# Ferdinand Kingsley
**Ferdinand Kingsley** (born 1988) is a British actor and musician known for playing Charles Francatelli in the ITV series *Victoria* (2016–2019), [Irving Thalberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/irving-thalberg) in [David Fincher](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-fincher)'s film *Mank* (2020), Hob Gadling in Netflix's adaptation of *The Sandman* (2022–2025), and the mercenary A.M. in the second season of Amazon's *Reacher* (2023–2024).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) • [2](https://time.com/5908264/mank-review-netflix/) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/) He is the son of the Oscar-winning actor [Ben Kingsley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-kingsley) and the theater director Alison Sutcliffe.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) |
| Training | Guildhall School of Music and Drama, BA (Hons) Acting, three years, 2006–2009[4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/pdf/) |
| Early recognition | Ian Charleson Awards commendation in 2010 for Rosencrantz in Nicholas Hytner's *Hamlet* at the National Theatre[5](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/) |
| Breakthrough television | Charles Francatelli in *Victoria* (ITV, 2016–2019)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) |
| Notable film | Irving Thalberg in *Mank* (Netflix, 2020), directed by David Fincher[2](https://time.com/5908264/mank-review-netflix/) |
| Recent series | Hob Gadling in *The Sandman* (2022–2025), George Wilkins in *Silo* (2023), A.M. in *Reacher* season 2 (2023–2024)[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/) |
| Music | Produces music under the name FK[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) |
## Family and training
Kingsley was born in [Leamington Spa](https://www.edgepedia.org/leamington-spa), Warwickshire, to Ben Kingsley and Alison Sutcliffe, a theater director. He has a brother, Edmund, who is also an actor, and the two began appearing on stage in non-speaking roles as children; he also has an older half-brother, Thomas, and half-sister, Jasmine, from his father's first marriage.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) • [6](https://www.biography.com/actor/ben-kingsley) He attended Warwick School in Warwick before professional training.[7](https://bgomagazine.com/ferdinand-kingsley/)
He turned down a place at Clare College, Cambridge, and instead trained at the [Guildhall School of Music and Drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/guildhall-school-of-music-and-drama) from 2006 to 2009, taking a BA (Hons) in Acting.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/pdf/) In interviews he has described being made aware daily that his father's career was an exception rather than a rule, and has said he wanted his work to stand on its own merits rather than on any family advantage.[8](https://film-forums.com/ferdinand-kingsley-david-finchers-mank-2020/)
## Stage career
Kingsley's adult stage career began at the National Theatre in Richard Eyre's production of *Welcome to Thebes*, in the role of Phaeax.[5](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/) His National Theatre work also includes *The King James Bible: The Gospel According to Mark* (Peter / Narrator, directed by James Dacre) and *Man and Superman* (Octavius Robinson, directed by Simon Godwin, in the 2015 production fronted by [Ralph Fiennes](https://www.edgepedia.org/ralph-fiennes)).[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/) • [5](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/)
**Shakespeare and early recognition.** He appeared with the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company) in productions including *Troilus and Cressida* (Greek Soldier, directed by Peter Stein), *Little Eyolf* (title role, directed by Adrian Noble), and *Romeo and Juliet* (Friar Lawrence's Page).[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/) His performance as Rosencrantz, and as understudy Hamlet, in Nicholas Hytner's 2010 National Theatre production of *Hamlet* earned him a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards, which honor young British actors.[5](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/) • [9](https://thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/ferdinand-kingsley) Other stage credits include *The Winter's Tale* (Florizel) for Headlong Theatre, *Red Velvet* at the Tricycle Theatre, *Teh Internet Is Serious Business* at the Royal Court in 2014, and the combined role of God and Jesus in the [York Mystery Plays](https://www.edgepedia.org/york-mystery-plays) 2012 at York Theatre Royal.[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/)
In 2024 he made his Almeida Theatre debut playing Paco, an [Iraq War](https://www.edgepedia.org/iraq-war) veteran, in the UK premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play *The Comeuppance*, directed by Eric Ting, which ran from 6 April to 18 May 2024.[5](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/)
## Television
Kingsley's first screen appearance came in the Roman Empire adventure *The Last Legion* (2007), playing the younger version of the magician instructor Ambrosinus, the character played by his father.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley) He then moved through a series of period roles: the French poet and painter Albert Aurier in the docudrama *Van Gogh: Painted with Words* ([BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one), 2010); the House of Commons speaker Sir John Bushy in the *Richard II* episode of *The Hollow Crown* ([BBC Two](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-two), 2012); the boat steerer Obed Hendricks in *The Whale* (BBC One, 2013), a dramatization of the Essex whaling incident that inspired *Moby-Dick*; the Jewish anarchist Joshua Bloom in *Ripper Street* (BBC One); and Desmond Burton-Cox in *Agatha Christie's Poirot: Elephants Can Remember* (ITV).[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/)
