Nicholas Hoult

Nicholas Caradoc Hoult was born on 7 December 1989{{cite news |title=Famous birthdays for Dec. 7: Terrell Owens, Nicholas Hoult |work=United Press International |date=7 December 2023 |access-date=28 January 2024 |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2023/12/07/Famous-birthdays-for-Dec-7-Terrell-Owens-Nicholas-Hoult/3841701915971/ |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207224429/https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2023/12/07/Famous-birthdays-for-Dec-7-Terrell-Owens-Nicholas-Hoult/3841701915971/ |url-status=live}} in Wokingham, Berkshire, to Glenis (née Brown), a piano teacher, and Roger Hoult, a commercial pilot.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/nicholas-hoult-with-his-parents-glenis-hoult-and-roger-news-photo/1145893354 |title=Nicholas Hoult, with his parents Glenis Hoult and Roger Hoult attend... |date=29 April 2019 |publisher=Getty Images |access-date=31 December 2021 |archive-date=31 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231083344/https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/nicholas-hoult-with-his-parents-glenis-hoult-and-roger-news-photo/1145893354 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-10-la-et-performance10-2009dec10-story.html |title=Growing into 'A Single Man' |date=10 December 2009 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited |access-date=6 January 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=31 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231083344/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-10-la-et-performance10-2009dec10-story.html}} His middle name, Caradoc (pronounced {{nowrap|/ka.ˈra.dɔk/}}), is a Middle Welsh name and translates as 'beloved one'.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwULdrDijbI |title=How do you pronounce 'Denzel'? – The Graham Norton Show |date=18 January 2013 |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 February 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230214626/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwULdrDijbI |archive-date=30 December 2013}} His paternal great-aunt was Anna Neagle, a stage and film actress who was well-known in the 1930s and 1940s.{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Donald |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/from-skins-to-mad-max-nicholas-hoult-knows-how-to-pick-a-role-1.2410353 |title=From Skins to Mad Max, Nicholas Hoult knows how to pick a role |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=30 October 2015 |access-date=20 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031123918/http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/from-skins-to-mad-max-nicholas-hoult-knows-how-to-pick-a-role-1.2410353 |archive-date=31 October 2015}} He has three siblings: an elder brother who is a United States–based biology student; and two sisters, both of whom are actresses.{{cite web |title=Nicholas Hoult |url=http://www.buddytv.com/info/nicholas-hoult-info.aspx |work=Buddy TV |access-date=1 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028022251/http://www.buddytv.com/info/nicholas-hoult-info.aspx |archive-date=28 October 2015}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/31/nicholas-hoult-skins-bafta-hollywood |title=Hoult... who goes there? |newspaper=The Guardian |last=Fisher |first=Alice |access-date=7 February 2018 |date=30 January 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923005715/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/31/nicholas-hoult-skins-bafta-hollywood |archive-date=23 September 2016}} Hoult spent most of his childhood at his family's residence in Sindlesham, an estate village in the borough of Wokingham.{{cite web |url=http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/13390113.Calling_a_Hoult_to_poverty/ |title=Calling a Hoult to poverty |last=Small |first=Julie |work=Reading Chronicle |access-date=18 April 2018 |date=13 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418230032/http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/13390113.Calling_a_Hoult_to_poverty/ |archive-date=18 April 2018}} His older siblings were interested in acting and dancing from an early age, taking classes and attending auditions. As a child, he began accompanying them and developed his own interest in acting. He discussed his childhood and his relationship with his siblings in a 2011 interview with The Guardian saying, "[we were] pretty outdoorsy normal kids running around in the garden and making tree houses ... it was very normal".{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/21/nicholas-hoult-interview |title=Nicholas Hoult: 'Can you not just say I was lighthearted and witty?' |first=Ziba |last=Adel |date=20 May 2011 |work=The Guardian |access-date=6 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230004305/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/21/nicholas-hoult-interview |archive-date=30 December 2016}}

During Hoult's childhood, his father was regularly working away from home and his brother was away attending school. As a result, he spent most of his time with his mother and sisters; he said being raised by women might have helped him "steer clear of some pitfalls that guys who didn't grow up with women would fall into".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a13731/nicholas-hoult-interview/ |title=About a Boy |last=Rapkin |first=Mickey |magazine=Elle |access-date=1 March 2018 |date=19 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164345/https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a13731/nicholas-hoult-interview/ |archive-date=1 March 2018}} Hoult was educated at The Coombes Infant and Nursery School and then Arborfield Church of England Junior School.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-nicholas-hoult-actor-6111973.html |title=Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Nicholas Hoult, actor |last=Sale |first=Jonathan |newspaper=The Independent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019214205/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-nicholas-hoult-actor-6111973.html |archive-date=19 October 2016 |date=13 January 2006 |access-date=1 March 2018}} He practised ballet with his sisters and took part in productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker with the English National Ballet.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/feb/17/tvandradio.broadcasting1 |title=Is this it? |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=27 February 2014 |date=16 February 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303231027/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/feb/17/tvandradio.broadcasting1 |archive-date=3 March 2014}} In 2002, aged 12, he decided to attend acting school at Sylvia Young Theatre School.{{Cite web |title=Sylvia Young Theatre School - Alumni |url=https://www.sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk/page/?title=Alumni&pid=74 |work=sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk |access-date=4 April 2024 |archive-date=4 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404060939/https://www.sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk/page/?title=Alumni&pid=74 |url-status=live }} At age 14, he left to attend the Church of England's secondary school Ranelagh School in Bracknell, Berkshire.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4927069/Nicholas-Hoult-about-a-man.html |title=Nicholas Hoult: about a man |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=16 January 2018 |date=6 March 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117194515/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4927069/Nicholas-Hoult-about-a-man.html |archive-date=17 January 2018}} Hoult played the trombone as a child and was a member of the local choir. At age 16, he left to attend Sixth Form College Farnborough,{{Cite web |title=Nicholas Hoult - Trivia |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0396558/trivia/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} however, he left school at 17, due to the demanding schedule on Skins.{{Cite news |date=2011-05-20 |title=Nicholas Hoult: 'Can you not just say I was lighthearted and witty?' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/21/nicholas-hoult-interview |access-date=2025-04-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

{{See also|List of roles and awards of Nicholas Hoult}}

Hoult's acting potential was discovered at age three by a theatre director during a performance of a play that starred Hoult's brother. The director was impressed at Hoult's ability to "concentrate well" and offered him a role in his next theatre production The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Hoult began attending auditions and at age five was cast in the 1996 drama Intimate Relations, his first feature-film role. He later appeared in the television programmes Casualty, Silent Witness, The Bill, Judge John Deed, and Doctors, among others. Hoult initially treated acting as a hobby rather than a potential career option; in a March 2009 interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said he was not "in love with it ... I just enjoyed it. It was like playing for a football team. When you got a part it was great. And meeting new people. It was an exciting new world."

Hoult's next feature-film appearance came at age eleven in Chris and Paul Weitz's 2002 comedy-drama film About a Boy.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/about_a_boy/ |title=About a Boy (2002) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=6 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127044001/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/about_a_boy/ |archive-date=27 November 2017}} Hoult was initially reluctant to audition for the role as the casting process was a lengthy one and interfered with his schooling. He nonetheless decided to participate in the early rounds of auditions and was eventually cast in the role of Marcus, a "woolly-hatted, oddball son of a suicidal, hippy-ish single mother, [who] gets bullied horribly at school".{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3576706/About-the-boy.html |title=About the boy |last=Thomas |first=David |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=6 February 2018 |date=1 May 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207011338/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3576706/About-the-boy.html |archive-date=7 February 2018}} About a Boy was a commercial success, grossing more than $130{{nbsp}}million worldwide and receiving praise by film critics.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=aboutaboy.htm |title=About a Boy |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=6 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207010130/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=aboutaboy.htm |archive-date=7 February 2018}} Hoult's portrayal of a lonely schoolboy was well-received; David Thomas, writing for The Daily Telegraph, attributed the film's appeal and success to Hoult's performance. By the time the film was released, Hoult had left his junior school in Arborfield and began attending Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. He said the change was difficult; his time there was short and he preferred attending a regular school. He still did not want to pursue acting as a profession and at 14 he left Sylvia Young Theatre School in favour of Ranelagh School.

