Jonjo O'Neill (actor)

Jonjo O'Neill
Born (1978-07-11) 11 July 1978 (age 46)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Alma materGuildford School of Acting
OccupationActor
Years active1999–present

Jonjo O'Neill (born 11 July 1978)[1] is an actor from Northern Ireland known for his stage and television work.

O'Neill was born in Belfast, grew up in the Whiterock Road[2] area and was educated at St Mary's Grammar School and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.[3] Growing up he was passionate about musical theatre and was a member of the Ulster Youth Theatre and performed with the Ulster Theatre Company. In 1996 at the age of 18, he won a place and a full scholarship to the Guildford School of Acting, and moved to England. His first television role was the year he graduated from drama school, in Extremely Dangerous (1999).

A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) 2009–2011 ensemble, his roles included Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Orlando in As You Like It, and Launcelot in Morte D'Arthur. His performances during the RSC's six-week residency at Park Avenue Armory in New York were hailed as "forceful"[4] and "irresistible".[5] At the 2012 World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon, O'Neill played the title role in Roxana Silbert's production of Richard III at the Swan Theatre.[6]

In 2012, he won praise for his performance in Lucy Prebble's play The Effect at the Royal National Theatre headlining alongside Billie Piper,[7] whom he later appeared alongside in the 2013 fiftieth anniversary episode of Doctor Who: "The Day of the Doctor". He also appeared in "The Mortal Remains", the final vignette in the Coen brothers' film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).

  1. ^ "20 Questions With ... Richard III star Jonjo O'Neill". 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013.
  2. ^ "A northern light on Shakespeare's 'broken' monarch". The Irish Times. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  3. ^ "RSC star Jonjo O'Neill brings some extra class to school's production". Belfast Telegraph. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  4. ^ Isherwood, Charles (8 July 2011). "Love's Hard, Comic Work, on a Stage Most Worldly". New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  5. ^ Dziemianowicz, Joe (11 July 2011). "'As You Like It' review: Shakespeare revival delivers". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  6. ^ World Shakespeare Festival: Swan Theatre Archived 2012-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ National Theatre, The Effect, Cast and Creative retrieved 18th Jan 2013 Archived 2013-01-19 at the Wayback Machine