Joe Alwyn

Actor, Soundtrack

Birthdate: February 21, 1991 (35 Years Old)

Birthplace: London, England, UK

Getting your first movie role as the lead in an Ang Lee production would seem to be like winning the lottery, but even though Joe Alwyn (birthname: Joseph Matthew Alwyn) was unlucky enough for that movie to be the box-office bomb, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016), he has gone on to amass an impressive roster of credits in the past five years. Joe Alwyn capped this run with another lead role, in Claire Denis’ thriller set during the Nicaraguan revolution, Stars at Noon (2021), with John C. Reilly and Margaret Qualley. Though trained in theater, Alwyn scored the lead in Billy Lynn straight out of drama school. He landed a plum role alongside the stunning ensemble of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult, in Yogos Lanthimos’ acid-sharp court comedy, The Favourite (2018), nominated for ten Oscars. Alwyn portrayed a run of historical figures in subsequent movies: As the son of Adolf Eichmann in Chris Weitz’s Operation Finale (2018), with Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley; as Henry Wallace in Joel Edgerton’s drama, Boy Erased (2018), with Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges, and Edgerton; as British statesman Robert Dudley in Josie Rourke’s Mary, Queen of Scots (2018) with Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie; and as slaveowner Gideon Brodess in Kasi Lemmons’ slave history thriller, Harriet (2019), with Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman. In 2022, Alwyn also appears in Lena Dunham’s medieval British comedy, Catherine Called Birdy, with Bella Ramsay. Alwyn is also set to play opposite Riz Ahmed, as Laertes, in a contemporary version of Hamlet directed by Anell Karia.

Personal Life
Movies
Facts

Personal life

Born in the Kent region of England and raised in North London by author-psychotherapist Elizabeth and non-fiction filmmaker Richard Alwyn, Joe Alwyn comes from a distinguished family tree. His grandfather, Jonathan Alwyn, was a producer-director, while his great-grandfather, William Alwyn, was a composer-conductor. His great-uncle was one of the leaders in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Bruce Kent. After attending the City of London School, Alwyn joined the U.K.’s National Youth Theatre and earned a Bachelor’s in English literature from the University of Bristol in 2012, and another degree in drama and acting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2015. Alwyn has been in a relationship with Taylor Swift since 2016. Alwyn’s height is 6’ 2½”.

Known For

Hamlet

(2026)

Hamnet

(2025)

The Brutalist

Harry Lee (2024)

Kinds of Kindness

(2024)

Stars at Noon

Daniel DeHaven (2022)

Joe Alwyn Movies

Actor

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Previous (11)

2022 |
Stars at Noon
Stars at Noon
2022
Drama, Romance, Thriller
A young American journalist stranded in present-day Nicaragua falls for an enigmatic Englishman who seems like her best chance of escape. She soon realizes, however, that he may be in even greater danger than she is.
asDaniel DeHaven
2019 |
Harriet
Harriet
2019
Action, Biography, Drama, History
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
More Info
asGideon Brodess
2018 |
Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots
2018
Biography, Drama, History
Mary Stuart's (Saoirse Ronan's) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
More Info
asRobert Dudley
2018 |
Operation Finale
Operation Finale
2018
Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
A team of secret agents sets out to track down the Nazi officer who masterminded the Holocaust.
More Info
asKlaus Eichmann
2017 |
The Sense of an Ending
The Sense of an Ending
2017
Drama, Mystery
A man becomes haunted by his past and is presented with a mysterious legacy that causes him to re-think his current situation in life.
asAdrian Finn
2016 |
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
2016
Action, Drama, Sport, Thriller, War
19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, the film shows what really happened to his squad - contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.
asBilly
-- |
as Lawrence Stirling
-- |
as Harry Lee
-- |
as Bartholomew
-- |
as Lawrence Stirling
-- |
as Laertes

Facts About Joe Alwyn

Rejected: Joe Alwyn was rejected by every drama school he applied to, except one: Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Long Wait: After auditioning and failing to land a role at age 11 in Love, Actually (2003), Alwyn didn’t land a movie role until the lead in Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016). Grammy Winner: Unusually for an actor, before he has won any major acting awards, Joe Alwyn is co-winner (as co-songwriter) of the Grammy’s top award, Album of the Year, with artist and girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

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