Hoult starred in Richard E. Grant's semi-autobiographical film Wah-Wah (2005) as Ralph Compton, a boy who is forced to deal with the disintegration of his family. The film, set in Swaziland during the 1960s, chronicles the waning years of the Swaziland Protectorate.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=1 |title=Wah-Wah (2005) – Nicholas Hoult through the years |work=The Guardian |access-date=7 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004346/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=1 |archive-date=8 February 2018 |date=4 October 2014}} Hoult made his debut in Hollywood with Gore Verbinski's film The Weather Man (2005) as the son of a television weather presenter undergoing a mid-life crisis. The film and Hoult's performance went largely unnoticed.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=2 |title=The Weather Man – Nicholas Hoult through the years |work=The Guardian |access-date=7 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004457/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=2 |archive-date=8 February 2018 |date=4 October 2014}} Both Wah-Wah and The Weather Man performed poorly at the box office.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wah-wah.htm |title=Wah-Wah |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=7 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208064102/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wah-wah.htm |archive-date=8 February 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=weatherman.htm |title=The Weather Man |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=7 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208064018/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=weatherman.htm |archive-date=8 February 2018}}

File:Nicholas Hoult 2009.jpg|alt=A young, blue-eyed, Caucasian man with short, dark hair wearing a dark-blue jacket, a white shirt, and a black tie against a blurred background of yellow-green tree foliage.]]

Hoult was a student at Sixth Form College Farnborough in 2006 when he was cast in the lead role of the television teenage-drama Skins. He was initially sceptical of his ability to play Tony Stonem, a manipulative, egocentric anti-hero, and identified more closely with the supporting character Sid. The programme was a success and ran for seven series, only two of which Hoult appeared in. His performance was well received; the character was popular, and Hoult garnered widespread attention.{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/skins/feature/a661657/all-27-stars-of-skins-whatever-happened-to-e4s-teen-tearaways/ |title=All 27 stars of Skins: Whatever happened to E4's teen tearaways? |work=Digital Spy |last=Jeffery |first=Morgan |access-date=7 February 2018 |date=5 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822145743/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/skins/feature/a661657/all-27-stars-of-skins-whatever-happened-to-e4s-teen-tearaways/ |archive-date=22 August 2017}} Skins won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Philip Audience Award, and Hoult was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/television/philips-audience-award |title=Television Philips Audience Award in 2009 |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=7 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208133511/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/television/philips-audience-award |archive-date=8 February 2018}} Critic Elliott David lauded Hoult for his performance in a 2016 retrospective review, and wrote that he "maintain[ed] the inexplicable core of his character throughout".{{cite web |url=http://www.elliottwdavid.com/nicholas-hoult-1/ |title=Sexy Beast |last=David |first=Elliott |date=25 March 2015 |work=V Man |access-date=29 October 2016 |via=Elliott W. David |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019143935/http://www.elliottwdavid.com/nicholas-hoult-1/ |archive-date=19 October 2016}} During his time on Skins, Hoult felt overwhelmed by the attention he received and considered quitting acting altogether at one point. Instead, he left school at the end of Skins{{'}} first series and chose to focus solely on acting.

Hoult briefly appeared as Stefan Fredman in the pilot episode of the British television series Wallander.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fy2zw |title=Sidetracked |publisher=BBC |access-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208144654/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fy2zw |archive-date=8 February 2017}} He later made his West End theatre debut as Mark, the protagonist in William Sutcliffe's coming-of-age play New Boy; the production premiered at Trafalgar Studios and had record-breaking ticket sales, which was mostly attributed to Hoult's popularity among viewers of Skins.{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/fans-of-skins-tv-show-rush-to-see-new-boy-in-the-west-end-6898345.html |title=Fans of Skins TV show rush to see New Boy in the West End |last=Jury |first=Louise |work=Evening Standard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019151239/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/fans-of-skins-tv-show-rush-to-see-new-boy-in-the-west-end-6898345.html |archive-date=19 October 2016 |date=18 March 2009 |access-date=29 October 2016}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/mar/21/review-new-boy-trafalgar-studios |title=New Boy |last=Gardner |first=Lyn |work=The Guardian |date=20 March 2009 |access-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063154/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/mar/21/review-new-boy-trafalgar-studios |archive-date=9 February 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/dominic-cavendish/5024178/New-Boy-at-the-Trafalgar-2-Studios-review.html |title=New Boy at the Trafalgar 2 Studios, review |last=Cavendish |first=Dominic |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 March 2009 |access-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209004618/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/dominic-cavendish/5024178/New-Boy-at-the-Trafalgar-2-Studios-review.html |archive-date=9 February 2018}} The play was staged for a week in March 2009 because Hoult had committed to a part in the fantasy-adventure film Clash of the Titans (2010), filming for which was scheduled for mid-2010. Hoult's performance as Mark, a "ferociously bright and articulate but sexually confused sixth-former" received mixed responses from critics. Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph wrote that his performance was persuasive, but Lyn Gardner of The Guardian found him average and highlighted his inability to bring out the "unresolved sexual tension beneath [the] banter". Clash of the Titans was panned by critics but was a success at the box office, grossing nearly $500,000,000 worldwide.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans10.htm |title=Clash of the Titans (2010) |website=Box Office Mojo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818041356/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans10.htm |archive-date=18 August 2010}}

Hoult next appeared in Tom Ford's A Single Man (2009), after the actor originally cast in the role of Kenny Potter left the film a few days before filming commenced. Hoult had previously shown interest in the project and had sent a recorded audition tape; he was eventually chosen for the role of Kenny, a homosexual college student who helps a college professor deal with his grief.{{cite web |url=https://www.out.com/entertainment/2009/10/19/tom-ford-talks |title=Tom Ford Talks |work=Out |last=Hicklin |first=Aaron |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=19 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063232/https://www.out.com/entertainment/2009/10/19/tom-ford-talks |archive-date=9 February 2018}}{{cite web |title=Nicholas Hoult: From 'Boy' to 'Man' |url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/nicholas-hoult-from-boy-to-man-1118025956/ |work=Variety |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=22 October 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209003046/http://variety.com/2010/film/news/nicholas-hoult-from-boy-to-man-1118025956/amp/ |archive-date=9 February 2018}} A Single Man was variously described by media outlets as the first adult role for Hoult, who described Kenny as a "spontaneous" character not simply defined by his sexuality.{{cite web |title=Nicholas Hoult of A Single Man : About a Boy Who's Become a Man – With Oscar Prospects! |url=https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/407996 |work=HuffPost |last=Russnow |first=Michael |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=18 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306154956/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-russnow/nicholas-hoult-of-ema-sin_b_407996.html |archive-date=6 March 2018}}{{cite web |title=Nicholas Hoult goes from 'About a Boy' to 'It' guy |url=https://m.news24.com/You/Archive/nicholas-hoult-goes-from-about-a-boy-to-it-guy-20170728 |work=News 24 |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=7 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063054/https://m.news24.com/You/Archive/nicholas-hoult-goes-from-about-a-boy-to-it-guy-20170728 |archive-date=9 February 2018}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.out.com/entertainment/movies/2011/03/27/handsome-devil |title=Handsome Devil |work=Out |last=Mclean |first=Gareth |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063244/https://www.out.com/entertainment/movies/2011/03/27/handsome-devil |archive-date=9 February 2018}} Because the role was his first as an American character, Hoult worked on his accent; Sukhdev Sandhu of The Daily Telegraph noted Ford's choice of casting British actors as Americans (Hoult and Matthew Goode) and vice versa (Julianne Moore).{{cite web |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nicholas-hoult-single-man |title=About a Boy: Nicholas Hoult |work=Teen Vogue |last=Eisenman |first=Sasha |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=4 January 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209003046/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nicholas-hoult-single-man |archive-date=9 February 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7221024/A-Single-Man-review.html |title=A Single Man, review |work=The Daily Telegraph |last=Sandhu |first=Sukhdev |access-date=15 February 2018 |date=12 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215205715/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7221024/A-Single-Man-review.html |archive-date=15 February 2018}} A Single Man opened to widespread acclaim despite reservations from critics about Ford's directorial abilities; it was a box-office success.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/28/tom-ford-a-single-man |title=Tom Ford: a single man and his address book |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |work=The Guardian |date=20 January 2010 |access-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208042115/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/28/tom-ford-a-single-man |archive-date=8 February 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-11-04/tom-ford-on-going-from-fashion-designer-to-film-director-and-why-he-takes-three-baths-a-day/ |title=Tom Ford on going from fashion designer to film director, and why he takes Three baths a day |last=Rose |first=Hilary |work=Radio Times |access-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025534/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-11-04/tom-ford-on-going-from-fashion-designer-to-film-director-and-why-he-takes-three-baths-a-day/ |archive-date=16 February 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/1218217-single_man |title=A Single Man (2009) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=1 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709014029/http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/1218217-single_man/ |archive-date=9 July 2010}}
{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=singleman.htm |title=A Single Man (2009) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=21 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608035935/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=singleman.htm |archive-date=8 June 2010 |url-status=live}} The film earned Hoult a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 2010 ceremony.{{cite web |url=http://www.bafta.org/film/awards/the-orange-rising-star-award-2010 |title=The Orange Rising Star Award 2010 |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=12 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025349/http://www.bafta.org/film/awards/the-orange-rising-star-award-2010 |archive-date=16 February 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/10004469/nicholas-hoult-says-bafta-nomination-was-big-surprise |title=Nicholas Hoult says Bafta nomination was 'big surprise' |last=Garvan |first=Sinead |publisher=BBC |access-date=8 February 2018 |date=13 January 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225105705/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/10004469/nicholas-hoult-says-bafta-nomination-was-big-surprise |archive-date=25 February 2018}} In 2010, Hoult voiced the character of Elliot in Lionhead Studios' action role-playing game Fable III (2010).{{cite web |url=http://m.ign.com/articles/2010/09/28/fable-iii-all-star-cast-diary |title=Fable III: all-S Cast Diary |last=Butler |first=Tom |work=IGN |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=28 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306155116/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/28/fable-iii-all-star-cast-diary |archive-date=6 March 2018}}

