Louis McCartney
{{Short description|British actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Louis McCartney
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|7|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Belfast
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2019-present
|education = {{Plainlist|
}}
| television = Hope Street
}}
Louis McCartney is a Northern Irish actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Henry Creel in the original West End and Broadway stage productions of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play.{{Cite web |last=Huston |first=Caitlin |date=2025-05-01 |title=2025 Tony Awards: ‘Buena Vista Social Club,’ ‘Death Becomes Her,’ ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Lead Nominations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/2025-tony-awards-nominees-full-list-nominations-1236204935/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
Early life
From Belfast,{{cite web|url= https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/belfast-actor-louis-mccartney-on-his-way-to-the-top/a886647359.html |website=Belfast Telegraph|accessdate=10 April 2024|title= Belfast actor Louis McCartney 'on his way to the top'|first=Maureen|last=Coleman|date=9 March 2024}} he is the son of screenwriter Michael McCartney. His mother is a holistic therapist. He has an older brother who works as an ocean explorationist.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/stranger-things-west-end-louis-mccartney-stephen-daldry-1235846716/|website=Deadline Hollywood |accessdate=10 April 2024|title= Breaking Baz: 'Stranger Things' West End Stage Actor Louis McCartney Is Headed For Superstardom, Says Show's Director Stephen Daldry|first=Baz|last=Bamigboye|date=March 5, 2024 }} He studied acting at Bow Street Academy, Dublin.{{cite web|first=Liam|last=Kelly|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/article/meet-the-young-stars-storming-the-west-end-98l0w5k8t|website=The Times|title=Meet the young stars storming the West End|date=17 December 2023|access-date=10 April 2024}}
Career
In 2022, McCartney appeared in Comedy Blaps episode William of Orangedale on Channel 4. {{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/william-of-orangedale/|title= William Of Orangedale|accessdate=10 April 2024|website=Comedy}} He had small roles in The Tourist and Game of Thrones. He had a recurring role as Shay O’Hare in Northern Ireland crime drama series Hope Street.{{cite web|first=Helen|last=Daly|website=Radio Times|date=15 March 2024|url= https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/hope-street-cast-bbc/|title= Meet the cast of Hope Street – full list of Port Devine residents in BBC drama|accessdate=10 April 2024}}
McCartney could be seen in the lead role in 2023 British film Silent Roar.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/asia/edinburgh-international-film-festival-silent-roar-1235643537/|website=Variety|accessdate=29 July 2023|date= June 13, 2023|title=Sex, Surfing and Hellfire Scottish Drama 'Silent Roar' to Open Edinburgh International Film Festival – Global Bulletin|first=Naman|last= Ramachandran}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/edinburgh-film-festival-opening-film-1235415721/|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=24 July 2023|title= Edinburgh Film Festival Reveals Opening Film|first=Zac|last=Ntim|date=June 13, 2023}} His performance was described by Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian as “intelligent and sympathetic”.{{cite web|first=Pete|last=Bradshaw|accessdate=6 August 2023|title= Silent Roar review – charming coming-of-age tale of existential angst and surfing|date=18 August 2023|website=The Guardian|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/aug/18/silent-roar-review-charming-coming-of-age-tale-of-existential-angst-and-surfing}}
In December 2023, he made his London West End theatre debut in Stranger Things: The First Shadow playing Henry Creel.{{cite web|first=Olivia|last=Rook|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/louis-mccartney-on-his-west-end-debut-in-stranger-things-the-first-shadow|date=15 January 2024|website=London Theatre|title= Louis McCartney on making his West End debut in 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow'|accessdate=10 April 2024}} 20 years old at the start of the run, he had never been in a West End Theatre prior to his casting.{{cite web|first=Robert|last=Dex|website=Evening Standard|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/stranger-things-the-first-shadow-west-end-theatre-louis-mccartney-b1127164.html|accessdate=10 April 2024|title= Stranger Things The First Shadow star had never set foot in a West End theatre before taking on lead role|date=15 December 2023}} David Benedict in Variety said the success of the play "is due in no small part to the way [McCartney] holds focus even in the midst of one coup-de-theatre after another".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/legit/reviews/stranger-things-play-the-first-shadow-review-west-end-1235838159/|website=Variety|accessdate=10 April 2024|date= December 14, 2023|title='Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Review: West End Play Brings Netflix Series Thrillingly to Life|first=David|last=Benedict}} He won Best Performer in a Play at The Stage Debut Awards in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/the-stage-debut-awards-2024-meet-our-winners|website=The Stage|accessdate=18 April 2025|title= The Stage Debut Awards 2024: meet our winners|date=1 October 2024}}
He reprised the role when the play transferred to Broadway in the United States, appearing from April 2025, at the Marquis Theatre in New York, where he received multiple award nominations for his performance including the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.{{cite web|url=https://broadwaydirect.com/first-look-stranger-things-the-first-shadow-on-broadway/|title= FIRST LOOK: STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW ON BROADWAY|accessdate=17 April 2025|date=April 17, 2025|website=Broadway Direct}}{{Cite web |last=Huston |first=Caitlin |date=2025-05-01 |title=2025 Tony Awards: ‘Buena Vista Social Club,’ ‘Death Becomes Her,’ ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Lead Nominations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/2025-tony-awards-nominees-full-list-nominations-1236204935/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
Acting credits
=Film and television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2019
| King's Landing Citizen | 1 episode |
| 2019
| Grounding | David | Short |
| 2020-2023
| Shay O'Hare | 22 episodes |
| 2022
| William of Orangedale | Nathan | |
| 2023
| Dondo | Lead role |
| 2023
| Crusts | Fergal | Short |
| 2024
| Cashier | Series two |
=Theatre=
| class="wikitable unsortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2023–2025 |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|10694318}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCartney, Louis}}
Category:Alumni of the Bow Street Academy
Category:Male film actors from Northern Ireland
Category:Male stage actors from Northern Ireland
Category:Male television actors from Northern Ireland
Category:Theatre World Award winners
{{Northern-Ireland-actor-stub}}
{{UK-screen-actor-stub}}