Luke Thompson
Born (1988-07-04) 4 July 1988
Southampton, England
EducationUniversity of Bristol
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active2013–present

Luke Thompson (born 4 July 1988)[1] is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Benedict, the second Bridgerton child, in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2020–present).

He debuted in 2013 as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theatre, earning him Ian Charleson and Evening Standard Theatre Award nominations. He also appeared in the BBC One drama In The Club (2014–2016).

Early life and education

Thompson was born in Southampton and brought up in France from the age of two. His father was an engineer and his mother, a teacher. He is one of three children.[2][3] He attended the Lycée International François-Ier in Fontainebleau, a French school with an Anglophone section, from 1997 to 2005.[4]

Upon returning to England in 2006, Thompson spent a year with the Year Out Drama Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.[5] He studied English and Drama at the University of Bristol and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 2013.[6][7]

Career

Thompson's first professional theatre role was as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theatre, Thompson received nominations for an Evening Standard Theatre Award and an Ian Charleson Award. He would also appear in the Globe productions of Blue Stockings as Will Bennett, Julius Caesar as Mark Antony, and The Broken Heart as Ithocles. His other stage roles include James in Tiger Country at the Hampstead Theatre, Orestes in the Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre and Laertes in the 2017 production of Hamlet.[8] Thompson took over the role of Edgar from Jonathan Bailey in the Ian McKellen-starrer King Lear in 2018 after Bailey passed on joining the West End transfer to do the musical Company instead.[9][10]

From 2014 to 2016, Thompson played Simon in the BBC One drama In the Club.[11] He narrated a new adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novella The Shepherd for BBC Radio 3, broadcast on Christmas Eve, 2016.[12] Thompson made his feature film debut with a small role as a warrant officer in Christopher Nolan's 2017 World War II film Dunkirk.[13] He played Peter Hain in Misbehaviour, a film about Miss World 1970.[14] In 2019, Thompson was cast as Benedict, the second eldest Bridgerton sibling, in the 2020 Shondaland-produced Netflix period drama Bridgerton, an adaptation of the novels by Julia Quinn.[15]

Thompson played Willem in the English-language stage adaptation of A Little Life, which began at the Richmond Theatre in March 2023 before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre and then the Savoy Theatre.[16] He appeared in the World War II miniseries Transatlantic, also on Netflix, as Hiram Bingham IV.[17]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Shakespeare's Globe: A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Recording
2015 Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar Mark Antony Recording
2016 The Complete Walk: Romeo and Juliet Romeo Short film
2017 Dunkirk Warrant Officer
2018 King Lear Edgar National Theatre Live
2019 Making Noise Quietly Oliver
2020 Misbehaviour Peter Hain
2023 A Little Life Willem Recording

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Joshua Hallows Episode: "The Ties That Bind"
2014–2016 In the Club Simon Main role
2018 Hamlet Laertes Television film
Kiss Me First Connor 2 episodes
2020–present Bridgerton Benedict Bridgerton Main role
2023 Transatlantic Hiram 'Harry' Bingham Recurring role, six episodes

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Globe Theatre
Blue Stockings Will Bennett
2014 Julius Caesar Mark Antony
Tiger Country James Hampstead Theatre
2015 The Broken Heart Ithocles Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Oresteia Orestes Almeida Theatre
2017 Hamlet Laertes Almeida Theatre / Harold Pinter Theatre
2018 King Lear Edgar Duke of York's Theatre
2022 Tikkun Olam Dan Riverside Studios, London
2023 A Little Life Willem Richmond Theatre / Harold Pinter Theatre / The Savoy

Audio

Year Title Role Notes
2016 The Shepherd Narrator BBC Radio 3
2018 The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: The Vertical Ladder Riz BBC Radio 4[18]
The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: The Judge's House Malcolmson

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Outstanding Newcomer A Midsummer Night's Dream Nominated [3]
2014 Ian Charleson Awards Nominated [19]
2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Bridgerton Nominated [20]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Performer in a Play A Little Life Pending [21]

References

  1. ↑ "How old is Benedict from Bridgerton? - Luke Thompson". PopBuzz. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Eyre, Hermione (2021-04-03). "Bridgerton's Luke Thompson on the joy of sex, secrets and sideburns". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  3. 1 2 "London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2013: the ones to watch". The Evening Standard. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Memory Book". Anglophone Section. p. 41. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "See Luke in the cinema and in the West End". Year Out Drama Company. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "The Team". Activate Workshops. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Luke Thompson". RADA. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  8. ↑ Dillon, Luke (19 April 2018). "Ian McKellen finds his Company". West End Theatre. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Wood, Alex (23 March 2022). "Stage stars to look out for in Bridgerton". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Lash, Jolie (22 March 2022). "'Bridgerton' Star Luke Thompson on Expanding the Benedict-Anthony Relationship in Season 2". The Wrap. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Roanna & Simon". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Between the Ears: The Shepherd
  13. ↑ Mitchell, Molli (27 January 2021). "Bridgerton cast: Who is Luke Thompson? Meet the Benedict Bridgerton star". Express. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (22 January 2021). "'Bridgerton' Star Luke Thompson Signs With UK Management Firm Insight". Deadline. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Jordan, Marsha (29 January 2021). "'Bridgerton' cast members Luke Thompson, Luke Newton discuss season 2". ABC 7 Chicago. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Wood, Alex (23 November 2022). "A Little Life to run in the West End with James Norton, Omari Douglas, Luke Thompson and Zach Wyatt". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Flam, Charna (8 February 2023). "'Transatlantic': Netflix Reveals First Images of Upcoming Limited Series (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: Episodes". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Jessie Buckley, Jack Lowden and Olivia Vinall among Ian Charleson shortlist". WhatsOnStage. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  21. ↑ Millward, Tom (7 December 2023). "Nominations in full: the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
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