File:Nicholas Hoult, 2013.jpg at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con]]

Hoult was cast as Nux in George Miller's action film Mad Max: Fury Road; the project spent several years in development hell because plans for a fourth film in the Mad Max franchise encountered financial difficulties.{{cite web |url=http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/10/02/mad-max-fury-road-might-be-great |title=Mad Max: Fury Road Might Be Great |work=IGN |last=Dileo |first=Adam |access-date=15 February 2018 |date=2 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912143724/http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/10/02/mad-max-fury-road-might-be-great |archive-date=12 September 2016}} Filming was planned for mid-2010, but heavy rain caused severe delays during pre-production in Australia. With no other immediate commitments, Hoult began to look for other prospects. He was eventually cast in the role of Hank McCoy / Beast for the X-Men film series owing to his ability to play somebody "gentle with a capability of being fierce".{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=9 |title=X-Men: First Class (2011) – Nicholas Hoult through the years |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216143901/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/11131216/Nicholas-Hoult-through-the-years.html?image=9 |archive-date=16 February 2018 |date=4 October 2014}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/nicholas-hoult-cast-as-beast-in-x-men-first-class/ |title=Nicholas Hoult Cast as Beast in X-Men: First Class |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=8 July 2010 |work=/Film |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180517034941/http://www.slashfilm.com/nicholas-hoult-cast-as-beast-in-x-men-first-class/ |archive-date=17 May 2018 |access-date=16 February 2018}} Before filming began on the 2011 Matthew Vaughn-directed instalment X-Men: First Class, a prequel to the franchise's earlier films, Hoult familiarised himself with his character; he said he "formulated [his] own version of the Beast" and took inspiration from Kelsey Grammer's performance in the previous X-Men: The Last Stand because he wanted to emulate Grammer's charm and eloquence. Hoult learned to speak in a dialect similar to Grammer's without trying to imitate it.{{cite news |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/xmen-class-photo-nicholas-hoult-answers-fan-questions/ |title=New 'X-Men: First Class' Photo; Nicholas Hoult Answers Fan Questions |newspaper=/Film |last=Fischer |first=Russ |access-date=16 February 2018 |date=23 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216205259/http://www.slashfilm.com/xmen-class-photo-nicholas-hoult-answers-fan-questions/ |archive-date=16 February 2018}} He also underwent physical training and gained weight to better suit his character.{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/thefamous/q-x-men-first-class-star-nicholas-hoult-144458941.html |title=Q&A: 'X-Men: First Class' Star Nicholas Hoult Chats With The Famous |work=Yahoo News |last=Duboff |first=Josh |access-date=15 February 2018 |date=23 May 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216205709/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/thefamous/q-x-men-first-class-star-nicholas-hoult-144458941.html |archive-date=16 February 2018}} The film, which was widely praised by critics for its script and performances, performed moderately well at the box office, collecting about $353{{nbsp}}million against a production budget of $160{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=xmenfirstclass.htm |title=X-Men: First Class (2011) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620110811/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=xmenfirstclass.htm |archive-date=20 June 2012}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_first_class/ |title=X-Men: First Class (2011) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215050231/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_first_class/ |archive-date=15 February 2018}} Although it was the lowest-ranked production in the entire series in terms of revenue, Chris Aronson of 20th Century Fox deemed it "an excellent start to a new chapter of the franchise".{{cite web |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43286389/ns/today-entertainment/ |title='X-Men' mutants weaken with prequel debut |agency=Associated Press |work=MSNBC |last=David |first=Germain |date=5 June 2011 |access-date=16 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608132118/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43286389/ns/today-entertainment |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 June 2011}}

Mad Max: Fury Road was eventually filmed in 2012 in the Namibian desert. Miller had conceived Nux, a terminally ill slave, as a "quasi kamikaze pilot"; Hoult said of his character; "he's very enthusiastic and committed and affectionate but also kind of clumsy".{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/14/nicholas-hoult-mad-max-fury-road-interview |title=Mad Max's Nicholas Hoult on hanging off lorries and channeling Andrex puppies |work=The Guardian |last=Shoard |first=Catherine |access-date=26 February 2018 |date=14 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227034302/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/14/nicholas-hoult-mad-max-fury-road-interview |archive-date=27 February 2018}} Hoult shaved his head and followed a strict diet because his role required him to lose a lot of weight.{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/nicholas-hoult-on-shaving-his-head-for-mad-max-fury-road-and-those-james-bond-rumours |title=Nicholas Hoult on shaving his head for 'Mad Max: Fury Road' and those James Bond rumours |work=Time Out |last=Calhoun |first=Dave |access-date=26 February 2018 |date=14 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227041223/https://www.timeout.com/london/film/nicholas-hoult-on-shaving-his-head-for-mad-max-fury-road-and-those-james-bond-rumours |archive-date=27 February 2018}} He also talked about performing stunts in the film, describing the entire experience as "scary",{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/05/nicholas-hoult-mad-max |title=Nicholas Hoult on the scary-real stunts in the new Mad Max |magazine=Wired |last=Hill |first=Logan |access-date=26 February 2018 |date=12 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227094119/https://www.wired.com/2015/05/nicholas-hoult-mad-max/ |archive-date=27 February 2018}} but favourably compared the stunt crew and Miller's choice to incorporate real action sequences instead of using a green screen, saying it made the performance more believable because the actors are placed in a real situation. Fury Road opened to critical acclaim on 14 May 2015 and grossed more than $378{{nbsp}}million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the Mad Max franchise. The technical aspects and stunt sequences drew particular praise from film critics and it was credited for reviving interest in the series.{{cite web |title=Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_fury_road/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103233745/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_fury_road/ |archive-date=3 November 2017}}{{cite web |title=Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=furyroad.htm |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031041227/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=furyroad.htm |archive-date=31 October 2017}} Shalini Langer noted that while the real hero of the film was Charlize Theron, "[Hoult] is the closest in the acting department ... as Joe's 'war boy' chasing imagined glory".{{cite web |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-mad-max-fury-road/ |title=Mad Max: Fury Road review: An entire story on vehicles on the move |last=Langer |first=Shalini |work=The Indian Express |access-date=6 June 2018 |date=16 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223090923/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-mad-max-fury-road/ |archive-date=23 December 2017}} Hoult's "fabulously unhinged" performance was also praised by Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/mad-max-fury-road/review/ |title=Mad Max: Fury Road review: 'a Krakatoan eruption of craziness' |work=The Daily Telegraph |last=Collin |first=Robbie |access-date=26 February 2018 |date=20 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720105503/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/mad-max-fury-road/review/ |archive-date=20 July 2017}} Also in 2012, Hoult was included in the Forbes 30 under 30 list.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mfl45edidl/nicholas-hoult/#e2c070213982 |title=Nicholas Hoult |work=Forbes |access-date=19 May 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519205909/https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mfl45edidl/nicholas-hoult/#e2c070213982 |archive-date=19 May 2018}}

File:SDCC 2015 - Nicholas Hoult (19752716152) (cropped).jpg at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con|alt=A young, Caucasian man with short, dark hair and facial stubble wearing a black shirt speaks into a microphone against a grey background.]]

