Edward Speleers
Encyclopedia
Edward John "Ed" Speleers (born December 21, 1987) is an English
actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role
in the 2006 film Eragon
.
, West Sussex
. His parents divorced when he was 3. He is the youngest son of mother Gill, who lives in Spain.; his father, John, is a financial consultant and lives in London. He has two older half brothers. In 2006, he left Eastbourne College
to portrait Eragon.
when he was 10, Peter Pan
, A Street Car Named Desire, Richard III
and Hamlet
. While at Eastbourne College
, Speleers wrote a play, Retribution, with his friend Rob Curran, which investigated the subjects of child abuse
and paedophilia. Speleers also acted in a short film by Charlie Bleakley, called Metropolis.
He then landed the title role of the 20th Century Fox screen version of Eragon
. In 2008, he appeared in the British prime time series Echo Beach
as Jimmy Penwarden.
In mid 2010, Ed was cast as one of the lead roles in British thriller film A Lonely Place to Die
directed by Julian Gilbey, a feature film, starring Melissa George
, Sean Harris
and Eamonn Walker
. The film was released in September 2011 in the UK and is due to be released in November 2011 in the US. Ed then went on to film the movie Love Bite, in the lead role of Jamie, with Jessica Szohr and Timothy Spall. He will be in the movie A Dead Man in Deptford, based on the homonym novel
by Anthony Burgess
.
Speleers is represented in the USA by Jennifer Rawlings of William Morris Endeavor, and in the UK by Sally Long-Innes of the Independent Talent Group. His manager is Matthew Hobbs at Firefly..
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role
Eragon (character)
Eragon is the main protagonist of the Inheritance Cycle, written by Christopher Paolini. Eragon is a male, the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders...
in the 2006 film Eragon
Eragon (film)
Eragon is a 2006 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Alun Armstrong, Joss Stone, and the voice...
.
Personal life
Speleers was born at St. Richard's Hospital, ChichesterChichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. His parents divorced when he was 3. He is the youngest son of mother Gill, who lives in Spain.; his father, John, is a financial consultant and lives in London. He has two older half brothers. In 2006, he left Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
to portrait Eragon.
Acting
Prior to Eragon, Speleers appeared in school productions, such as A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
when he was 10, Peter Pan
Peter and Wendy
Peter and Wendy, published in 1911, is the novelisation by J. M. Barrie of his most famous play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up...
, A Street Car Named Desire, Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
and Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. While at Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
, Speleers wrote a play, Retribution, with his friend Rob Curran, which investigated the subjects of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and paedophilia. Speleers also acted in a short film by Charlie Bleakley, called Metropolis.
He then landed the title role of the 20th Century Fox screen version of Eragon
Eragon (film)
Eragon is a 2006 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Alun Armstrong, Joss Stone, and the voice...
. In 2008, he appeared in the British prime time series Echo Beach
Echo Beach (soap)
Echo Beach was a short-lived British teen-drama series that aired on ITV in 2008. Set in the fictional Cornish coastal town of Polnarren, it ran for twelve weekly episodes from 10 January to 21 March 2008...
as Jimmy Penwarden.
In mid 2010, Ed was cast as one of the lead roles in British thriller film A Lonely Place to Die
A Lonely Place to Die
A Lonely Place to Die is a 2011 survival thriller film directed by Julian Gilbey and based on a screenplay from Will Gilbey and Julian Gilbey...
directed by Julian Gilbey, a feature film, starring Melissa George
Melissa George
Melissa Suzanne George is an Australian film and television actress who has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Melissa is perhaps best known for her role as Angel Parrish on the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
, Sean Harris
Sean Harris
Sean Harris is a British actor, who is best known for his performance as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the film 24 Hour Party People. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk, where he lived until he was 23....
and Eamonn Walker
Eamonn Walker
Eamonn Walker is an English film, television and theatre actor. In the United States, he is known for playing Kareem Said in the HBO television series Oz, for which he won a CableACE Award, and elsewere as Winston, the gay, black thorn in Alf Garnett's side in In Sickness and in Health and John...
. The film was released in September 2011 in the UK and is due to be released in November 2011 in the US. Ed then went on to film the movie Love Bite, in the lead role of Jamie, with Jessica Szohr and Timothy Spall. He will be in the movie A Dead Man in Deptford, based on the homonym novel
A Dead Man in Deptford
A Dead Man in Deptford was written late in Anthony Burgess's life, and is the last of his novels to be published during his lifetime.It depicts the life and character of Christopher Marlowe, one of the greatest playwrights of the Elizabethan era....
by Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
.
Speleers is represented in the USA by Jennifer Rawlings of William Morris Endeavor, and in the UK by Sally Long-Innes of the Independent Talent Group. His manager is Matthew Hobbs at Firefly..
Producing
Speleers joined Firefly, a multi-platform production company, in 2009 as Senior Vice President.Philantropy
In March 2010, Speleers became the first ambassador of YouthNet, an online company which provides help and advice to young people aged 16 to 25. In June, his participation to the 2011 Virgin London Marathon to raise funds was announced.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Eragon Eragon (film) Eragon is a 2006 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Alun Armstrong, Joss Stone, and the voice... |
Eragon Eragon (character) Eragon is the main protagonist of the Inheritance Cycle, written by Christopher Paolini. Eragon is a male, the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders... |
Film |
| 2007 | Echo Beach Echo Beach (soap) Echo Beach was a short-lived British teen-drama series that aired on ITV in 2008. Set in the fictional Cornish coastal town of Polnarren, it ran for twelve weekly episodes from 10 January to 21 March 2008... |
Jimmy Penwarden | TV series (ITV) |
| 2008 | Shirasu Jiro | Robin Cecil Byng | TV movie (NHK Japan) |
| 2009 | In Between the Waves | Guy | Teaser - Feature |
| 2009 | Deathless Deathless Deathless is the sixth studio album by American metal band Throwdown. The album was released on November 10, 2009 in the US through E1 Music, January 22, 2010 through Nuclear Blast Records in Europe, and January 25, 2010 in the UK, also through Nuclear Blast Records... |
John | Teaser - Feature |
| 2010 | Witchville Witchville (film) Witchville is a 2010 made for television fantasy-adventure film based on witchcraft in a medieval feudal time period, written by John Werner and Amy Krell, and directed by Pearry Reginald Teo. The film was released and distributed by Syfy Network and it stars Luke Goss, Sarah Douglas, MyAnna Buring... |
Jason Grint | TV movie (SyFy) |
| 2011 | A Lonely Place to Die A Lonely Place to Die A Lonely Place to Die is a 2011 survival thriller film directed by Julian Gilbey and based on a screenplay from Will Gilbey and Julian Gilbey... |
Ed | Film |
| 2011 | Love Bite | Jamie | Film |