Johnny Harris (born 1973) is a British actor best known for his roles in feature films including “Jawbone”, Snow White and the Huntsman, Welcome to the Punch, and the highly acclaimed London to Brighton. He received both the BAFTA and Royal Television Society Award nominations for his performance in the Shane Meadows cult television series This Is England ’86 and This Is England ’88.

In 2015 he appeared in Fortitude, the new 12-part drama for Sky Atlantic/Pivot and also received critical acclaim for his performance as American Platoon Sargeant Noah Frater in the feature film Monsters: Dark Continent, the sequel to the Gareth Edwards hit film Monsters.

He also starred in Jack Thorne’s BAFTA Award winning TV show The Fades.

2015 also saw Johnny return as ‘Mick’ in This Is England ’90. The final instalment of the hugely successful series. He also starred as DCI John Hind, opposite Anne-Marie Duff in From Darkness, a new four-part drama for BBC1. Filming took place on location in Manchester and Scotland.

In February 2016, filming began on Johnny’s first screenplay “Jawbone”. Harris starred alongside Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and Michael Smiley, with Paul Weller composing and recording an original soundtrack for the movie. Boxing legend Barry McGuigan and his son, the esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan prepared Harris for the lead role. The film is backed by BBC Films and was shot on location in London, and the West Midlands.

“Jawbone” was released nationwide in cinemas on May 12th 2017 receiving critical acclaim.

In 2017 Johnny will play “Agamemnon” in the new series “Troy: Fall of a City”. A co-production between “BBC” and “Netflix”. Filming takes place on location in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background

Johnny Harris was born in Lambeth, London, in November 1973.

Early career

Harris started his career on the stage in London’s fringe theatre scene before landing his breakthrough role in the feature film London to Brighton. Despite being made on a tiny budget, the film went on to be voted into Time Out magazine’s ‘100 Greatest British Movies Of All Time’ and is now widely regarded as a cult classic with noteworthy actors and directors regarding Johnny’s performance as “outstanding” and “astonishing.”

In an interview in The Independent on Sunday at the time of the film’s release, celebrated British director Shane Meadows said of Harris’ performance in the film: “It’s an incredibly bold and massively powerful performance, the best I’ve seen on celluloid for a long time.”

Recent work

Four years later, Harris’ breakthrough role came when Meadows cast him in This Is England ’86 and his portrayal of Lol’s abusive father in the show saw him receive both BAFTA and The Royal Television Society Award nominations for his performance. The following year he reprised the chilling role of Mick in This Is England ’88 with the show winning the BAFTA TV Award for ‘Best Mini-Series’.

Johnny continued his run of award-winning projects with a leading role in the hit BBC drama The Fades, clinching the BAFTA TV Award for ‘Best Drama Series’.

In 2012 he was back in cinemas in Universal Pictures smash hit film Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron. He played one of the eight dwarves alongside the late Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, and Brian Gleeson.

Another feature film soon followed and Harris was seen in Welcome to the Punch with James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Peter Mullan and Andrea Riseborough which went on international release in 2013.

Nev Pierce, Editor of Empire Magazine, has described Johnny as “An heir to Oldman, in terms of being able to be both sensitive and scary, indelible and real.”

The Independent described Harris as “One of Britain’s finest actors”.

In 2015, Johnny stars in the hit new “Sky Atlantic”/”Pivot” 12-part drama Fortitude alongside Sir Michael Gambon, Stanley Tucci, and Christopher Eccleston. The show was shot on location in Iceland and London and aired exclusively on both sides of the atlantic in January 2015.

In 2015 he appeared in Fortitude, the new 12-part drama for Sky Atlantic/Pivot and also received critical acclaim for his performance as American Platoon Sargeant Noah Frater in the feature film Monsters: Dark Continent, the sequel to the Gareth Edwards hit film Monsters, his first starring role in a feature film.

2015 also saw Johnny return as ‘Mick’ in This Is England ’90. The final instalment of the hugely successful series. He also starred as DCI John Hind, opposite Anne-Marie Duff in From Darkness, a new four-part drama for BBC1. Filming took place on location in Manchester and Scotland.

In February 2016, filming began on Johnny’s first screenplay “Jawbone”. Harris starred alongside Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and Michael Smiley, with Paul Weller composing and recording an original soundtrack for the movie. Boxing legend Barry McGuigan and his son, the esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan prepared Harris for the lead role. The film is backed by BBC Films and was shot on location in London, and the West Midlands.

“Jawbone” was released nationwide in cinemas on May 12th 2017 receiving huge critical acclaim.

In 2017 Johnny will play “Agamemnon” in the new series “Troy: Fall of a City”. A co-production between ‘BBC” and “Netflix”. Filming takes place on location in Cape Town, South Africa.

Filmography

• “Jawbone” (2017)
• Monsters: Dark Continent (2015)
• The Last Days on Mars (2013)
• Welcome to the Punch (2013)
• Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
• Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010)
• Black Death (2010)
• Dorian Gray (2009)
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
• RocknRolla (2008)
• Daylight Robbery (2008)
• Atonement (2007)
• London to Brighton (2006)
• Gangster No. 1 (2000)

Select TV work

• Troy: Fall of a City (2018)
• From Darkness (2015)
• This is England ’90 (2015)
• Fortitude (2014)
• This Is England ’88 (2011) – Winner BAFTA Television Award for Best Mini-Series
• The Fades (2011) – Winner BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series
• Home (2011)
• This Is England ’86 (2010) – Nominated BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Nominated Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor
• Law & Order: UK (2010)
• The Passion (2008)
• Clapham Junction (2007)
• HolbyBlue (2007)
• EastEnders (2005)
• The Bill (2002)
• Holby City (2000)