In 2013, Hoult had starring roles in two major films; he first played a zombie named R in Jonathan Levine's romantic comedy Warm Bodies, which was released on 1 February.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=warmbodies.htm |title=Warm Bodies |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=16 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217082542/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=warmbodies.htm |archive-date=17 February 2018}} An adaptation of Isaac Marion's novel of the same name, the film is presented from point of view of the central character, mostly through narration. Levine said he had difficulties finding a suitable actor to play R until he met Hoult, who was attracted to the project—which he described as "much more than a horror movie" owing to the use of multiple pop culture and literary allusions—and even more so to the role which "bowled [me] over". Hoult said he drew inspiration from Edward Scissorhands (1990) because he thought the central characters in both films share the same difficulties.{{Cite web |url=https://pilotonline.com/entertainment/movies/article_5fe9281f-95a4-5ef0-8a6b-c7fac2734fa2.html |title='Warm Bodies,' a zombie 'Romeo and Juliet' |last=Vincent |first=Mal |date=1 February 2013 |website=The Virginian-Pilot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140825/https://pilotonline.com/entertainment/movies/article_5fe9281f-95a4-5ef0-8a6b-c7fac2734fa2.html |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=17 February 2018}} To prepare for the role of a zombie, Hoult and the other actors practised with Cirque du Soleil performers; he said of the experience; "we would take our shoes off in a dance studio ... kind of grow out of the wall and make our bodies feel very heavy".{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/01/nicholas-hoult-cast-of-warm-bodies-eating-brains-zombies |last=Marcus |first=Benett |title=Nicholas Hoult and the Cast of Warm Bodies on Eating Brains and Learning to Love Zombies on the Inside |work=Vanity Fair |access-date=24 April 2024 |date=28 January 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927040856/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/01/nicholas-hoult-cast-of-warm-bodies-eating-brains-zombies |url-status=live }} The film garnered positive response from critics and audiences.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warm_bodies |title=Warm Bodies (2013) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=28 October 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028052741/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warm_bodies |archive-date=28 October 2016}} Ben Kendrick praised Hoult for the restraint in a potentially Razzie-worthy role: "[he] brings a lot of life to R without stepping too far in the other direction [and although his] zombie mannerisms may come across a bit forced but, overall, his memorable moments outnumber (and outweigh) the awkward ones."{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/warm-bodies-movie-reviews/ |title='Warm Bodies' Review |last=Kendrick |first=Ben |work=Screen Rant |access-date=6 June 2018 |date=1 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202171524/https://screenrant.com/warm-bodies-movie-reviews/ |archive-date=2 December 2017}} Hoult was also described as "an extremely appealing actor, [who] is charm personified" in his role of the living-dead.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/warm-bodies-20130201 |title=Warm Bodies |last=Travers |first=Peter |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=6 June 2018 |date=1 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207111941/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/warm-bodies-20130201 |archive-date=7 December 2017}}

Hoult's next film, Bryan Singer's 2013 fantasy adventure Jack the Giant Slayer, failed at the box office and received mixed response from critics. He played the eponymous hero in the film, which is based on the British fairy tales "Jack the Giant Killer" and "Jack and the Beanstalk".{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2011/02/nicholas-hoult-to-star-in-jack-the-giant-killer-105689/ |title=Nicholas Hoult To Star In 'Jack The Giant Killer' |work=Deadline Hollywood |last=Fleming |first=Mike |access-date=16 February 2018 |date=11 February 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001074225/http://deadline.com/2011/02/nicholas-hoult-to-star-in-jack-the-giant-killer-105689/ |archive-date=1 October 2017}} Hoult's performance was poorly received by film critics Mary Pols, Justin Chang and Richard Roeper; Pols was critical of his "disconcerting" imitation of Hugh Grant and the other two dismissed him and his character as "bland" and "boring", respectively.{{cite web |last1=Roeper |first1=Richard |title=Jack the Giant Slayer |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jack-the-giant-slayer-2013 |work=RogerEbert.com |access-date=16 February 2018 |date=27 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924070904/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jack-the-giant-slayer-2013 |archive-date=24 September 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Chang |first1=Justin |title=Jack the Giant Slayer |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/jack-the-giant-slayer-1200506809/ |work=Variety |access-date=16 February 2018 |date=26 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208100421/http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/jack-the-giant-slayer-1200506809/ |archive-date=8 December 2017}}{{cite magazine |last1=Pols |first1=Mary |title=Jack the Giant Slayer: Fee-Fi, Ho-Hum |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/02/28/jack-the-giant-slayer-fee-fi-ho-hum/ |magazine=Time |access-date=16 February 2018 |date=28 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201165101/http://entertainment.time.com/2013/02/28/jack-the-giant-slayer-fee-fi-ho-hum/ |archive-date=1 December 2017}}

Hoult then appeared in Jake Paltrow's science-fiction film Young Ones (2014). Set in a dystopian future where water is scarce, the film had Hoult play Flem Lever, a young man who is trying to claim the land owned by the film's central character Ernest Holm.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/young_ones_2014/ |title=Young Ones (2014) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=17 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129210757/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/young_ones_2014/ |archive-date=29 November 2017}} Hoult thought the role was unlike any of his previous work and said his character's questionable choices throughout the film intrigued him. Hoult read novels written by S. E. Hinton to prepare for the role. The film was shot in a deserted location in South Africa; Hoult said filming in the hot weather conditions was difficult but the "beautiful" scenery helped to tell the story better.{{cite web |url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/stories/nicholas-hoult-young-ones-interview |title=Nicholas Hoult On 'Young Ones' And Reuniting With Charlize Theron In 'Dark Places' |publisher=Tribeca Film Festival |last=Kemmerle |first=Karen |access-date=17 February 2018 |date=10 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223185225/http://tribecafilm.com/stories/nicholas-hoult-young-ones-interview |archive-date=23 February 2015}} He said it also made him more conscious of environmental concerns.{{cite web |url=https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Nicholas-Hoult-Young-Ones-Interview-Video-35940694/amp |title=Total Isolation Made Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning Fast Friends |work=Popsugar |last=Merriam |first=Allie |access-date=17 February 2018 |date=17 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217202830/https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Nicholas-Hoult-Young-Ones-Interview-Video-35940694/amp |archive-date=17 February 2018}} The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was met with mixed responses.{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=19 January 2024 |title=Jesse Eisenberg Says His Sundance Jewish Buddy Movie Is 'Not Political' and Gives His Advice to New Lex Luthor Nicholas Hoult: 'Don't Watch Me!' |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jesse-eisenberg-lex-luthor-advice-nicholas-hoult-superman-legacy-1235878072/ |access-date=28 January 2024 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=28 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128093103/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jesse-eisenberg-lex-luthor-advice-nicholas-hoult-superman-legacy-1235878072/ |url-status=live}} Commentators highlighted the film's standout scenery but were critical of its plot. Keith Uhlich of The A.V. Club said Hoult was a poor fit for the story's "stoically retrograde machismo".{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/young-ones-fails-to-populate-its-futuristic-western-wor-1798181740 |title=Young Ones fails to populate its futuristic Western world with interesting characters |last=Uhlich |first=Keith |work=The A.V. Club |access-date=17 February 2018 |date=16 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218023907/https://film.avclub.com/young-ones-fails-to-populate-its-futuristic-western-wor-1798181740 |archive-date=18 February 2018}}

File:Equals 02 (21312849848).jpg and Drake Doremus at the premiere of Equals during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival]]

Hoult reprised his role as Beast in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past, his other release of 2014. Hoult said playing the character was a freeing experience for him and that it was "fun to suddenly be able to break loose ... when you're wearing the makeup ... you can perform big ... you get to have two very different techniques, performances." He also said the lengthy make-up procedure could last up to three and a half hours.{{cite web |url=http://in.ign.com/m/entertainment/57351/feature/nicholas-hoult-talks-the-beast-and-x-men-days-of-future-past |title=Nicholas Hoult talks the Beast and X-Men: Days of Future Past |work=IGN |last=Doke |first=Shunal |access-date=15 February 2018 |date=27 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217203250/http://in.ign.com/m/entertainment/57351/feature/nicholas-hoult-talks-the-beast-and-x-men-days-of-future-past |archive-date=17 February 2018}} X-Men: Days of Future Past earned more than $747{{nbsp}}million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the series and in Hoult's career at that time.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=xmen.htm |title=X-Men |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=17 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228123001/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=xmen.htm |archive-date=28 February 2017}}

