Freddie Highmore

Freddie Highmore
Highmore at the premiere party for the series Bates Motel, March 2013.
Born	Alfred Thomas Highmore (1992-02-14) 14 February 1992 Camden, London, England, UK
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1999–present

Alfred Thomas "Freddie" Highmore^[1] (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Finding Neverland (2004), Five Children and It (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Arthur and the Invisibles (2006), August Rush (2007),The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), and The Art of Getting By (2011). He currently stars as Norman Bates in the A&E series Bates Motel (2013–present).

Early life and education

Highmore was born on 14 February 1992 into a show business family.^[2] His mother, Sue Latimer, is a talent agent whose clients include actors Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton, and his father, Edward Highmore, is an actor. He has a younger brother named Albert ("Bertie"), born in 1995. Highmore's home is in Highgate, an area of North London.^[3] Highmore was educated at a primary school in Hampstead Garden Suburb in Hampstead in North London, and at Highgate School, an independent school in Highgate (also in North London), followed by Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge, where he studies Spanish and Arabic.^[4]

Career

Highmore began with small roles on TV at the age of 7. He made his acting debut in Women Talking Dirty in 1999, playing the son of a woman, played by actress Helena Bonham Carter, who was recently estranged from her commitment-phobic French lover.^[2] In 2001, Highmore played a young King Arthur in the made-for-TV miniseries, The Mists of Avalon, a revisionist take on the Arthurian legends that depicted the women of Camelot as the real power behind the throne.^[2] In 2001 in another television miniseries, Happy Birthday Shakespeare, he played the son of a tour bus driver, played by actor Neil Morrissey who dreams of moving his family to Stratford-upon-Avon, while his mum, actress Dervla Kirwan gets sick and tired of her husband's money making schemes.^[2]

In two films Highmore played with members of his family. His brother Bertie played his brother in Women Talking Dirty. Also his father Edward played the father in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story.^[5] He returned to the big screen for the family-friendly adventure, Two Brothers in 2004. Highmore played the son of a French administrator who refuses to believe that his new pal, a tiger cub, might be dangerous after having tasted blood. He also had a major part alongside Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard in the straight-to-video fantasy, Five Children and It in 2004.

In 2004, he had a breakthrough with his critically acclaimed performance as troubled Peter Llewelyn Davies in Finding Neverland. Highmore received several nominations and awards for the role, including a Broadcast Film Critics' Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. In 2005, he played the part of the hard-working Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (adapted from the book by Roald Dahl).^[6] He was reportedly recommended for the role by the film's star Johnny Depp, who starred in Finding Neverland and was impressed by the young actor's performance.^[2]

Highmore next appeared as the title character in August Rush with Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Robin Williams. The story is about a musical prodigy and his journey to find his parents after they are separated at his birth. This film received a wide release on 21 November 2007.^[7]

Highmore at the Astro Boy press conference in 2009

He starred in The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the popular children's stories, released in the United States in February 2008. He played American twins Simon and Jared Grace, alongside Sarah Bolger as their sister Mallory Grace.^[2] He took the main role in Toast, a BBC autobiographical film about Nigel Slater, the chef, which was shown on Thursday, 30 December 2010. He also starred alongside Emma Roberts in 2011's romantic comedy The Art of Getting By.^[8]

In 2012, it was announced he was to play the role of Norman Bates in the series Bates Motel, a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, which restarts the storyline in the present day. This television series debuted March 18, 2013.^[9]

Voice roles

Highmore played the protagonist as an actor and voice actor in Arthur and the Invisibles, with two sequels planned. Highmore lent his voice in The Golden Compass and A Fox's Tale. Highmore voiced the lead character in the digitally-animated film Astro Boy.^[10] He has also lent his voice in the animation Justin and the Knights of Valour, directed by Manuel Sicilia, expected to be released in 2013.^[11]

Several of the films that Highmore was cast in had accompanying video games (Astro Boy,^[12] The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Golden Compass, Arthur and the Invisibles and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Highmore has lent his voice to all of these projects.

Filmography

Video game credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freddie Highmore.

• Freddie Highmore at the Internet Movie Database
• (French) Little-Stars – Freddie Highmore