Olly Alexander
| Olly Alexander | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Oliver Alexander Thornton 1990 (age 23–24) England |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2008–present |
Olly Alexander (born 1990) is an English actor, script writer and lead singer of the band Years & Years. The band released debut single 'Traps' via Kitsuné in September 2013.
Life and career
Alexander's acting career began in theatre plays and films such as Summerhill and Bright Star, which was nominated for an Oscar. He has also starred in films such as Tormented starring Alex Pettyfer, Enter the Void, and his most applauded performance was in the film Great Expectations as Herbert Pocket which starred Jeremy Irvine and Holliday Grainger. Alexander contributed to the script and music for the indie film The Dish & the Spoon which was released in early 2011.
Alexander was born Oliver Alexander Thornton in England. His mother, Vicki Thornton, founded the Coleford Music Festival.[1] In a YouTube video uploaded from NylonMagazineTV Olly Alexander said he dropped out of school.[2] From March to June 2013 Olly starred as Peter Pan in the West End play Peter and Alice acting alongside Ben Whishaw and Judi Dench. Olly also had a supporting role in the final series of Skins playing character Cassie's stalker in the two part episode Skins Pure which aired July 2013.
He will play the lead in the musical feature film God Help the Girl which is due to be released in 2014 in which he sings and plays guitar. It is written and directed by Stuart Murdoch the lead singer of the group Belle And Sebastian.
His band, Years & Years formed in 2010 with Olly joining the band as lead vocalist after guitarist Mikey heard him singing in the shower and reckoned he had "a good voice." Olly's voice has been commented on by journalists for its unique tone with their music being described as "Nina Simone...crooning a melodic lullaby to the folktronic lovechild of Beach House and Terry Riley"
Their debut single proper 'Traps' achieved support from Radio 1 and Radio 6, as well as many online publications such as The Guardian and The Fader. 'Traps' also features on Kitsuné Maison's 15th Compilation.
The band are due to release their second single on Kitsuné in 2014 and are playing a few select shows in the UK as well as festival Les Inrocks in Paris, supporting Swim Deep.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Summerhill | Ned | |
| 2009 | Bright Star | Tom Keats | |
| 2009 | Tormented | Jason | |
| 2009 | Enter the Void | Victor | |
| 2009 | Dust | Elias | |
| 2010 | The Fades | Himself | |
| 2010 | Gulliver's Travels | Prince August | |
| 2010 | The Dish & the Spoon | Boy | |
| 2012 | Great Expectations | Herbert Pocket | |
| 2013 | Le Week-End | Michael |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Inspector Lewis | Hayden Wishart | Allegory of Love |
| 2013 | Skins UK | Jakob | Skins Pure |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Theatre | Also starring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept/Oct 2010 | The Aliens | Bush Theatre London | Ralf Little & Mackenzie Crook |
| Mar- Jun 2013 | Peter and Alice | Noël Coward Theatre | Judi Dench & Ben Whishaw |
References
External links
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