In 2015, Hoult had three other releases{{emdash}}the feature film adaptation of Gillian Flynn's mystery novel Dark Places; Owen Harris' dark comedy Kill Your Friends, based on the 2008 novel of the same name; and Equals, a dystopian, science-fiction romantic drama directed by Drake Doremus{{emdash}}all of which were critical failures and rank among the lowest-grossing films of his career.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicholas_hoult/ |title=Nicholas Hoult |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201230438/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicholas_hoult/ |archive-date=1 December 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=nicholashoult.htm |title=Nicholas Hoult |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=27 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227214119/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=nicholashoult.htm |archive-date=27 February 2018}} Response to Hoult's performance in Equals was relatively better;{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_places_2015 |title=Dark Places (2015) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129085522/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_places_2015/ |archive-date=29 November 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kill_your_friends |title=Kill Your Friends |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129000554/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kill_your_friends/ |archive-date=29 November 2017}} Peter Travers called him and his co-star Kristen Stewart "quietly devastating", and Katie Walsh, writing for Los Angeles Times, said the duo were "finely matched both in their androgynous beauty and in their performances of a repressed humanity".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/equals-20160714 |title=Equals |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Travers |first=Peter |access-date=27 February 2018 |date=14 July 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128101810/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/equals-20160714 |archive-date=28 November 2017}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/sc-equals-review-20160721-story.html |title='Equals' review: Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult feel all the feelings |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |last=Walsh |first=Katie |access-date=27 February 2018 |date=21 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228161501/http://www.latimes.com/sc-equals-review-20160721-story.html |archive-date=28 February 2018}} Despite doubts about his contract with the franchise, Hoult returned for the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse. Upon release, the film became the third-ranked X-Men film in terms of worldwide box office collections, earning about $540{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=xmen.htm |title=X-Men Movies at the Box Office |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228123001/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=xmen.htm |archive-date=28 February 2017}} It was also a top-grossing production outside the United States.{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/xmen-apocalypse-box-office-china-1201789108/ |title='X-Men: Apocalypse' Tops Foreign Box Office Thanks to China Debut |magazine=Variety |last=Lang |first=Brent |access-date=29 October 2016 |date=5 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001032306/http://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/xmen-apocalypse-box-office-china-1201789108/ |archive-date=1 October 2017}}

File:Current War 07 (37090947661).jpg in 2017|alt=A caucasian man in a blue sweatshirt looking away from the camera.]]

The action film Collide, in which Hoult starred as a drug dealer, was released in the United States in February 2017 to a poor response from audiences and critics.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/collide-felicity-jones-nicholas-hoult-open-road-1201828525/ |title=Felicity Jones-Nicholas Hoult Vehicle 'Collide' Back On Track For Winter 2017 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |date=29 September 2016 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002030550/http://deadline.com/2016/09/collide-felicity-jones-nicholas-hoult-open-road-1201828525/ |archive-date=2 October 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=autobahn.htm |title=Collide (2017) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625140947/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=autobahn.htm |archive-date=25 June 2017}} The film garnered negative reviews; its dismal box office performance was attributed to poor marketing and multiple delays caused by the 2015 chapter 11 bankruptcy of its production company Relativity Media.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/collide_2017 |title=Collide (2017) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128065117/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/collide_2017/ |archive-date=28 November 2017}} Forbes{{'}} Scott Mendelson analysed the film's failure and said Hoult did not necessarily have enough "star power" to draw audiences.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/03/13/box-office-collide-crashed-burned-and-disappeared/ |title=Box Office: 'Collide' Crashed, Burned And Disappeared |first=Scott |last=Mendelson |date=13 March 2017 |magazine=Forbes |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313220038/https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/03/13/box-office-collide-crashed-burned-and-disappeared/ |archive-date=13 March 2017}} He highlighted the misogyny and sense of entitlement in the entertainment industry, writing that director Eran Creevy and Hoult would get better offers despite the failure of films like Collide, as opposed to the women and other minority groups, who are either ignored or stereotyped. Responses to Hoult's next film, the romance drama Newness, were more enthusiastic.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/newness_2017/ |title=Newness (2017) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128200351/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/newness_2017/ |archive-date=28 November 2017}} The production had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival; it stars Hoult as one half of a Los Angeles-based couple who meet through online dating and begin an open relationship.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/26/newness-review-dating-drama-nicholas-hoult-drake-doremus |title=Newness review: swipe left on this shallow dating drama |last=Hoffman |first=Jordan |newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 January 2017 |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910011534/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/26/newness-review-dating-drama-nicholas-hoult-drake-doremus |archive-date=10 September 2017}} Drake Doremus, the film's director, said Hoult's role was unlike his previous work; "a very complex and emotionally mature performance that we haven't seen yet".{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/sundance-2017-drake-doremus-secret-online-dating-film-newness-nicholas-hoult-1201767743/ |title=Sundance 2017: Inside Drake Doremus' Secretive Online Dating Film 'Newness' |last=Winfrey |first=Graham |work=IndieWire |date=12 January 2017 |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819144504/http://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/sundance-2017-drake-doremus-secret-online-dating-film-newness-nicholas-hoult-1201767743/ |archive-date=19 August 2017}}

Hoult starred in a series of biographical and historical films in 2017; he said he preferred playing characters that might help him improve as an actor and that the "actors I look up to started doing their best work in their early 30s and I'll be hitting that age ... I'm just trying to learn".{{cite web |url=http://m.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2117636/nicholas-hoult-making-jd-salinger-biopic-rebel-rye-playing-tesla |title=Nicholas Hoult on making J.D. Salinger biopic Rebel in the Rye, playing Tesla in The Current War, and erotic romance Newness |first=Helen |last=Barlow |work=South China Morning Post |date=22 November 2017 |access-date=2 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306155520/http://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2117636/nicholas-hoult-making-jd-salinger-biopic-rebel-rye-playing-tesla |archive-date=6 March 2018}} He portrayed American author J. D. Salinger in Danny Strong's Rebel in the Rye, which chronicles Salinger's life from his youth to the World War II era and the years preceding the publication of his debut novel, The Catcher in the Rye.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nicholas-hoult-joins-danny-strongs-818981 |title=Nicholas Hoult Joins Danny Strong's 'Rebel in the Rye': TIFF |last=Rebecca |first=Ford |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=29 October 2017 |date=31 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401125122/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nicholas-hoult-joins-danny-strongs-818981 |archive-date=1 April 2016}} Hoult auditioned for the role because he was intrigued by the film's script and Salinger's enigmatic personality; "I didn't know he fought in the second world war and landed on D-Day: ... had intermittent PTSD or that he became interested in Vedanta philosophy and meditated and did yoga." To prepare for the role, Hoult read The Catcher in the Rye and biographies about Salinger. Hoult said the biggest challenge was to get a real understanding of Salinger's character; "everyone has an idea of [Salinger] in their mind ... you're creating a character that people have very strong feelings about. You can't prove to be right or wrong through impressions."{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/nicholas-hoult-danny-strong-interview-rebel-in-the-rye/#jd-salinger |title='Rebel in the Rye': Danny Strong, Nicholas Hoult on the Lasting Influence of J.D. Salinger |first=Christina |last=Radish |website=Collider |date=8 September 2017 |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911220318/http://collider.com/nicholas-hoult-danny-strong-interview-rebel-in-the-rye/#jd-salinger |archive-date=11 September 2017}} Rebel in the Rye opened to a poor response from film critics.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rebel_in_the_rye |title=Rebel in the Rye (2017) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127182652/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rebel_in_the_rye/ |archive-date=27 November 2017}} Carson Lund of Slant was largely unimpressed by Hoult's "feeble" performance and his inability to "reinvest the character with the complexities lost in the story's programmatic telling".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/rebel-in-the-rye |title=Rebel in the Rye |last=Lund |first=Carson |magazine=Slant |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=5 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208174755/https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/rebel-in-the-rye |archive-date=8 December 2017}} RogerEbert.com's Matt Fagerholm wrote that although Hoult was capable of illuminating the insecurities and fixations of his character, he is never "quite believable as Salinger". Fagerholm ascribed the failure to the script, which left the character's key motivations "frustratingly muddled".{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rebel-in-the-rye-2017 |title=Rebel in the Rye |last=Fagerholm |first=Matt |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=8 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003940/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rebel-in-the-rye-2017 |archive-date=8 December 2017}}

