yorker'' who called him "gravely captivating" and able to wrap "each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust."<ref>{{cite web|website=The New Yorker|accessdate=8 February 2025|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/11/04/blitz-movie-review|title= "Blitz" Uses Classical Storytelling to Advance a Radical Vision of War|first=Justin|last=Chang|date=25 October 2024}}</ref> Clarisse Loughrey in ''The Independent'' said that the revelations of the film were "communicated with such grace through Heffernan's performance."<ref>{{cite web|first= Clarisse |last=Loughrey|website=The Independent|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/blitz-movie-review-b2626593.html#|date=9 October 2024|title= Blitz review: Steve McQueen's wartime drama is a monumental achievement in British cinema|accessdate=8 February 2025}}</ref> Robbie Collin in ''The Daily Telegraph'' described it as "a wonderful performance that's by turns clear and enigmatic".<ref>{{cite web|first=Robbie|last=Collin|website=The Daily Telegraph|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/blitz-review-steve-mcqueen-saoirse-ronan/|date=7 November 2024|title= Blitz: Steve McQueen's odyssey ranks among the greatest war films ever made|access-date=8 February 2025}}</ref>
For the role in ''Blitz'', he was nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards in February 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blitz-star-elliott-heffernan-on-the-unexpected-but-fun-elements-of-movie-fame-after-first-film-214259834.html |website=ca.news.yahoo.com|accessdate=8 February 2025|title= 'Blitz' star Elliott Heffernan on the unexpected but 'fun' elements of movie fame after first film |first=Elisabetta|last=Bianchetti|date=January 8, 2025}}</ref> He was also nominated in the Young British or Irish Performer category at the London Film Critics Circle Awards.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=19 December 2024 |title='Anora' and 'The Brutalist' lead London Film Critics' Award nominations |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/19/london-film-critics-circle-award-nominations-anora-the-brutalist |access-date=8 February 2025 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> He was nominated for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance.<ref>{{cite web |title=25th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominees |website=Black Reel Awards |date=December 19, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2025 |url=https://www.blackreelawards.com/25th-annual-black-reel-awards-nominees |archive-date=December 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220055307/https://www.blackreelawards.com/25th-annual-black-reel-awards-nominees |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was nominated for Best Youth Performance (For a performer under the age of 18) at the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://awardswatch.com/2024-san-diego-film-critics-society-nominations/ |title=2024 San Diego Film Critics Society Nominations |last=Anderson |first=Erik |publisher=AwardsWatch |date=December 6, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2025}}</ref> He won Best Youth Performance at the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neglia |first=Matt |date=8 December 2024 |title=The 2024 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners |url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-washington-dc-area-film-critics-association-wafca-winners/ |access-date=8 February 2025|website=Next Best Picture}}</ref>
==Personal life== He is from Bedfordshire, England.<ref>{{cite web|website=LA Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2024-11-22/four-young-actors-oscar-season-blitz-bird-nawi-didi|title= They're young, but their acting is powerful: four fresh faces this awards season |first= Emily|last= Zemler|date= Nov 22, 2024|accessdate=8 February 2025}}</ref> He has two sisters.<ref>{{cite web|title= Elliott Heffernan Covers, Film|date=28 Nov 2024|url= https://1883magazine.com/elliott-heffernan/|website=1883Magazine|accessdate=8 February 2025}}</ref>
==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2024 | ''Blitz'' | George Hanaway | Lead role. Feature film |- | 2025 | ''The Plague'' | Tic Tac | Feature film |- | TBA | ''The Wanted Man'' | {{TableTBA}} | Main role; upcoming series |- | TBA | ''This Is How It Goes'' | {{TableTBA}} | Lead role. Feature film; post-production |} == References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm14311695}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heffernan, Elliott}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:2010s births Category:English male child actors Category:English male film actors Category:Male actors from Bedfordshire