# Thomas Brodie-Sangster
**Thomas Brodie-Sangster** (born 1990) is an English actor known for playing Sam in *Love Actually* (2003), voicing Ferb in the animated series *Phineas and Ferb* (2007–2015), playing Jojen Reed in *Game of Thrones* (2013–2014), Newt in the *Maze Runner* film trilogy (2014–2018), and Benny Watts in the Netflix miniseries *The Queen's Gambit* (2020), for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination.[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, London, England, UK[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) |
| First role | The British TV movie *Station Jim* (2001), at age 11[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) |
| Breakout | Sam in Richard Curtis's *Love Actually* (2003), the drum-learning son of Liam Neeson's character[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) |
| Signature voice role | Ferb Fletcher in *Phineas and Ferb* (2007–2015)[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) |
| Franchise work | Newt in *The Maze Runner* (2014), *The Scorch Trials* (2015), and *The Death Cure* (2018)[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) |
| Award recognition | Primetime Emmy nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, for *The Queen's Gambit* (2020)[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) |
| Family | Married to actor Talulah Riley since 22 June 2024; second cousin, once removed, of Hugh Grant[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) |
## Early life and first roles
Brodie-Sangster was born in London to parents who worked in the film industry; the Guardian describes him as the child of theater actors.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint) His parents sent his headshots to friends starting a talent agency when he was 10, which led to his first audition, for *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*; he did not get the part of [Ron Weasley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-weasley), a rejection he later described as having caused "anger and frustration".[5](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols)
His first acting role came at age 11 in the BBC television film *Station Jim* (2001).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) Early television credits also include *Bobbie's Girl* (2002), *The Miracle of the Cards* (2001), *Entrusted* (2003), and *Feather Boy* (2004), as well as playing the young Hitler in flashback scenes in *Hitler: The Rise of Evil*.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) • [6](https://tribecafilm-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/release/press_kit/24/Death_of_a_Superhero_pressbook_1_.pdf)
## Breakout: Love Actually and the 2000s
**Love Actually.** In Richard Curtis's 2003 Christmas romance, Brodie-Sangster played Sam, the bereaved stepson of [Liam Neeson](https://www.edgepedia.org/liam-neeson)'s character, who learns to play the drums to impress a classmate. He learned the drums from his father for the role.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) He was 13 when the film was released, and its success made him one of the most in-demand young actors in Britain.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) He has said he remains proud of the film, which he describes as having gained a cult following over the years rather than being a huge blockbuster on release.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols)
He followed it with Simon in *Nanny McPhee* (2005), again working with [Emma Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-thompson), and a run of 2000s film roles: young Tristan in *Tristan & Isolde* (2006), Romulus Augustus in *The Last Legion* (2007), Samuel Brawne in [Jane Campion](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-campion)'s Oscar-nominated *Bright Star* (2009), and a teenage [Paul McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-mccartney) in *Nowhere Boy* (2009), for which he learned to play guitar left-handed.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) • [6](https://tribecafilm-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/release/press_kit/24/Death_of_a_Superhero_pressbook_1_.pdf) He has appeared in three films with Colin Firth: *Love Actually*, *Nanny McPhee*, and *The Last Legion*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/)
## Voice work
From 2007 to 2015 Brodie-Sangster voiced [Ferb Fletcher](https://www.edgepedia.org/ferb-fletcher) in the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) animated series *Phineas and Ferb*, the role by which he became best known in the late 2000s.[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) The show's international success led to further voice work, including *Thunderbirds Are Go* (ITV, 2015–2020), where he voiced both John and Gordon Tracy.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint) Later voice roles include Firedrake in *Dragon Rider* (2020) and Ed in *Grand Prix of Europe* (2025).[7](https://cinegraph.org/people/thomas-brodie-sangster)
## Television and franchise roles in the 2010s
Brodie-Sangster played Jojen Reed in seasons three and four of HBO's *Game of Thrones* (2013–2014), a character written as a 12-year-old whom he played in his twenties, and Whitey Winn in the Netflix miniseries *Godless* (2017).[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint) His youthful appearance has been a recurring theme of his casting: in 2015, at 24, he was still being refused service in pubs without ID.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint)