File:NicholasHoultTolkien2.jpg]]

Hoult co-starred in The Current War, a dramatisation of the feud between electrical pioneers Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. Hoult was cast in the role of Nikola Tesla, for which he grew a moustache and attended science lessons about electromagnetism and dynamos.{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-i-prefer-hanging-out-with-women-to-men-a3699751.html |title=Nicholas Hoult: I prefer hanging out with women to men |work=Evening Standard |date=23 November 2017 |access-date=2 March 2018 |last=Foster |first=Alistair |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302162130/https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-i-prefer-hanging-out-with-women-to-men-a3699751.html |archive-date=2 March 2018}} He lost weight for his role by following a strict diet.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/nicholas-hoult-interview-futility-war-instagram-impostors-life/ |title=Nicholas Hoult on the futility of war, Instagram impostors, and life in a celebrity couple |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |last=McLean |first=Craig |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=20 April 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706011805/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/nicholas-hoult-interview-futility-war-instagram-impostors-life/ |archive-date=6 July 2017}} Response to The Current War was mixed; David Ehrlich of IndieWire described Hoult's performance as a tribute to David Bowie, who had previously played Tesla in The Prestige (2006).{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/the-current-war-review-benedict-cumberbatch-tiff-2017-1201874791/ |title='The Current War' Review: Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon Short Circuit a Shockingly Dull Epic – TIFF |website=IndieWire |last=Ehrlich |first=David |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=10 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029114342/http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/the-current-war-review-benedict-cumberbatch-tiff-2017-1201874791/ |archive-date=29 October 2017}} In a departure from biographical dramas, Hoult then starred as an American soldier in Sand Castle, a production he described as a very different war film "in terms of the pacing and the emotion ... very under the surface, that futility-of-war idea". He recalled the filming experience in the Jordanian military bases practising clearing procedures: "we put on these masks, get given these guns, are put inside this pitch-black house ... try and hunt down these bad guys hiding inside. You're in all the gear ... the adrenaline starts pumping." Released on Netflix in 2017, the film garnered mixed reviews.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sand_castle_2017 |title=Sand Castle (2017) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110124948/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sand_castle_2017/ |archive-date=10 January 2018}}

In The Favourite (2018), a critically acclaimed period drama about Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Hoult played the supporting role of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/02/nicholas-hoult-emma-stone-rachel-weisz-the-favourite-movie-1202030153/ |title=Nicholas Hoult Joins Emma Stone And Rachel Weisz In 'The Favourite' |website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Anita |last=Busch |date=28 February 2017 |access-date=31 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324175351/http://deadline.com/2017/02/nicholas-hoult-emma-stone-rachel-weisz-the-favourite-movie-1202030153/ |archive-date=24 March 2017}} He next voiced Fiver in the animated television miniseries adaptation of Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/04/watership-down-miniseries-john-boyega-james-mcavoy-bbc-netflix-1201745167/ |title='Watership Down': BBC & Netflix Team On Miniseries With James McAvoy, Nic Hoult And John Boyega |first=Ali |last=Jaafar |date=27 April 2016 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=2 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428044743/http://deadline.com/2016/04/watership-down-miniseries-john-boyega-james-mcavoy-bbc-netflix-1201745167/ |archive-date=28 April 2016}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-bags-global-rights-watership-888258 |title=Netflix Bags Global Rights for 'Watership Down' Adaptation With John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult |last=Ritman |first=Rick |date=27 April 2016 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=29 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428102311/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-bags-global-rights-watership-888258 |archive-date=28 April 2016 |url-status=live}} In 2019, Hoult portrayed author J. R. R. Tolkien in the biopic Tolkien.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/shooting-wraps-nicholas-hoult-tolkien-1202641944/ |title=Film News Roundup: Shooting Wraps on Nicholas Hoult's 'Tolkien' Biopic |last=McNary |first=David |work=Variety |access-date=31 May 2018 |date=14 December 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529075441/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/shooting-wraps-nicholas-hoult-tolkien-1202641944/ |archive-date=29 May 2018}} He next reprised his role as Hank McCoy in the X-Men film Dark Phoenix.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-dark-phoenix-different-for-beast/ |title=X-Men: Dark Phoenix will be 'very different' for Beast |last=Cave |first=Rob |date=11 September 2017 |website=Comic Book Resources |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515084701/https://www.cbr.com/x-men-dark-phoenix-different-for-beast/ |archive-date=15 May 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=14 May 2018}} Both Tolkien and Dark Phoenix were poorly received.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tolkien |title=Tolkien (2019) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=29 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429013627/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tolkien |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_phoenix/ |title=Dark Phoenix (2019) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604195720/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_phoenix |url-status=live}}

The following year, Hoult began starring as Peter III of Russia in the Hulu comedy-drama series The Great.{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/the-great-hulu-tony-mcnamara-russian-history.html |title=How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History |last=McHenry |first=Jackson |website=Vulture |date=15 May 2020 |access-date=16 May 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516163109/https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/the-great-hulu-tony-mcnamara-russian-history.html |archive-date=16 May 2020}} The series and his performance received critical acclaim.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_great/s02 |title=The Great: Season 2 (2021) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=13 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013115229/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_great/s02 |url-status=live}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_great/s01 |title=The Great: Season 1 (2020) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=27 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527135215/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_great/s01 |url-status=live}} He was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.{{Cite web |first=Rachel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/arts/television/emmy-nominees-list-2022.html |title=Emmys Nominees 2022: The Complete List |date=13 September 2022 |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=The New York Times |last=Sherman |archive-date=13 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013115230/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/arts/television/emmy-nominees-list-2022.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Cohn |first=Gabe |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/movies/golden-globes-nominees-list.html |title=Golden Globes 2021: A Full List of Nominees |date=28 February 2021 |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=The New York Times |archive-date=13 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013115230/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/movies/golden-globes-nominees-list.html |url-status=live}}
{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/13/golden-globes-2022-full-list-of-nominations |title=Golden Globes 2022: full list of nominations |date=13 December 2021 |access-date=13 October 2022 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=13 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013115230/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/13/golden-globes-2022-full-list-of-nominations |url-status=live}} In 2021, Hoult appeared in a villainous role in the thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead.{{cite web |last1=Truitt |first1=Brian |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/05/15/those-who-wish-me-dead-angelina-jolie-craziest-moments-spoilers/5093502001/ |title='Those Who Wish Me Dead': Angelina Jolie's craziest moments (spoilers) |work=USA Today |date=15 May 2021 |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304020424/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/05/15/those-who-wish-me-dead-angelina-jolie-craziest-moments-spoilers/5093502001/ |archive-date=4 March 2023 |url-status=live}} Hoult starred in the black comedy film The Menu, alongside Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, in 2022. It received positive reviews.{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/the-menu-anya-taylor-joy-nicholas-hoult-ralph-fiennes-food-stylist-secrets/ |title=The secrets behind the authentically pretentious food in 'The Menu' |last1=Collis |first1=Clark |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003161901/https://ew.com/movies/the-menu-anya-taylor-joy-nicholas-hoult-ralph-fiennes-food-stylist-secrets/ |archive-date=3 October 2022 |url-status=live}} Hoult next played the titular role in the comedy-horror film Renfield.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/about-renfield-release-date-april-2023-1235099693/ |title=Universal Sets Nicholas Hoult's Renfield for 2023 Release |date=25 February 2022 |first=Aaron |last=Couch |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407233031/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/about-renfield-release-date-april-2023-1235099693/ |url-status=live}} In June 2023, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the actors branch.{{Cite web |last=Sciences |first=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and |title=The Academy Invites 398 New Members for 2023: See the Full List |url=https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/the-academy-new-members-2023-full-list |access-date=28 June 2023 |website=A.frame |language=en |archive-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628183044/https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/the-academy-new-members-2023-full-list |url-status=live}}

In 2024, Hoult voiced Jon Arbuckle in the animated film The Garfield Movie.{{cite web |last1=Grobar |first1=Matt |title=Garfield: Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham & Cecily Strong Board Animated Feature From Alcon Entertainment |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/garfield-adds-ving-rhames-nicholas-hoult-hannah-waddingham-cecily-strong-1235094576/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=17 August 2022 |date=17 August 2022 |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817175700/https://deadline.com/2022/08/garfield-adds-ving-rhames-nicholas-hoult-hannah-waddingham-cecily-strong-1235094576/ |url-status=live}} That same year, he also starred in the crime thriller The Order (2024), directed by Justin Kurzel, and the courtroom drama Juror #2 (2024), directed by Clint Eastwood.{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/tye-sheridan-joins-jude-law-nicholas-hoult-in-thriller-the-order-1235353722/ |title=Tye Sheridan Joins Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult In Justin Kurzel's Crime Thriller 'The Order' For AGC Studios |work=Deadline Hollywood |last=Grobar |first=Matt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514065323/https://deadline.com/2023/05/tye-sheridan-joins-jude-law-nicholas-hoult-in-thriller-the-order-1235353722/ |archive-date=14 May 2023 |access-date=2 May 2023 |date=2 May 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/clint-eastwood-nicholas-hoult-juror-2-1235310805/ |title=Clint Eastwood's 'Juror #2' To Star Nicholas Hoult & Toni Collette As Warner Bros. Closes In On Greenlight |last=Kroll |first=Justin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516072327/https://deadline.com/2023/04/clint-eastwood-nicholas-hoult-juror-2-1235310805/ |archive-date=16 May 2023 |url-status=live |date=14 April 2023 |access-date=15 April 2023 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} Hoult also starred as Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu (2024), written and directed by Robert Eggers.{{cite web |last1=Kroll |first1=Justin |title=Nicholas Hoult Eyes Robert Eggers' Nosferatu Movie At Focus |url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/nicholas-hoult-robert-eggers-nosferatu-focus-1235137640/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=26 January 2023 |date=7 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009113746/https://deadline.com/2022/10/nicholas-hoult-robert-eggers-nosferatu-focus-1235137640/ |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live}}

File:Nicholas Hoult at MEGACON Orlando 2025.png

Hoult will play Lex Luthor in Superman (2025) from director James Gunn.{{cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=20 November 2023 |title='Superman: Legacy': Nicholas Hoult Lands Role Of Lex Luthor |url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/nicholas-hoult-superman-legacy-lex-luther-1235630393/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120231658/https://deadline.com/2023/11/nicholas-hoult-superman-legacy-lex-luther-1235630393/ |archive-date=20 November 2023 |access-date=21 November 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en}} The CEO of LuthorCorp and the arch-nemesis of Superman, who hates Superman for having the power to do everything but not aligning with Luthor's own beliefs.{{Cite web |last=McPherson |first=Chris |date=March 5, 2024 |title='Superman's Nicholas Hoult Reveals His Inspiration for Lex Luthor |url=https://collider.com/superman-nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-inspiration/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306003142/https://collider.com/superman-nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-inspiration/ |archive-date=March 6, 2024 |access-date=March 5, 2024 |website=Collider}} Hoult described Luthor as obsessive, determined, and relentless, and wanted the character to feel like a credible threat to Superman.{{Cite web |last=Hickson |first=Colin |date=October 10, 2024 |title=James Gunn Reveals Influences Behind His Superman Movie's Lex Luthor |url=https://www.cbr.com/superman-james-gunn-lex-luthor-influences/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241010162122/https://www.cbr.com/superman-james-gunn-lex-luthor-influences/ |archive-date=October 10, 2024 |access-date=October 10, 2024 |website=Comic Book Resources}} He already has his end goal in sight and is motivated by many emotions, including a need to be recognized for his scientific genius.{{Cite magazine |last=McArdle |first=Tommy |date=November 1, 2024 |title=Nicholas Hoult Reveals His Son Got 'the Clippers Out' to Shave His Head for Lex Luthor Role in Upcoming 'Superman' Movie |url=https://people.com/nicholas-hoult-son-shaved-head-lex-luthor-superman-8738399 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241102112036/https://people.com/nicholas-hoult-son-shaved-head-lex-luthor-superman-8738399 |archive-date=November 2, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2024 |magazine=People}} Gunn took inspiration for the character from Brian Azzarello's limited comic book series Lex Luthor: Man of Steel (2005) as well as Jerry Siegel's "reckless scientific genius" version of Luthor in comic books from the 1950s and 1960s.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jodee |date=February 13, 2025 |title=Superman Star Nicholas Hoult Explains Lex Luthor's Beef With the Man of Steel |url=https://www.cbr.com/nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-superman-beef-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216135429/https://www.cbr.com/nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-superman-beef-explained/ |archive-date=February 16, 2025 |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Comic Book Resources}}{{Cite magazine |last=Romano |first=Nick |date=May 15, 2025 |title=Inside the mind of Lex Luthor: How Superman star Nicholas Hoult made DC villain feel suitably dangerous (exclusive) |url=https://ew.com/superman-nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-real-credible-threat-dangerous-exclusive-11728419 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515194909/https://ew.com/superman-nicholas-hoult-lex-luthor-real-credible-threat-dangerous-exclusive-11728419 |archive-date=May 15, 2025 |access-date=May 15, 2025 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}

Hoult will star in How to Rob a Bank directed by filmmaker David Leitch, with a script by Mark Bianculli, which tells the story of a bank robbery for Amazon MGM Studios. It is set for release September 4, 2026.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2025-05-07 |title=David Leitch’s Action Pic ‘How To Rob A Bank’ Steals Labor Day Weekend 2026 Release Date |url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/nicholas-hoult-pete-davidson-how-to-rob-a-bank-release-date-1236387717/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

File:Nicholas Hoult (47519169471) (cropped).jpg]]Hoult divides his time between London and Huntington Beach, California.{{Cite magazine |last=Mandell |first=Andrea |date=17 November 2022 |title='The Menu' 's Nicholas Hoult Wouldn't Call Himself a Foodie: 'I'm a Trash Can, I Eat Anything' |url=https://people.com/movies/the-menu-nicholas-hoult-wouldnt-call-himself-a-foodie-im-a-trash-can-i-eat-anything/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228023531/https://people.com/movies/the-menu-nicholas-hoult-wouldnt-call-himself-a-foodie-im-a-trash-can-i-eat-anything/ |archive-date=28 February 2023 |access-date=1 March 2023 |magazine=People}} In his free time, he plays basketball and golf {{Cite web |last=Abramovitch |first=Seth |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Nicholas Hoult: A Tsar Is Born |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/nicholas-hoult-the-great-series-90210-childhood-fame-1235048393/ |website=Hollywood Reporter}}and trains in jiu-jitsu and boxing. He is also an avid fan of Grand Prix motorcycle racing and Formula One and has been spotted at various Grand Prix events over the years.{{cite web |date=1 August 2016 |title=In Case You Missed It – off track in Germany |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2016/8/in-case-you-missed-it---off-track-in-germany.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021140537/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2016/8/in-case-you-missed-it---off-track-in-germany.html |archive-date=21 October 2016 |access-date=6 March 2018 |publisher=Formula One}}{{cite web |last=Tay |first=Cheryl |date=22 September 2014 |title=7 ways the 2014 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix was different |url=https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/7-ways-the-2014-formula-one-singapore-grand-prix-was-different-111546618.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021143501/https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/7-ways-the-2014-formula-one-singapore-grand-prix-was-different-111546618.html |archive-date=21 October 2016 |access-date=6 March 2018 |work=Yahoo!}}{{cite web |date=7 June 2015 |title=Paddock Postcard from Montreal |url=http://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2015/6/paddock-postcard-from-montreal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021132956/http://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2015/6/paddock-postcard-from-montreal.html |archive-date=21 October 2016 |access-date=6 March 2018 |publisher=Formula One}} Hoult graduated from Ferrari’s Corso Pilota driving school in 2022 and has competed in multiple Ferrari Challenge events. In 2024, he won the "Track Attack" at Watkins Glen with his Ferrari 296 GTB.{{Cite web |last=Nevins |first=Jake |date=July 24, 2024 |title=Should I Be Doing This?, Nicholas Hoult Brings Us Inside His Ferrari 296 Challenge |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/sports/should-i-be-doing-this-nicholas-hoult-brings-us-inside-his-ferrari-296-gtb |archive-date= |website=Interview (magazine)}}

