Nicholas Hoult grew up from a boy to a man, literally, in front of the cameras. The British actor delivered a standout performance in the touching comedy feature "About a Boy" (2002), where he played an awkward schoolboy who teaches valuable life lessons to a shallow bachelor (Hugh Grant). It only took a few years, however, for Hoult to shed his wholesome image - as well as his clothes - for the highly controversial and provocative series "Skins" (Channel 4, 2007). Playing a manipulative and sexually charged young man on the British series transformed Hoult from a child star to a serious actor, paving the way for a featured role opposite Colin Firth in Tom Ford's directorial debut "A Single Man" (2009). Landing more film projects and a modeling campaign for Ford's eyewear line, Hoult emerged as a sophisticated and versatile young actor with some of the best eyebrows in the business. In 2011, he ventured into blockbuster film territory by starring in "X-Men: First Class" as the powerful mutant Beast, a role that signaled the beginning of Hoult's international adult stardom.
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult was born on Dec. 7, 1989 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. He was the third child of Roger Hoult, a pilot, and his wife Glenis, a piano teacher. While watching a play with his mother at the age of three, the director of the production spotted Hoult in the audience and suggested he pursue a career in performing arts. The future star took the advice to heart by attending the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School in London to study acting. Hoult made his professional acting debut opposite Julie Walters and Rupert Graves in the comedy drama feature "Intimate Relations" (1996). Following his big screen break, the young actor mainly appeared on British television. Hoult acted on the medical drama "Casualty" (BBC, 1986- ) and had a recurring role on the children's educational series "Magic Grandad" (BBC Worldwide, 1993- ).
In 2002, Hoult turned in a scene-stealing performance in the feature film "About a Boy." Based on Nick Hornby's 1998 best-selling novel of the same name, Hoult portrayed a geeky, apple-cheeked schoolboy named Marcus who befriends a carefree bachelor (Hugh Grant) and turns his leisurely world upside-down. Hoult's character also lives with his chronically depressed, slightly wacky mother (Toni Collette) and must find his own voice despite her traits and mood swings being inflicted upon him. Directed by siblings Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, "About a Boy" was both a critical and commercial hit, and was named one of the 10 best films of the year by the American Film Institute. For his part, Hoult - who sported very a very unique hairdo and pointy eyebrows that made him stand out from the usual kid actors - stole the film from both seasoned professionals on the strength of pure earnestness.
Following his breakout role in "About a Boy," Hoult landed a featured part in his first American film, "The Weather Man" (2005). In the Gore Verbinski-directed drama, Hoult played the rebellious son of a weatherman in the midst of a mid-life crisis (Nicolas Cage). Hoult further pushed away from his squeaky-clean "Boy" image when he signed on to star on the provocative drama series "Skins." The sex-and-drugs-drenched show followed a group of British teens, including Hoult's character Tony Stonem, a heartless and callous young man whose life unravels after suffering from a traumatic brain injury. The role turned Hoult into a heartthrob in his homeland, especially after his naked torso appeared on promotional billboards all over the U.K. Hoult departed the show after two seasons to pursue more feature film projects.
Hoult completed his transformation from child star to serious actor with a supporting role in the stylish drama "A Single Man." Directed by fashion designer Tom Ford and adapted from Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel of the same name, "A Single Man" starred Colin Firth as a closeted college professor grieving the death of his partner. Hoult played one of Firth's students who seduces his suicidal professor. The critically lauded film earned several acting nods for its cast, including a BAFTA Rising Star Award for Hoult. He reunited with his "A Single Man" director when he was chosen to model for the Tom Ford line of eyewear. In 2010, Hoult played a mythological Greek soldier in the big-budget action adventure "Clash of the Titans" opposite Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson. That same year, the actor was cast in the role of Beast, a mutant with superhuman physical prowess and intelligence, in "X-Men: First Class." A prequel to the blockbuster "X-Men" (2000) franchise, "X-Men: First Class" told the origins of the popular Marvel Comics superheroes and starred a cast filled with Hollywood's breakout talents du jour, including Hoult, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence.
