John Bradley (English actor)
John Bradley West (born 15 September 1988)[1] is an English actor, best known for his role as Samwell Tarly in the HBO fantasy TV series Game of Thrones.[2]
John Bradley | |
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Bradley at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | John Bradley West 15 September 1988 Wythenshawe, Manchester, England |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
Early life
Bradley was born in September 1988.[1] He grew up as a Catholic in the Wythenshawe district of south Manchester and attended St Paul's Roman Catholic High School.[3] He has a sister who is 13 years older than he is.[1]
In 2005, he began attending Loreto College in the Hulme area of Manchester, where he studied Drama and Theatre Studies. He graduated from Loreto in 2007.[4][5] He received a BA in acting at the Manchester School of Theatre, graduating in 2010.[6]
Career
Three months after he graduated from drama school, in his first audition Bradley won the part of Samwell Tarly in the 2011 HBO fantasy TV series Game of Thrones, whom he would play for all 8 seasons of the show.[1][7] His character is a friend of Kit Harington's Jon Snow and provides occasional comic relief, especially in season 1.[8][9] As the series progressed, Bradley's Tarly developed significantly.[10][11][12] One reviewer called him "a wonderful comedic and cowardly yin to Jon's dour yang".[13] George R. R. Martin said that the character that Bradley portrays is the character he would be, if he were on the show.[14]
In 2011, Bradley appeared in the Canal+ drama, Borgia, in the role of Pope Leo X, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici.[1] In 2012, he played the character Tyr Seward in the BBC production of Merlin in series 5, in the episode "A Lesson in Vengeance".[15] The same year, he appeared on the Channel 4 TV series Shameless in the role of Wesley, Frank Gallagher's boss, in two episodes of series 10.[15] In 2015, Bradley played the role of Miloš Hrma in the BBC Radio Salford radio play production of Closely Observed Trains.[16]
In 2018, Bradley appeared as Scooter in the film Patient Zero, with fellow Game of Thrones performer Natalie Dormer.[17] In 2022, he was one of the leads in the 2022 Roland Emmerich disaster film Moonfall and played a supporting role in the romantic comedy Marry Me, starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.[18]
Personal life
Bradley is a supporter of Manchester United F.C.[1]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Anna Karenina | Austrian Prince | Uncredited |
| 2015 | Traders | Vernon Stynes | |
| 2015 | Man Up | Andrew | Uncredited |
| 2016 | Grimsby | Derrick Fellner/Fan in Pub | |
| 2016 | Roger | Roy | Short film |
| 2017 | American Satan | Ricky Rollins | |
| 2018 | Patient Zero | Scooter | |
| 2022 | Moonfall | KC Houseman | |
| 2022 | Marry Me | Collin Calloway | |
| 2022 | The Railway Children Return | Richard Perks |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–19 | Game of Thrones | Samwell Tarly | Main role; 48 episodes Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2011, 2013–15) |
| 2011 | Borgia | Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici | 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Merlin | Tyr Seward | Episode: "A Lesson in Vengeance" |
| 2012 | Shameless | Wesley | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Last Dragonslayer | Gordon (adult) | Television film |
| 2019 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Episode: "Kit Harington/Sara Bareilles" |
| 2019 | Robot Chicken | Gordon Ramsay, Quint, Eric (voice) | Episode: "Boogie Bardstown in: No Need, I Have Coupons" |
| 2020 | Urban Myths | Young Les Dawson | Episode: "Les Dawson's Parisienne Adventure" |
| TBA | The Three-Body Problem | TBA | Upcoming series |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth | Apprentice Marten Webb |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Fire and Blood (3 June 2011). "Interview with John Bradley". Winter is Coming.
- ^ Wigler, Josh (17 July 2017). "'Game of Thrones': John Bradley Describes Shooting Premiere's Filthiest Scene". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ . Saint Paul’s Catholic High School. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ "Alumni - Loreto College". Loreto College.
- ^ "A "Game of Thrones"". Loreto College. 23 March 2011.
- ^ a b Ashdown, N (2010). "Manchester School of Theatre – Alumni – Graduates 2010 – John Bradley-West". Manchester School of Theatre.
- ^ Handler, Chelsea; Bradley West, John (23 July 2017). "John Bradley Explains Game of Thrones" (Video interview). Chelsea. Netflix.
- ^ Hoare, James (13 March 2012). "Game of Thrones Season 2: Samwell Tarly is "going to change"". SciFiNow.
- ^ Elio (11 March 2011). "Interview with John Bradley". Westeros.org.
- ^ Wigler, Josh (5 July 2016). "'Game of Thrones': John Bradley on the "Success Story" of Samwell Tarly". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Collins, Sean T. (19 July 2017). "Game of Thrones' John Bradley on Sam's Morality, Cleaning Bedpans, and Fake Poop". Vulture.
- ^ Bradley, Bill (15 June 2015). "'Game Of Thrones' Actor John Bradley Calls Shocking Death 'Heartbreaking'". The Huffington Post.
- ^ Singh, Ti (21 June 2011). "Game of Thrones episode 10 review: Fire And Blood: season finale". Den of Geek.
- ^ Hall, Matthew T. (28 July 2014). "If George R.R. Martin were in 'Game of Thrones,' this is how he'd die". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
- ^ a b "John Bradley Showreel 2016". Shepherd Management. 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Closely Observed Trains" (Radio play). BBC Radio Salford. 29 August 2015.
- ^ Bennion, Chris (4 April 2016). "'Game of Thrones' Sam Tarly: 'This is the end for Jon Snow and Sam' - Q&A". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Bianchini, Elisabetta (12 May 2022). "'Game of Thrones' star John Bradley needed rom-com 'Marry Me,' ready for 'House of the Dragon' comparisons".
- ^ Scherzinger, Nicole; Dommet, Joel; Bradley West, John (28 October 2015). "Game of Thrones Star John Bradley Amazing Drumming" (Video). Bring the Noise. Sky 1.