He played Giulio d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara's illegitimate son, in a five-episode run of the European historical series *Borgia* (Canal+, 2011–2014).[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley) His most prominent early television role was Charles Elmé Francatelli, the Queen's chef, in ITV's royal drama *Victoria*, a principal role across 23 episodes from 2016 to 2019.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) • [10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley) Guest and supporting roles followed: the treacherous soldier Neville Catchlove in the *Doctor Who* episode "Empress of Mars" (2017), Aldo Lazzara in the [Shonda Rhimes](https://www.edgepedia.org/shonda-rhimes)-produced *Still Star-Crossed* (ABC, 2017), Young Pa in *Perpetual Grace, LTD* (MGM / Epix, 2019), and Brandon Yarrow in *Midsomer Murders* (2021).[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/)
From 2022 he moved into high-profile genre streaming roles: Hob Gadling in Netflix's *The Sandman*, adapted from [Neil Gaiman](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-gaiman)'s comic book series (2022–2025, four episodes), [George Wilkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-wilkins), the IT specialist boyfriend of the protagonist, in Apple TV+'s *Silo* (2023), and the mysterious villain A.M. in the second season of Amazon Prime Video's *Reacher* (2023–2024).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/) • [11](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/news/)
## Mank and film work
In *Mank* (Netflix, 2020), David Fincher's black-and-white drama about screenwriter [Herman J. Mankiewicz](https://www.edgepedia.org/herman-j-mankiewicz) writing *Citizen Kane*, Kingsley played the MGM producer Irving Thalberg, appearing opposite Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, and Charles Dance.[2](https://time.com/5908264/mank-review-netflix/) The film received 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture and best director.[12](https://evergreenpodcasts.com/blog/stage-whispers-and-screen-stories-with-manks-ferdinand-kingsley) Most of Kingsley's scenes were one-on-one duologues with Oldman, and he has described Fincher as a demanding but encouraging director who held everyone, from the smallest part to the lead, to the same standard.[13](https://www.therakishgent.co.uk/pages/spotlight-mr-ferdinand-kingsley) • [14](https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-katz-walk/ferdinand-kingsley-up-close-and-personal-about-his-family-and-fame) His other feature film credit is Hamza Bey, an Ottoman-Albanian admiral, in the vampire film *Dracula Untold* (Universal Pictures, 2014).[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/)
## Music and other work
Kingsley also works as a music producer under the name FK.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/) His voice work includes the role of "Slide" in *The Lovecraft Investigations* and the title role in *Who Is Aldrich Kemp?*, both BBC Radio 4 series.[9](https://thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/ferdinand-kingsley) • [15](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ferdinand-kingsley/)
## References
1. [Ferdinand Kingsley, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/)
2. [Mank Is an Ambitious Picture That Walks the Line Between Stunt and Masterpiece, Time](https://time.com/5908264/mank-review-netflix/)
3. [Ferdinand Kingsley CV, Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/)
4. [Ferdinand Kingsley CV (PDF), Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/ferdinand-kingsley/pdf/)
5. [Ferdinand Kingsley on The Comeuppance at the Almeida Theatre, The Arts Dispatch](https://www.theartsdispatch.com/ferdinand-kingsley-on-the-comeuppance-at-the-almeida-theatre/)
6. [Ben Kingsley, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actor/ben-kingsley)
7. [Ferdinand Kingsley: Biography, Career, Family, and Life Beyond Acting, BGO Magazine](https://bgomagazine.com/ferdinand-kingsley/)
8. [Ever dreamed of working with David Fincher & Gary Oldman? Ferdinand Kingsley lives that dream in Mank (2020), Film Forums](https://film-forums.com/ferdinand-kingsley-david-finchers-mank-2020/)
9. [Reference for FERDINAND KINGSLEY, The Names Dictionary](https://thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/ferdinand-kingsley)
10. [Ferdinand Kingsley Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ferdinand_kingsley)
11. [Ferdinand Kingsley News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2000850/news/)
12. [Stage Whispers and Screen Stories with Mank's Ferdinand Kingsley, Evergreen Podcasts](https://evergreenpodcasts.com/blog/stage-whispers-and-screen-stories-with-manks-ferdinand-kingsley)
13. [Spotlight with actor Ferdinand Kingsley on Netflix's Mank, The Rakish Gent](https://www.therakishgent.co.uk/pages/spotlight-mr-ferdinand-kingsley)
14. [Ferdinand Kingsley: Up Close and Personal About His Family and Fame, The Katz Walk, Evergreen Podcasts](https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-katz-walk/ferdinand-kingsley-up-close-and-personal-about-his-family-and-fame)
15. [Ferdinand Kingsley, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ferdinand-kingsley/)
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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 I to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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