Jonathan Harden

Harden was born in Belfast in 1979, the son of an Irish father and an American mother.

Harden's most notable credits include the roles of David 'Jonty' Johnston in BBC cop drama Blue Lights, Sean Rawlins in the crime drama series Unforgotten, Gregory in the final season of the comedy series Peep Show, Walter Hill in the costume drama series Titanic: Blood and Steel, Newman Noggs and the narrator in the BBC adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby, Brendan Murphy in Jimmy McGovern's 2021 prison drama Time, and an unnamed character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.co.uk/m-detail/2243675/112810580/peep-show|title="Peep Show" Episode Guide|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4192812/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1|title=Unforgotten (TV Series 2015– )|website=IMDb|date=8 April 2018|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2|title=Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)|website=IMDb|date=15 December 2017|publisher=}}

Harden's stage credits include Henry Joy McCracken in Stewart Parker's [http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/213650/northern-star Northern Star] at the Finborough Theatre and Children of the Sun at the Royal National Theatre under the direction of the late Howard Davies.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover-more/artists/jonathan-harden|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207233247/http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover-more/artists/jonathan-harden|url-status=dead|title=Jonathan Harden|website=National Theatre|archivedate=7 February 2015}} Of his performance in Northern Star, the Time Out review wrote, "Jonathan Harden reveals himself as an extraordinary talent whose performance leaves an afterglow like a good whiskey."{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/213650/northern-star|title=Time Out review of Northern Star by Rachel Haliburton|website=Time Out}}

Harden provided the narration for 2015 BAFTA-winning short film Boogaloo and Graham.{{cite web|url=http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/3819/northern-ireland-short-film-boogaloo-and-graham-receives-oscar-nomination.aspx|title=Northern Ireland short film Boogaloo and Graham receives Oscar nomination|publisher=NI Screen|access-date=2015-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126130455/http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/3819/northern-ireland-short-film-boogaloo-and-graham-receives-oscar-nomination.aspx|archive-date=2015-01-26|url-status=dead}} He has also provided voices for several video games, most notably as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571403|title=Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (Video Game 2010)|website=IMDb|date=16 November 2010}} In 2014, he played Axl in the Ridley Scott-produced Halo film Halo: Nightfall.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-6rasbc/halo-nightfall/|title= Halo: Nightfall |publisher=Radio Times}}

In 2015, Harden launched In Anything at the Minute? The Honest Actors' Podcast, a project centred on interviews with other jobbing actors and available on iTunes.{{cite web| url = http://www.inanything.com| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020529165952/http://inanything.com/| url-status = dead| archive-date = 29 May 2002| title = In Anything at the Minute?}} In 2017, he produced and directed his first film project, Guard, a female-led boxing film set in Belfast.{{cite web|url=http://www.guardshortfilm.com/credits|title=Guard Short Film full credits|website=Guard Official Site|access-date=16 August 2017|archive-date=17 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817035850/http://guardshortfilm.com/credits/|url-status=dead}} It had its debut at the Galway Film Fleadh in July 2017, and soon after had its North American premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/index.php/project/new-irish-shorts-5/|title=New Irish Shorts 5|publisher=Galway Film Fleadh|access-date=16 August 2017|archive-date=3 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803210200/http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/index.php/project/new-irish-shorts-5/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://riiff.festivalgenius.com/2017/films/guard_jonathanharden_RIIFF|title=Guard by Jonathan Harden|publisher=Rhode Island International Film Festival|access-date=16 August 2017|archive-date=16 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816233450/http://riiff.festivalgenius.com/2017/films/guard_jonathanharden_RIIFF|url-status=dead}} In 2018, it was followed by Troubles, on the subject of male mental health, which again debuted at the Galway Film Fleadh.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7834678/=T|title=Troubles(2018))|website=IMDb}}

Following his venture into film directing, Harden made his London stage directing debut in 2020, with Joe Crilly's On McQuillan's Hill at the Finborough Theatre.{{cite web|url=https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/on-mcquillans-hill/|title=On McQuillan's Hill|website=Finborough Theatre}} The production sold out and received critical acclaim, including five stars from the Morning Star and four stars from The Stage.{{cite web|url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/mcquillans-hill-finborough-theatre-london|title=On McQuillan's Hill Review|website=Morning Star Online|date=12 February 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2020/on-mcquillans-hill-review-at-finborough-theatre-london-burns-with-authenticity/|title=On McQuillan's Hill Review|website=The Stage}} Originally produced in 2000 at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, the Finborough production was an English premiere and marked the 20th anniversary of the play's Belfast debut.

In 2021, Harden appeared in Jimmy McGovern's prison drama Time as lifer, Brendan Murphy. The role earned him praise from many, with Esquire calling this performance, "a highly-charged, emotive turn, and the Sunday Life noting it as "superb".{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/tv/a36616044/time-stephen-graham-and-jimmy-mcgovern-interview/|title=Time Review|website=Esquire UK|date=3 June 2021}}{{cite news|last=Little|first=Ivan|date=2021-06-13|title=Harden's blinding turn in McGovern jail drama|work=Sunday Life}}

Harden is a vegan and enjoys running.https://www.instagram.com/jonatharden/ {{dead link|date=April 2022|fix-attempted=yes}} He is married to Northern Irish actress Bronágh Taggart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2016/10/20/news/the-fall-actress-enters-into-boxing-ring-in-new-film-746137/|title=The Fall's Bronagh Taggart enters into boxing ring in new film|date=20 October 2016|website=The Irish News}}

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Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Queen's University Belfast

Category:Male actors from Belfast

Category:Male film actors from Northern Ireland

Category:Male television actors from Northern Ireland

Category:Male stage actors from Northern Ireland

Category:Male video game actors from Northern Ireland

Category:Male voice actors from Northern Ireland

Category:Theatre directors from Northern Ireland

Category:People educated at Rathmore Grammar School

Category:Film directors from Belfast