Sebastian Croft
{{Short description|English actor (born 2001)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sebastian Croft
| image = Sebastian Croft at the BFI London July 2019.png
| caption = Croft in July 2019
| birth_name = Sebastian Theodore Kemble Croft
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|12|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Oxford, England
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2007–present
}}
Sebastian Theodore Kemble Croft (born 16 December 2001) is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor on stage before making his television debut as Young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones (2016). He earned a BAFTA Children's Award nomination for his role in Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019).{{cite web |title=Children's Awards Nominations 2019 |url=http://www.bafta.org/children/awards/childrens-awards-nominations-and-winners-2019 |website=BAFTA.com |date=22 October 2019 |access-date=28 October 2019 |archive-date=25 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925192054/http://www.bafta.org/children/awards/childrens-awards-nominations-and-winners-2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Childrens BAFTA Nominations Announced |url=http://www.televisual.com/news-detail/Children’s-Bafta-nominations-announced_nid-8271.html |website=Televisual.com |access-date=22 October 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028152019/http://www.televisual.com/news-detail/Children%E2%80%99s-Bafta-nominations-announced_nid-8271.html |url-status=live}} He has since starred in the Netflix series Heartstopper (2022–2023).
Croft's voice work includes the film Where Is Anne Frank (2021), "Ice", an instalment of the Netflix anthology Love, Death & Robots (2021) and voice option one for the player character in the game Hogwarts Legacy.
Early life
Croft was born on 16 December 2001{{Cite web |title=Sebastian Croft (@SebastianCroft) / Twitter Bio |url=https://twitter.com/sebastiancroft/ |access-date=26 April 2022 |website=Twitter |archive-date=13 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513181202/https://twitter.com/SebastianCroft |url-status=live}}{{Citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=Birth in 2001}} in Oxford{{Cite web|url=https://www.anothermag.com/design-living/15030/50-questions-with-sebastian-croft-heartstopper-season-2-interview|title=50 Questions With Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft|work=AnOther Magazine|first=Teddy|last=Stansfield|date=31 July 2023|accessdate=23 September 2024}} to an English father and a Greek Cypriot mother.{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.co/article/heartstoppers-sebastian-croft-is-ditching-teen-soaps-for-sartre/|title=Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft Is Ditching Teen Soaps for Sartre|work=i-D|first=Douglas|last=Greenwood|date=4 September 2024|accessdate=23 September 2024}} Croft was named after Lord Sebastian Flyte, one of the main characters of Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited.{{cite web |title=50 Questions With Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft |url=https://www.anothermag.com/design-living/15030/50-questions-with-sebastian-croft-heartstopper |website=AnOther |date=31 July 2023 |access-date=31 July 2023}} He began taking acting classes at the Abingdon-on-Thames branch of Stagecoach when he was seven{{Cite web|url=https://www.stagecoach.co.uk/blog/post/august-2019/meet-sebastian-croft|title=Meet Sebastian Croft|first=Dijana|last=Radisevic|date=5 August 2015|access-date=25 February 2021|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301221626/https://www.stagecoach.co.uk/blog/post/august-2019/meet-sebastian-croft|url-status=live}} and at Michael Xavier's MX Masterclass, of which Croft is now a patron.{{Cite web|url=https://mxmasterclass.com/teachers|title=Teachers|website=MX Masterclass|access-date=2 September 2022}} He attended the Dragon School for preparatory school{{Cite web|url=https://www.dragonschool.org/community-news/sebastian-goes-back/|title=Sebastian Goes Back to School|website=Dragon School|date=21 January 2021|access-date=25 February 2021|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303172817/https://www.dragonschool.org/community-news/sebastian-goes-back/|url-status=live}} and St Edward's School, Oxford for GCSEs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stedwardsoxford.org/creative-industries/|title=Teddies and the Creative Industries|website=St Edward's Oxford|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511232851/https://www.stedwardsoxford.org/creative-industries/|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15412792.can-oxfords-last-game-thrones-link-survive-next-series/|title=Can Oxford's last Game of Thrones link survive the next series?|journal=Oxford Mail|first=Callum|last=Keown|date=15 July 2017|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=13 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213042230/https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15412792.can-oxfords-last-game-thrones-link-survive-next-series/|url-status=live}} He completed A Levels in English, philosophy and film.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stormmanagement.com/artists/sebastian-croft/4279|title=Sebastian Croft|website=Storm Management|access-date=25 February 2021|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120054336/https://www.stormmanagement.com/artists/sebastian-croft/4279|url-status=live}}
