Freddie Highmore
Alfred Thomas Highmore[4] (born 14 February 1992)[1] is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films Finding Neverland (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Arthur and the Invisibles (2006), August Rush (2007), and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008). He won two consecutive Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Young Performer.
Freddie Highmore | |
|---|---|
Highmore in 2013 | |
| Born | Alfred Thomas Highmore 14 February 1992[1] London, England[1] |
| Alma mater | Emmanuel College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse | Klarissa Munz (m. 2021) |
| Parent |
|
Highmore starred as Norman Bates in the drama-thriller series Bates Motel (2013–2017), for which he was nominated three times for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and won a People's Choice Award. In 2017, Highmore began producing and starring as Dr. Shaun Murphy in the ABC drama series The Good Doctor, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.[5]
Early life edit
Highmore was born on 14 February 1992 in Camden Town, London.[1] His mother, Sue Latimer, is a talent agent whose clients include actors Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton. His father is the former actor Edward Highmore.
Highmore was educated at The Brookland Junior and Infant school in Hampstead Garden Suburb near Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet until the age of 11 and gained a scholarship to attend Highgate School, an independent school in Highgate, London.
In November 2007, Highmore moved to North London.[6]
In 2008, Highmore received A* grades in English language and English literature, maths, Spanish, French, Latin, geography, biology, chemistry and physics in his GCSE exams.[7] In 2010, Highmore once again achieved A* grades in maths, further maths, French and Spanish in his A-level exams.[8]
From 2010 to 2014, Highmore attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he earned a double first in Spanish and Arabic.[9] He also enrolled at the London School of Economics to study finance at summer school during the summer break at Cambridge in 2011.[10] Highmore worked at Gulf Bank in Kuwait as an intern in 2012 and at a law firm in Madrid during his year abroad while filming the first two seasons of Bates Motel, which made him briefly consider becoming a lawyer after graduation.[11]
Career edit
Early career as a child actor (1999–2004) edit
Highmore began his acting career with small roles on television at the age of 7. He made his film debut in Coky Giedroyc's comedy Women Talking Dirty (1999), playing the son of a woman who has recently become estranged from her commitment-phobic French lover.[1] In 2001, Highmore played a young King Arthur in the TNT miniseries The Mists of Avalon, a take on the Arthurian legends that depicted the women of Camelot as the real power behind the throne.[1]
In 2001, in the BBC miniseries Happy Birthday Shakespeare, he portrayed a young boy who dreams of moving his family to Stratford-upon-Avon.[1] Highmore has acted alongside members of his family in two separate films: his brother played his brother in Women Talking Dirty, and his father played his father in Hallmark Entertainment's television film Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001).[12]
In 2004, Highmore returned to the big screen for the family adventure film Two Brothers, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. He played the son of a French administrator who refuses to believe that his new friend, a tiger cub named Sangha, might be dangerous after having tasted blood. He next had a major role in the fantasy film Five Children and It (2004). That same year, Highmore made his breakthrough with a critically acclaimed performance as troubled Peter Llewelyn Davies in Marc Forster's semi-biographical film Finding Neverland. He received several awards and nominations for the role, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, and nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.
Young adult roles (2005–2011) edit
In 2005, he portrayed the main role of Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton's musical fantasy film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, adapted from the book of the same name by Roald Dahl.[13] He was reportedly recommended by co-star Johnny Depp, with whom Highmore had worked in Finding Neverland; Depp had been impressed by the young actor's performance and thus put his name forward for the role.[1] Highmore had not seen the original 1971 version of the film, and decided not to see it until he was done filming so his portrayal of Charlie would not be influenced. For his role, he again won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and was awarded the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent. Highmore also lent his voice to the film's accompanying video game of the same name.
He next appeared as a young Max Skinner in Ridley Scott's comedy-drama film A Good Year, which was released in the UK on 27 October 2006. Also in 2006, he began portraying protagonist Arthur Montgomery in the live-action/animated fantasy adventure film Arthur and the Invisibles, released on 13 December 2006. Two sequels followed: Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) and Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010).[14] For the third film and the trilogy's accompanying video game, Highmore provided voice acting.[15] In 2007, he lent his voice to the adventure fantasy film The Golden Compass (2007) and its video game of the same name. He then portrayed the title character in the drama film August Rush (2007). The story follows a musical prodigy as he searches for his birth parents. This film received a wide release on 21 November 2007.
Highmore next starred in the dual role of American twins Simon Grace and Jared Grace in the fantasy adventure film The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), based on the popular children's stories of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The film also had a video game, The Spiderwick Chronicles, in which Highmore reprised the characters of Simon and Jared in a voice role.[16] That same year, he provided voice acting for the role of Little Jack in the animated film A Fox's Tale (2008). In 2009, Highmore voiced the lead character in the animated film Astro Boy[17] and provided his voice to its accompanying video game, Astro Boy: The Video Game.[18] He then played the main role in Toast, a BBC biographical film about chef Nigel Slater, which was aired on 30 December 2010.[19] Also in 2010, he starred as Hally Ballard in the drama film Master Harold...and the Boys, based on the play of the same name by Athol Fugard. The following year, he co-starred in the romantic comedy-drama The Art of Getting By (2011).[20]
Bates Motel and The Good Doctor (2012–2017) edit
In 2013, Highmore voiced the title character in the animated adventure film Justin and the Knights of Valour. From 2013 to 2017, he portrayed the iconic role of Norman Bates in the A&E drama-thriller series Bates Motel, a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho that restarts the storyline in the present day.[21] He won a People's Choice Award in 2016 for his performance,[22] and has received nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television (2013),[23] the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (2013),[24] and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series (2014–2015, and 2017).[25][26][27] Highmore ventured into writing and directing during his time working on the series, writing the fourth season episode "Unfaithful"[28] and the fifth season episode "Inseparable", and directing the fifth-season episode "The Body".[29]
In August 2014, it was reported that NBC had purchased a comedy pilot script written and executive produced by Highmore and Bates Motel showrunner Kerry Ehrin.[30] In 2015, he appeared in the Libertines' music video for "You're My Waterloo".[31] In 2016, Highmore starred in Stephen Poliakoff's BBC Two seven-part miniseries Close to the Enemy[32] and Nick Hamm's political comedy-drama film The Journey.[33]
In 2017, Highmore took on the lead role of Dr. Shaun Murphy, an autistic savant, in the ABC drama series The Good Doctor, and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.[34] He serves as an executive producer and director on the show, and wrote the second season episode "Hello".[35][36]
Highmore has been cast as the voice of the Duke of Cheshire in the animated film adaptation of The Canterville Ghost.[37] He is to play the title character, Baby Face Nelson, in the A&E drama pilot Baby Face, which he co-wrote and will executive produce with Kerry Ehrin.[38] Highmore will also serve as an executive producer on Ehrin's drama pilot Long Distance for NBC.[39]
Screenwriting and producing (2018–present) edit
In August 2018, Highmore formed his Sony-aligned production company, Alfresco Pictures, which aims to develop scripted series for broadcast, cable, streaming services, and international co-productions projects "that have a broader point or message behind them, that try and spark conversations that aren't being had or give a microphone to voices and experiences that haven't been heard from before.". "I hope 'Alfresco', aside from being a play on my real name, Alfred, speaks more widely to a sense of refreshing, communal openness that is reflective of the stories we gravitate towards at the company," he said. "In wanting to set up 'Alfresco', it came from a natural desire to be involved in a wider way in the industry ... I always had that natural curiosity to do other things. And that, I guess, shifted into not only wanting to develop my own ideas and projects that I was writing or directing or acting in, but also becoming a producer in a wider sense and helping other people tell their stories."[40]