In the BBC's six-part adaptation of *[Wolf Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolf-hall-tv-series)* (2015), directed by Peter Kosminsky, he played Rafe Sadler, the teenage protégé of [Thomas Cromwell](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-cromwell), opposite [Mark Rylance](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-rylance); he reprised the role in the 2024 sequel series *Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light*.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint) • [8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-brodie-sangster/) The same year he played the lead in Antonia Bogdanovich's debut feature *Phantom Halo* (2014).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster) His commercial anchor in film became the *Maze Runner* trilogy, in which he played Newt in all three films from 2014 to 2018.[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) • [9](https://nationalreport.uk/blog/thomas-brodie-sangster-career-wife/) He also had a cameo as a First Order officer in *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* (2015).[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster)
## The Queen's Gambit and later work
Before *The Queen's Gambit*, Brodie-Sangster took a two-year break from acting, saying he did not want acting to become a habit.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols) In the Netflix miniseries (2020) he played the swaggering chess prodigy Benny Watts; the show became Netflix's biggest limited-series hit at the time, and his performance earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.[1](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols)
In [Danny Boyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-boyle)'s *Pistol* (2022), a six-episode series based on [Sex Pistols](https://www.edgepedia.org/sex-pistols) guitarist Steve Jones's memoir *Lonely Boy*, he played the band's manager [Malcolm McLaren](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-mclaren), studying archive footage of McLaren's mannerisms and shifting accent for the part.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols) • [10](https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/thomas-brodie-sangster/18605) He then took the title role of Dr. Jack Dawkins in *The Artful Dodger* (2023– ), an Australian take on the *Oliver Twist* character, which was renewed for a second series.[9](https://nationalreport.uk/blog/thomas-brodie-sangster-career-wife/) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/thomas-brodie-sangster) Despite periodic speculation that he had quit acting, no retirement announcement exists and his credit list has continued to grow since 2020.[9](https://nationalreport.uk/blog/thomas-brodie-sangster-career-wife/)
## Music and personal life
Brodie-Sangster plays bass in the band Winnet, which includes his mother, sister, and father.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) He married actor [Talulah Riley](https://www.edgepedia.org/talulah-riley), his co-star in *Pistol*, on 22 June 2024.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/) He is a second cousin, once removed, of [Hugh Grant](https://www.edgepedia.org/hugh-grant): one of his maternal great-grandmothers, Barbara May Randolph, was the sister of Grant's maternal grandmother.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/)
## References
1. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster biography, BBC Originals](https://bbc.originals.watch/person/17887/thomas-brodiesangster)
2. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032473/bio/)
3. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_brodie_sangster)
4. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster: 'They got my autograph but still wouldn't serve me a pint', The Guardian (2015)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/05/thomas-brodie-sangster-thunderbirds-interview-they-got-my-autograph-but-wouldnt-serve-me-a-pint)
5. ['I've seen bedsheets with my face on them': Thomas Brodie-Sangster on obsessive fans, Love Actually and the Sex Pistols, The Guardian (2022)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/30/ive-seen-bedsheets-with-my-face-on-them-thomas-brodie-sangster-on-obsessive-fans-love-actually-and-the-sex-pistols)
6. [Death of a Superhero press kit biographies, Tribeca Film](https://tribecafilm-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/release/press_kit/24/Death_of_a_Superhero_pressbook_1_.pdf)
7. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster filmography, Cinegraph](https://cinegraph.org/people/thomas-brodie-sangster)
8. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-brodie-sangster/)
9. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster: Career, Wife, Age & Health Facts, National Report](https://nationalreport.uk/blog/thomas-brodie-sangster-career-wife/)
10. [Interview: Thomas Brodie-Sangster on portraying Malcolm McLaren, Coup de Main Magazine](https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/thomas-brodie-sangster/18605)
11. [Thomas Brodie-Sangster news coverage, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/thomas-brodie-sangster)
---
*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 Be to B*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: 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