Career
=Theatre=
Croft made his first West End stage appearance in 2010 in Sam Mendes' production of Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).{{cite web|url=http://oliverthemusical.com/cast/sebastian-croft/|title=Sebastian Croft – Oliver!|website=Oliverthemusical.com|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=5 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905083359/http://oliverthemusical.com/cast/sebastian-croft/|url-status=dead}} In 2011, he was cast as Gavroche in Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre). Croft was later handpicked by producer Cameron Mackintosh to return to Oliver! this time playing the title role in the UK touring company for eighteen months. In 2013, Croft played Tommy in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Matilda (Cambridge Theatre).{{cite web|url=http://westendmasterclass.co.uk/2014/01/04/sebastian-croft-matilda-and-coriolanus/|title=Sebastian Croft – Matilda and Coriolanus|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509144440/http://westendmasterclass.co.uk/2014/01/04/sebastian-croft-matilda-and-coriolanus/|archive-date=9 May 2016}} His final musical performance as a juvenile was in the title role of the world premiere production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Leicester Curve). Prominent musical theatre workshops include: I Can't Sing, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Bumblescratch,{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZMGdZr7a4E|title=Bumblescratch The Musical EPK|date=21 May 2013|publisher=YouTube|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=14 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514140739/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZMGdZr7a4E|url-status=live}} Danny Hero and The Braille Legacy.{{cite web|url=http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/sebastian-croft/cv|title=Sebastian Croft|website=Curtis Brown|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506055705/http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/sebastian-croft/cv|url-status=dead}} Prominent one night concerts and performances include: Rags: The Musical (Lyric Theatre){{cite web|url=http://musicaltheatrereview.com/rags-musical-concert-lyric-theatre/|title=Rags the Musical in Concert – Lyric Theatre|website=Musicaltheatrereview.com|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=9 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509083059/http://musicaltheatrereview.com/rags-musical-concert-lyric-theatre/|url-status=live}} and A Charity Concert With Emeli Sande and Laura Wright. In June 2016 Croft appeared in the West End Live presentation of Bumblescratch in Trafalgar Square.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiElGLYA3Y|title=Bumblescratch at West End Live|date=22 June 2016 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=7 October 2016|archive-date=29 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229054021/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiElGLYA3Y|url-status=live}}
In 2014, Croft's vocals were featured in the National Theatre Live's production of Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse) with Tom Hiddleston. Croft workshopped the play Emil and The Detectives (National Theatre) in the title role of Emil Tischbein. In 2016, Croft was cast in the role of Prince Arthur in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of Shakespeare's King John (Rose Theatre){{cite web|url=http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/14434918.Cast_announced_for_Sir_Trevor_Nunn___s_King_John_in_Kingston/?ref=mr&lp=17|title=Cast announced for Sir Trevor Nunn's King John in Kingston|work=Kingston Guardian|date=18 April 2016 |access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506203429/http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/14434918.Cast_announced_for_Sir_Trevor_Nunn___s_King_John_in_Kingston/?ref=mr&lp=17|url-status=live}} for which Croft received high praise from the national press.Cavendish, Dominic; [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/king-john-rose-theatre-kingston-a-youngster-saves-the-day/ "Game of Thrones' Sebastian Croft saves this King John"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731191056/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/king-john-rose-theatre-kingston-a-youngster-saves-the-day/ |date=31 July 2017 }}, The Daily Telegraph, 19 May 2016.
In 2023, in his first stage appearance in eight years,.{{YouTube |t_lhWBXnTV4 |Sebastian Croft talking about 4000 Miles}} Croft appeared in Amy Herzog's play 4000 Miles at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre, with Dame Eileen Atkins.