In August 2019, it was reported that Highmore will co-write and serve as an executive producer for Homesick, a dark comedy in development at the WarnerMedia-owned cable net, which will explore mental health, body image, toxic masculinity and what it means to defy "normal" gender expectations.[41]
Personal life edit
Highmore lives in London and avoids social media.[42] While on Bates Motel, Highmore developed a close friendship with co-star Vera Farmiga and became godfather to her son.[43]
Apart from English, Highmore is fluent in Spanish and French and semi-fluent in Arabic.[44][45]
In a September 2021 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Highmore revealed that he had recently married.[46] His wife is web designer Klarissa Munz, who was a fellow student at Cambridge University.[2][3]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Women Talking Dirty | Sam | |
| 2004 | Two Brothers | Raoul Normandin | |
| Finding Neverland | Peter Llewelyn Davies | ||
| Five Children and It | Robert | Main role | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Charlie Bucket | Main role |
| 2006 | A Good Year | Young Max Skinner | |
| Arthur and the Invisibles | Arthur Montgomery | Main role; Voice role | |
| 2007 | August Rush | Evan Taylor/August Rush | Main role |
| The Golden Compass | Pantalaimon | Voice role | |
| 2008 | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Jared and Simon Grace | Main role (Dual role) |
| A Fox's Tale | Little Jack | Voice role | |
| 2009 | Astro Boy | Toby Tenma / Astro Boy | Voice role |
| Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard | Arthur Montgomery | Main role; Voice role | |
| 2010 | Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds | Arthur Montgomery | Main role; Voice role |
| Master Harold...and the Boys | Hally Ballard | Main role | |
| 2011 | The Art of Getting By | George Zinavoy | Main role |
| 2013 | Justin and the Knights of Valour | Justin | Voice role |
| 2016 | The Journey | Jack the Driver | |
| Almost Friends | Charlie Brenner | Main role | |
| 2020 | Dragon Rider | Ben | Voice role |
| 2021 | The Vault | Thom Johnson | Main role; Producer |
| 2023 | The Canterville Ghost | The Duke of Cheshire | Voice role |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Happy Birthday Shakespeare | Steven Green | Television film |
| 2001 | The Mists of Avalon | Young Arthur | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Son at playground | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | I Saw You | Oscar Bingley | Television film |
| 2010 | Toast | Nigel Slater | Television film |
| 2013–2017 | Bates Motel | Norman Bates |
|
| 2016 | Close to the Enemy | Victor Ferguson | 7 episodes |
| 2017 | Portrait Artist of the Year | Himself | Television competition |
| Tour de Pharmacy | Adrian Baton | Television film | |
| 2017–present | The Good Doctor | Dr. Shaun Murphy | Main role, also executive producer Writer: "Hello" Director: "Risk and Reward", "Autopsy", "Decrypt", "Half Measures" |
| 2018 | Taskmaster | Himself | Contestant |
| 2021 | Leonardo | Stefano Giraldi | Executive producer |
Video games edit
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Charlie Bucket |
| 2007 | Arthur and the Invisibles | Arthur Montgomery |
| The Golden Compass | Pantalaimon | |
| 2008 | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Jared and Simon Grace |
| 2009 | Astro Boy: The Video Game | Toby Tenma / Astro Boy |
Music videos edit
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Girls" | The Prodigy |
| 2015 | "You're My Waterloo" | The Libertines |
Awards and nominations edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h . Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ a b Morris, Nicky (28 November 2022). "Who is The Good Doctor star Freddie Highmore's wife?". Hello!. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ a b Wallace, Debra (12 September 2022). "We Finally Know Who 'The Good Doctor' Star Freddie Highmore Married! Find Out What His New Bride Does for a Living and More". Parade. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1984–2004, listed birth name as "Alfred Thomas Highmore".
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (11 May 2017). . TVLine. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ Salisbury, Mark. . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ "Top exam passes for 'Charlie' star". Express.co.uk. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Top A-level grades for Highmore". independent. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Actor Highmore gains double first". The Belfast Telegraph. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ "Freddie Highmore To Attend Summer School". www.femalefirst.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Shia, Jonathan (10 January 2018). "Freddie Highmore From Norman Bates to Dr. Shaun Murphy in Three Days". THE LAST MAGAZINE. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "The Freddie Highmore Chronicles" (PDF). The Washington Post. 17 February 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Freddie Highmore cast as titular Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". JohnAugust.com. 23 May 2004. from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013.
- ^ . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Highmore Joins Spiderwick Chronicles". Empire. 24 July 2006.
- ^ (PDF). Imagi Studios. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell Join Astro Boy: The Video Game". GamersHell.com. 5 July 2009. from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "New BBC One drama, Helena Bonham Carter and Freddie Highmore star in Toast". BBC News. 21 May 2010.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (21 April 2010). "Roberts, Highmore assigned 'Homework'". Variety. from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (14 September 2012). "A&E's 'Psycho' Prequel 'Bates Motel' Finds its Young Norman". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 6 October 2015.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards 2017 Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. 18 January 2017. from the original on 19 January 2017.
- ^ McCabe, Joseph (28 June 2014). . Nerdist. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Pond, Steve (2 December 2013). "'12 Years a Slave' Tops Satellite Award Nominations". TheWrap. from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Sandberg, Bryn Elise (19 June 2014). "Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (6 May 2015). "Critics' Choice TV Awards: 'Justified', 'Olive Kitteridge', HBO Lead The Field". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (6 December 2017). "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Shape of Water' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ Saclao, Christian (4 April 2016). . Design & Trend. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ Butler, Elena (23 July 2016). "'Bates Motel': 8 Things to Know About Season 5, Rihanna's Casting, and More". Collider. from the original on 20 December 2016.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (22 August 2014). "'Bates Motel's' Freddie Highmore, Kerry Ehrin Sell Comedy to NBC". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 17 November 2015.
- ^ Monroe, Jazz (2 December 2015). "The Libertines Share Romantic "You're My Waterloo" Video Starring Freddie Highmore". Pitchfork Media. from the original on 4 December 2015.
- ^ "BBC Two announces new Stephen Poliakoff drama with stellar cast". BBC News. 30 March 2015. from the original on 3 April 2015.
- ^ McNary, Dave (10 September 2015). "Toronto: John Hurt, Toby Stephens, Freddie Highmore Join 'The Journey'". Variety. from the original on 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Golden Globes: 'Shape of Water,' 'Big Little Lies' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (24 February 2017). "'Bates Motel' Star Freddie Highmore to Topline ABC's David Shore Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 5 March 2017.
- ^ "Freddie Highmore goes from 'Bates' killer to life-saving 'Good Doctor'". USA Today. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ Kemp, Stuart (9 May 2014). "Cannes: Freddie Highmore Lends Voice to Animated 'Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost'". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 17 November 2015.
- ^ Birnbaum, Debra (16 December 2016). "'Bates Motel's' Freddie Highmore and Kerry Ehrin Sell Drama Pilot to A&E (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (15 March 2017). "NBC Buys 'Long Distance' Drama From 'Bates Motel' Duo Kerry Ehrin & Freddie Highmore And Producer Danielle Gelber". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Utichi, Joe (12 November 2019). "Freddie Highmore Will Star In, Produce Leonardo, As His Alfresco Pictures Shingle Adds To Its Slate". Deadline. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Porter, Rick (28 August 2019). "Freddie Highmore Developing Dysfunctional Mother-Son Comedy at TBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ Ruby, Jennifer (3 May 2017). "Freddie Highmore: 'staying in London and avoiding social media has kept me grounded'". London Evening Standard. from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ Neff, Lauri (26 February 2014). "Vera Farmiga says 'Bates Motel' drama is only on screen". CTV News. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Freddie Highmore Speaking 5 Languages, retrieved 31 January 2022
- ^ W, Ncuthu (5 November 2020). "The Good Doctor Star Opens Up About His Relationship With Johnny Depp: 25 Facts About Freddie Highmore". AmoMamma. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ Atad, Corey (28 September 2021). . Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
External links edit
Media related to Freddie Highmore at Wikimedia Commons
- Freddie Highmore at IMDb