Hoult is the father of two children with California model Bryana Holly, with whom he had been in a relationship since December 12, 2016.{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Alistair |date=23 November 2017 |title=Nicholas Hoult: I prefer hanging out with women to men |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-i-prefer-hanging-out-with-women-to-men-a3699751.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302162130/https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-i-prefer-hanging-out-with-women-to-men-a3699751.html |archive-date=2 March 2018 |access-date=2 March 2018 |work=Evening Standard}}{{Cite magazine |last=Booth |first=Jessica |date=13 April 2023 |title=Who Is Nicholas Hoult's Girlfriend? All About Bryana Holly |url=https://people.com/movies/who-is-bryana-holly-nicholas-hoult/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230517182007/https://people.com/movies/who-is-bryana-holly-nicholas-hoult/ |archive-date=17 May 2023 |access-date=18 April 2023 |magazine=People}} Their first child was born on April 17, 2018, and their second in October 2022. Hoult and Holly secretly tied the knot.{{cite magazine |last1=Abramovitch |first1=Seth |date=18 November 2021 |title=Nicholas Hoult on 'The Great,' '90210' Audition & Childhood Fame |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/nicholas-hoult-the-great-series-90210-childhood-fame-1235048393/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202155121/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/nicholas-hoult-the-great-series-90210-childhood-fame-1235048393/ |archive-date=2 December 2021 |access-date=6 January 2021 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{Cite news |last=Brockes |first=Emma |date=2 January 2021 |title=Nicholas Hoult: 'Part of your brain doesn't want to walk down a corridor naked' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/02/nicholas-hoult-part-of-your-brain-doesnt-want-to-walk-down-a-corridor-naked |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125025606/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/02/nicholas-hoult-part-of-your-brain-doesnt-want-to-walk-down-a-corridor-naked |archive-date=25 January 2021 |access-date=6 January 2021 |newspaper=The Guardian}}

Hoult is a philanthropist and supports numerous charities; he has been associated with organisations that support children. He was appointed the first National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Young Person Ambassador, for supporting the charity's activities aimed at children and young people.{{cite web |url=https://www.popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/Video-Clip-Skins-Single-Man-Star-Nicholas-Hoult-Talking-About-Acting-Nominated-BAFTA-Award-NSPCC-Ambassador-7287644 |title=BAFTA Nominee & NSPCC Ambassador Nick Speaks Out |work=Popsugar |access-date=17 February 2018 |date=7 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217202926/https://www.popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/Video-Clip-Skins-Single-Man-Star-Nicholas-Hoult-Talking-About-Acting-Nominated-BAFTA-Award-NSPCC-Ambassador-7287644 |archive-date=17 February 2018}} Since 2009, he has also been involved with the Teenage Cancer Trust; he continues to visit patients supported by the organisation and has helped promote its awareness campaigns, including the sun-safety campaign "Shunburn".{{cite web |url=https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/our-story/people/ambassadors/nicholas-hoult |title=Nicholas Hoult |last=Glaister |first=Flora |date=25 September 2014 |publisher=Teenage Cancer Trust |access-date=17 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115080411/https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/our-story/people/ambassadors/nicholas-hoult |archive-date=15 January 2017}} Hoult designed sweaters for Save the Children's and Selfish Mother's joint Christmas Jumper Day campaign. He encouraged customers to buy the festive collection and support the charitable cause, which he thought would bring a "real change to children's lives".{{cite web |url=https://fashion.hellomagazine.com/fashion-news/201710317523/stars-design-christmas-sweaters-for-save-the-children/ |title=Stars design Christmas jumpers for Save the Children |work=Hello! |access-date=17 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217202849/https://fashion.hellomagazine.com/fashion-news/201710317523/stars-design-christmas-sweaters-for-save-the-children/ |archive-date=17 February 2018 |date=31 October 2017}} He also donated a pair of shoes, which was auctioned by Small Steps Project, an organisation that helps homeless and malnourished children.{{cite web |url=http://www.smallstepsproject.org/portfolio/nicholas-hoult/ |title=Nicolas Hoult |publisher=Small Steps Project |access-date=17 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090334/http://www.smallstepsproject.org/portfolio/nicholas-hoult/ |archive-date=18 February 2018}} Hoult was inducted into the NSPCC Hall of Fame in 2010 for his contributions to the campaign against child cruelty.{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/out-and-about/award-for-noel-s-charity-effort-1-352311 |title=Award for Noel's charity effort |work=The Star |date=18 May 2007 |access-date=29 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022023420/http://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/out-and-about/award-for-noel-s-charity-effort-1-352311 |archive-date=22 October 2016}}

File:Tolkien (47014503684) (cropped).jpg

Hoult visited Nairobi, Kenya, as a part of a Christian Aid project aimed at providing clean water and sanitation. During his stay he met local people and helped clean the locality. He said of his experience; "I met great people making the best of the situation{{nbsp}}... it is heart-breaking in many ways to see the living conditions".{{cite web |url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/nick-hoult-finds-inspiration-christian-4226460 |title=Nick Hoult finds inspiration in Christian Aid water project |work=Reading Post |date=13 May 2010 |access-date=17 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018214451/http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/nick-hoult-finds-inspiration-christian-4226460 |archive-date=18 October 2016}} Hoult also participated in the Rickshaw Run in January 2017, in which participants drove an auto rickshaw (also called a tuk tuk) for {{convert|3000|km|mi}} across India to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and World Wide Fund for Nature.{{cite web |url=https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/our-story/people/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-and-friends-taking-rickshaw-run |title=Nicholas Hoult And Friends Taking On The Rickshaw Run |publisher=Teenage Cancer Trust |access-date=22 January 2017 |date=29 November 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202011152/https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/our-story/people/celebrity-news/nicholas-hoult-and-friends-taking-rickshaw-run |archive-date=2 February 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wwf.org.uk/nicholas-hoult-rickshaw-challenge |title=Nicholas Hoult Takes On Epic Rickshaw Challenge |publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature |access-date=22 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202041752/http://www.wwf.org.uk/nicholas-hoult-rickshaw-challenge |archive-date=2 February 2017}} He has also been associated with Jeans for Refugees, a project and fundraising initiative intended to help refugees around the world.{{cite web |url=http://jeansforrefugees.com |title=Imagine a world... |publisher=Jeans for Refugees |access-date=17 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707172847/http://jeansforrefugees.com/ |archive-date=7 July 2017}} He donated a signed pair of jeans to the organisation; profits from the campaign were donated to the refugee support agency International Rescue Committee.{{cite web |url=http://jeansforrefugees.bigcartel.com/product/nicolas-hoult-s-jeans-for-refugees |title=Nicolas Hoult's Jeans For Refugees |publisher=Jeans for Refugees |access-date=17 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090436/http://jeansforrefugees.bigcartel.com/product/nicolas-hoult-s-jeans-for-refugees |archive-date=18 February 2018}}

On August 1, 2020, he participated in the Outreach Project campaign alongside Charlize Theron, where the film Mad Max: Fury Road was screened at a drive-in theater in Los Angeles to raise funds.{{cite web|date=August 1, 2020 |first=Mark |language=en |last=Markin |location=Los Ángeles, California |title=Inside Charlize Theron’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Drive-In Screening |url=https://variety.com/2020/scene/news/charlize-therons-mad-max-fury-road-drive-in-screening-nicholas-hoult-1234723020/ |website=Variety}} In 2021, for Save the Children UK, he took part in Misan Harriman's campaign to raise awareness about the urgent changes children want to see in the world: "Ban plastic. Reduce pollution."{{cite web|access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=November 26, 2021 |format=Web |language=English |location=United Kingdom |title=Nicholas Hoult: Save the Children de Reino Unido |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CWvrXVtphfX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==}}In June 2022, he participated in Biotherm's #BeAWaterLover campaign to raise awareness about ocean preservation and to announce the brand's commitment to becoming Ocean Positive by 2030.{{cite web|access-date=June 1, 2022 |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Nicholas Hoult: Biotherm #BeAWaterLover. |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CejWDcojLlZ/}} In both 2022 and 2023, he championed Armani's Acqua for Life campaign.{{cite web |date=September 19, 2022 |first=Théo |last=Dupuis-Carbonneau |title=A Deep Dive With Nicholas Hoult |trans-title=Una inmersión profunda con Nicholas Hoult |url=https://www.ellecanada.com/beauty/makeup-and-nails/nicholas-hoult-interview |website=Elle Canada}}

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• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/04/18/nicholas_hoult_about_a_boy_interview.shtml About a Boy interview with Hoult]

{{Portal bar|United Kingdom|England|Berkshire|Biography}}

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Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century English male actors

Category:Actors from Wokingham

Category:Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School

Category:English expatriate male actors in the United States

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Category:National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people

Category:People educated at Ranelagh Grammar School

Category:People educated at Sixth Form College, Farnborough