=Film and television=
In 2016, Croft appeared in the ITV and Fox series Houdini and Doyle and the Sky Atlantic and Showtime series Penny Dreadful. Croft rose to prominence portraying the role of a young Eddard Stark (portrayed by Sean Bean as an adult and Robert Aramayo as a young adult) in the sixth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones.{{cite web|url=https://www.prensa.com/in_english/Sebastian-Crof-joven-Ned-Stark_21_4494510506.html|title=Sebastian Crof, the young Ned Stark|date=29 May 2016|author=Roy Espinosa|publisher=La Prensa|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530134119/https://www.prensa.com/in_english/Sebastian-Crof-joven-Ned-Stark_21_4494510506.html|archive-date=30 May 2016|url-status=dead}}
Croft made his feature film debut in 2017 as a Young David Logan in The Hippopotamus. He appeared in the 2019 films Music, War and Love and Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans as Young Robert Pulaski and Atti respectively, the latter of which earned him a BAFTA Children's Award nomination in the Young Performer category.
Croft voiced Peter van Daan in the animated fantasy film Where Is Anne Frank, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. He lent his voice to Volume II of the Netflix animated anthology Love, Death & Robots in the Creative Arts Emmy Award-winning episode "Ice". Croft and Ty Tennant were cast as the Dead Boy Detectives Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine respectively in season 3 of the DC Universe series Doom Patrol.{{cite web|url=https://thedirect.com/article/doom-patrol-season-3-cast-sebastian-croft-ty-tennant-dead-boy-detectives-exclusive|title=Doom Patrol Season 3: Sebastian Croft & Ty Tennant Cast as Dead Boy Detectives (Exclusive)|website=The Direct|first1=Aeron Mer|last1=Del Eclarinal|date=15 April 2021|access-date=16 April 2021|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416021929/https://thedirect.com/article/doom-patrol-season-3-cast-sebastian-croft-ty-tennant-dead-boy-detectives-exclusive|url-status=live}}
In April 2021, it was announced Croft would play Ben Hope in the 2022 Netflix series Heartstopper, an adaptation of the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/netflix-heartstopper-yasmin-finney-1234744097/|title=Netflix Rounds Out Cast For 'Heartstopper' With 'What If?' Star Yasmin Finney & Seven Others|journal=Deadline|first=Jake|last=Kanter|date=26 April 2021|access-date=26 April 2021|archive-date=2 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502152900/https://deadline.com/2021/04/netflix-heartstopper-yasmin-finney-1234744097/|url-status=live}} Later that year, he was part of the cast of the horror-fantasy film Dampyr released in Italy on 28 October 2022.{{Cite news|url=https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/cinema/2022/09/21/dampyr-trailer|title=Dampyr, il trailer del film tratto dal fumetto Sergio Bonelli Editore|work=Sky TG24|language=it|access-date=12 January 2023}} Croft co-starred with Charithra Chandran in the young adult romantic comedy How to Date Billy Walsh for Amazon Prime.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/6992/how-to-date-billy-walsh/|title=Amazon announce comedy film How To Date Billy Walsh|website=British Comedy Guide|date=25 August 2022|access-date=25 August 2022}}
In August 2023, it was confirmed that Croft would not be returning for the third season of Heartstopper as Ben Hope, given his character's storyline had finished in the second season's seventh episode.{{Cite web |title=Ben Won't Be Back for 'Heartstopper' Season 3 — Here's Why |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/ben-heartstopper-exit-scene-interview |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=Netflix Tudum |language=en}}
In November 2023, it was announced Croft would star in the film Get Away (originally titled Svalta) with Nick Frost and Aisling Bea.{{Cite web |title='Svalta:' XYZ & Wayward Wrap Production On Horror Pic |url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/lena-headey-svalta-xyz-wayward-nick-frost-aisling-bea-1235594089/ |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=Deadline |date=6 November 2023 |language=en}} The same month, Croft joined the cast of the upcoming BBC crime drama series Dope Girls.{{Cite web |title=BBC announces cast for major new drama series Dope Girls |url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/dope-girls-bbc-julianne-nicholson-casting-peaky-blinders-1235612458/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=Deadline |date=15 November 2023 |language=en}}
Personal life
