# Archie Renaux
**Archie Renaux** (born 1997) is a British actor best known for playing Malyen "Mal" Oretsev in the Netflix fantasy series *[Shadow and Bone](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-and-bone-tv-series)* and Tyler in the 2024 film *Alien: Romulus*. He is of Indian and English descent and grew up in [Kingston upon Thames](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingston-upon-thames), Surrey, England.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) |
| Birth name | Archie James Beale; the stage name honors his great aunt Helen Renaux[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/) |
| Breakthrough role | Malyen "Mal" Oretsev in *Shadow and Bone* (Netflix, 2021–2023, 16 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) |
| Film work | Tyler in *Alien: Romulus* (2024); William in *Upgraded* (2024); Bobby in *Morbius* (2022)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) |
| Television debut | Guest role as Feliciano in *Hanna* (2019), followed by the role of Leo Day in BBC One's *[Gold Digger](https://www.edgepedia.org/gold-digger-tv-series)* (2019), a series starring Julia Ormond and Ben Barnes[3](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/) • [10](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/casting-news-ben-barnes-to-star-opposite-julia-ormond-in-bbc-drama-gold-digger--1013856) |
| Recent series | *The Jetty* (2024, as Hitch); *War* (2026), an HBO legal drama[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/archie-renaux/) |
## Early life and path to acting
Renaux was born Archie James Beale in 1997 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) He trained at Unseen, a drama school in London, while holding a part-time job.[3](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/) In an Esquire interview he described an apprenticeship that convinced him he was not suited to working with cooling units; he quit, worked on a building site to support himself while auditioning, and picked up an agent and a few low-paid roles.[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/)
**Modeling came first.** After one of his acting classes, a scout told him he could earn extra money in front of a camera, and he signed with AMCK models for a few shoots.[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/) His modeling work included appearances for Topman, Nasir Mazhar, Moss Bros, Gay Times Magazine, and Men's Fashion Week.[3](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/) He has said he did not enjoy it: "It felt kind of empty for me."[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/) He chose the stage name Archie Renaux as a tribute to his great aunt, Helen Renaux.[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/)
## Television
His television debut came in 2019 with a guest role as Feliciano in [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime)'s *Hanna*, and that same year he won his first major television part as Leo Day in the [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) miniseries *Gold Digger*, which starred [Julia Ormond](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-ormond) and Ben Barnes.[3](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/) • [10](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/casting-news-ben-barnes-to-star-opposite-julia-ormond-in-bbc-drama-gold-digger--1013856)
**Shadow and Bone.** In October 2019 it was announced that Renaux would play Malyen "Mal" Oretsev in Netflix's adaptation of [Leigh Bardugo](https://www.edgepedia.org/leigh-bardugo)'s Grishaverse novels.[3](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/) In the series, Mal is a fellow orphan and the best friend of Alina Starkov ([Jessie Mei Li](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessie-mei-li)), accompanying her on the first crossing of the Shadow Fold, the darkness that splits the kingdom of Ravka.[5](https://time.com/5956638/shadow-and-bone-books-six-of-crows/) The character is famously controversial among readers of the books, and Esquire framed Renaux's task as making audiences "finally love" Mal.[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/) He played the role across 16 episodes from 2021 to 2023; Netflix later officially canceled the series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) • [6](https://www.rostercon.com/en/people/archie-renaux)
In 2024 he played Hitch in the BBC mini-series *The Jetty*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) He appears in *War* (2026), an HBO legal drama in which two top London law firms clash over a divorce case.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/archie-renaux/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/)
## Film
Renaux's early film work included Alex in *Voyagers* (2021), a science-fiction film he has described as a kind of "Lord of the Flies in space" that received underwhelming reviews.[2](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/) He played Bobby in the Marvel film *Morbius* (2022), Edward the Monk in *Catherine Called Birdy* (2022), and [Tom Collins](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-collins) in *The Greatest Beer Run Ever* (2022).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/)
**Alien: Romulus.** In 2024 he played Tyler in *Alien: Romulus*, an entry in the [Alien](https://www.edgepedia.org/alien-franchise) franchise starring [Cailee Spaeny](https://www.edgepedia.org/cailee-spaeny), David Jonsson, and [Isabela Merced](https://www.edgepedia.org/isabela-merced) as young people trying to escape their backwater planet.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) • [7](https://www.thewrap.com/alien-romulus-timeline-explained/) The film is set in the year 2142, between the original *Alien* (set in 2122) and *Aliens*, and its plot turns on the derelict space station Renaissance, split into the Remus and Romulus modules.[8](https://www.slashfilm.com/1643683/alien-romulus-franchise-timeline/) • [7](https://www.thewrap.com/alien-romulus-timeline-explained/)
**Upgraded.** Also in 2024, he starred as William in the Amazon Prime romantic comedy *Upgraded*, opposite [Camila Mendes](https://www.edgepedia.org/camila-mendes) as Ana, an ambitious art-world intern, and [Marisa Tomei](https://www.edgepedia.org/marisa-tomei) as her demanding boss Claire; Will meets Ana in first class and mistakes her for her boss, a white lie that drives the plot.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) • [9](https://riverdaley.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/June-2025-New-Beginnings-Newsletter.pdf)
## Public appearances
Renaux appears regularly at fan conventions tied to *Shadow and Bone* and the *Alien* franchise, with listed events including Comic-Con International: San Diego in 2024, A Storm of Crows & Shadows 3 in Paris in 2024, Comic-Con Prague in 2025, Into The Fold 3 in London in 2026, and East European Comic Con in [Bucharest](https://www.edgepedia.org/bucharest) scheduled for September 2026.[6](https://www.rostercon.com/en/people/archie-renaux)
## Personal life
He stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and has a child named Iris.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/) He is sometimes credited as Archie Reneaux, the spelling used for his role in *Morbius*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/)
## References
1. [Archie Renaux, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850556/)
2. [Archie Renaux on Playing Malyen "Mal" Oretsev in Shadow and Bone, Esquire (2021)](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36109585/archie-renaux-shadow-and-bone-mal-oretsev-interview/)
3. [Archie Renaux, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/actores/actor-870189/)
4. [Archie Renaux, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/archie-renaux/)
5. [How Netflix's Shadow and Bone Builds on Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse Novels, TIME (2021)](https://time.com/5956638/shadow-and-bone-books-six-of-crows/)
6. [Archie Renaux, Roster Con](https://www.rostercon.com/en/people/archie-renaux)
7. [When Is 'Alien: Romulus' Set in the Franchise Timeline?, TheWrap (2024)](https://www.thewrap.com/alien-romulus-timeline-explained/)
8. [Where Alien: Romulus Fits In The Alien Timeline, SlashFilm (2024)](https://www.slashfilm.com/1643683/alien-romulus-franchise-timeline/)
9. [June 2025 New Beginnings Newsletter, Riverdale Y](https://riverdaley.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/June-2025-New-Beginnings-Newsletter.pdf)
10. [Casting News: Ben Barnes to Star Opposite Julia Ormond in BBC Drama 'Gold Digger', Anglophenia, BBC America](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/casting-news-ben-barnes-to-star-opposite-julia-ormond-in-bbc-drama-gold-digger--1013856)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Q to Se*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license