Croft has dyslexia and identifies as queer.{{Cite web |date=13 September 2019 |title=Game of Thrones Actor Gives Talk to Drama Boys |url=https://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/game-of-thrones-actor-gives-talk-to-drama-boys |access-date=4 June 2022 |website=Bedford School |quote=Sebastian admitted that he struggled academically at school – mainly due to his dyslexia. |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725190600/https://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/game-of-thrones-actor-gives-talk-to-drama-boys/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Rounds |first=Alex |title=Interview: Horrible Histories' Sebastian Croft |url=https://cambridge.lightcinemas.co.uk/blog/interview-horrible-histories-sebastian-croft |access-date=4 June 2022 |website=The Light Cambridge |quote=I was a big Horrible Histories fan. I'm very dyslexic, and they were the only books that I really enjoyed reading... |archive-date=12 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312084706/https://cambridge.lightcinemas.co.uk/blog/interview-horrible-histories-sebastian-croft |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Queer Was Always Here |url=https://www.queerwasalwayshere.com/ |access-date=2 August 2023 |website=Queer Was Always Here |language=en-CA}} For Pride Month in 2022, Croft tweeted that he had created a t-shirt design of “two gay dinosaurs kissing, reminding everyone that Queer has always been here.”{{Cite web |title=Queer Was Always Here |url=https://www.queerwasalwayshere.com/ |access-date=2 August 2023 |website=Queer Was Always Here |language=en-CA}} All of the money from sales of the shirt was to go to Choose Love and Rainbow Railroad – two charities helping LGBT refugees – according to Croft.{{Cite tweet |user=SebastianCroft |number=1537820628467728388 |title=To raise money for @chooselove and @RainbowRailroad I designed a T-shirt with two gay Dinosaurs kissing, reminding everyone that Queer has always been here. 100% of the money will go to helping queer refugees fleeing persecution. Click the link 💖🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️}}{{cite web|url=https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/2sebastian-croft-allyship-lgbtq/748986|title=How 20-Year-Old Actor Sebastian Croft Defines Relentless 'Allyship' with LGBTQ People|author=Leon Kaye|date=5 July 2022|publisher=Triple Pundit|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705231052/https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/2sebastian-croft-allyship-lgbtq/748986|archive-date=5 July 2022|url-status=live}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Key | style="background:#ffc" | {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}} | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2017
| {{Sort|Hippopotamus, The|The Hippopotamus}} | Young David Logan | |
| rowspan="2"|2019
| Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans | Atti | |
| I'll Find You
| Young Robert Pulaski | Formerly titled Music, War and Love |
| rowspan="2"|2021
| Voice role |
| School's Out Forever
| Pugh | |
| 2022
| Dampyr | Yuri | |
| 2023
| Daniele | |
| rowspan="2"|2024
| Archibald "Archie" Arnold | |
| Get Away
| Sam | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| rowspan="3"|2016
| Newsie | Episode: "Spring-Heel'd Jack" | |
| Game of Thrones
| Young Eddard Stark | 2 episodes |
| Penny Dreadful
| Boy Familiar | 4 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2021
| Fletcher | Episode: "Ice" | |
| Doom Patrol
| Episode: "Dead Patrol" |
| 2022–2023
| Ben Hope | 13 episodes | {{cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/ben-heartstopper-exit-scene-interview|title=Ben Won't Be Back for 'Heartstopper' Season 3 — Here's Why|author=Ariana Romero|date=3 August 2023|publisher=Netflix|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803205215/https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/ben-heartstopper-exit-scene-interview|archive-date=3 August 2023|url-status=live}} |
| 2025
| Silvio Salucci | 6 episodes |
=Music video=
| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Song ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Artist ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| 2014
| Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel |
=Radio/Audio=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! width="100px"| Title ! Role ! width=120| Writer ! width=120| Broadcast ! Ref |
|---|
| 2023
| A Single Act | Ben Vane | BBC Radio 4 audio drama |
| 2025
| Open, Heaven | Narrator | Audiobook |
=Video game=
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Video Game !Character !Ref |
| 2023
|Protagonist (male voice) |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Nominated work ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2019
| British Academy Children's Awards | Young Performer | Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans | {{Nominated}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{IMDb name}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20220728183507/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/59ba57ef952f0 Sebastian Croft] at the British Film Institute
- {{Instagram}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Sebastian}}
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:British activists with disabilities
Category:English actors with disabilities
Category:English LGBTQ rights activists
Category:English male child actors
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male musical theatre actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:English people of Greek Cypriot descent
Category:LGBTQ actors with disabilities
Category:Male actors from Oxford
Category:People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford