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Will Merrick

William Charles Merrick (born 9 April 1993) is an English actor best known for his breakout role as Aloysius "Alo" Creevey in the teen drama series Skins, where he portrayed the free-spirited farm boy across the fifth and sixth seasons from 2011 to 2013. For this performance, Merrick received the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor in 2012, beating out co-star and marking a significant early accolade in his career. Born in , , Merrick began acting as a child in school productions at The Downs School in Colwall and in , later performing at the Festival with theatre groups like Close Up Theatre and No Prophet between 2010 and 2013. He co-founded No Prophet Theatre and starred in their production Wasted at the Festival in 2015, showcasing his early interest in theatre creation. Merrick's television career expanded beyond Skins with roles such as PC in the miniseries (2023), Owen in the fantasy comedy (2024), Nicky in the zombie sitcom (2019–2021), and the recurring character Danny in the Apple TV+ dystopian drama (2023–, reprising the role in season 3 (2026)). On film, Merrick has appeared in notable projects including Jay, the flatmate of the protagonist, in Richard Curtis's romantic comedy About Time (2013); Mark in the Italian horror anthology A Classic Horror Story (2021); a young Mattel executive in Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023); and Steve Davis in the BBC Four biopic The Rack Pack (2016), which dramatized the snooker rivalry between Alex Higgins and Davis. In 2025, he took on the role of Hugh Nickleby, a race engineer for the fictional APXGP team, in Joseph Kosinski's F1, starring opposite Brad Pitt as veteran driver Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris, with real Formula 1 footage enhancing the high-stakes racing narrative. Merrick has also built a strong stage presence, training through youth theatre and performing in productions such as Bertram in Shakespeare's at the (2019), Bernard in Arthur Miller's at the Royal Exchange Theatre (2018), and Billy Downs in The Libertine at the Theatre Royal Haymarket (2016). Earlier stage work included roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Wendy & Peter Pan (2015). His versatile career spans screen and theatre, often highlighting characters navigating personal growth amid unconventional circumstances, and he continues to develop projects as a and .

Early life and education

Early life

William Charles Merrick was born on 9 April 1993 in , , . Merrick grew up in , where he attended local schools during his childhood. He developed an early interest in through involvement in school plays and productions at The Downs School in Colwall, , beginning as a young child. These experiences at The Downs School provided significant encouragement for his budding passion for acting, fostering his initial steps in the field. He later transitioned to in , .

Education and training

Merrick attended , a co-educational school in , , where he actively participated in drama productions during his time there. In 2009, he achieved a top ten ranking out of over 50,000 candidates in the drama examination. During his school years, he was involved with the Theatre group, the school's drama company, which provided foundational training in performance and stagecraft. As a member of Close Up Theatre, Merrick performed at the in 2010 and 2011, taking on roles in productions of by and by . After leaving school, he co-founded the No Prophet Theatre Company with former school friends, performing at the in 2012 and 2013 in productions such as by . These school and youth theatre experiences served as his initial professional training, honing his skills and leading directly to his screen debut in the television series Skins in 2012.

Acting career

Television roles

Merrick's television debut came in 2011 with the role of in the fifth and sixth seasons of the teen drama Skins, which aired until 2013, where he portrayed a quirky, van-dwelling teenager navigating friendship, love, and family pressures on a farm. His performance earned him a Award for Best Actor in 2012. In 2013, Merrick guest-starred as Brains, a diminutive technician, in the BBC One episode "Nightmare in Silver" of Doctor Who. He followed this in 2016 with the lead role of snooker champion Steve Davis in the BBC Four comedy-drama film The Rack Pack, which chronicled the 1980s snooker scene and rivalries among players like Alex Higgins and Jimmy White. That same year, he appeared as the charming butcher Russell Bundy in the ITV miniseries Brief Encounters, a period comedy about four women forming a Tupperware-selling business in 1980s South Yorkshire. In 2017, Merrick guest-starred as Arthur Solway in two episodes of the third season of the BBC historical drama Poldark. Merrick recurred as the enthusiastic gamer Nicky Kettle in both seasons of the E4 zombie apocalypse comedy Dead Pixels, which ran from 2019 to 2021 and blended live-action with video game aesthetics to satirize gaming culture. His recent television work includes the role of Constable Byrne across three episodes of the Netflix limited series Bodies in 2023, a time-bending crime thriller set in London across four eras. In the same year, he joined the Apple TV+ dystopian drama Silo as IT worker Danny Bly, appearing in the first season and continuing into subsequent ones. Merrick also portrayed Owen, a courtier, in the 2024 Prime Video historical fantasy series My Lady Jane, reimagining the life of Lady Jane Grey with supernatural elements.

Film roles

Will Merrick began transitioning from television to film with a supporting role as Jay, the loyal but somewhat hapless best friend of the protagonist Tim Lake, in the romantic comedy About Time (2013), directed by . The film, which explores themes of and family, featured Merrick alongside and , marking his debut in a major feature production. In 2017, Merrick portrayed Olly, a key supporting character in the British romantic comedy , directed by Daniel Jerome Gill. The film follows a young couple navigating modern relationships amid a backdrop of music and nostalgia, with Merrick's performance contributing to the ensemble dynamic alongside and . Merrick ventured into international with his role as Mark in the anthology film (2021), directed by Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli. In this Netflix-released project, he played an English tourist whose group encounters supernatural terror in a remote farmhouse, delivering a tense performance in a blending elements with modern twists. His filmography expanded into high-profile blockbusters with a cameo as a Young Mattel Employee in Greta Gerwig's (2023), where he appeared briefly in the corporate satire sequences amid the boardroom chaos. The role highlighted Merrick's versatility in comedic ensemble settings, supporting the film's star-studded cast including and . Looking ahead, Merrick takes on the role of Hugh Nickleby, the tech-savvy advising Brad Pitt's character Sonny Hayes, in Joseph Kosinski's F1 (2025), a action-drama centered on the world of Formula 1 racing. Filmed on location at actual circuits, the project underscores Merrick's growing presence in action-oriented features with technical depth.

Theatre roles

Merrick's introduction to professional stage work came through , where he founded the No Prophet Theatre Company at age 19 and starred as the troubled schoolboy William Carlisle in Simon Stephens's at the 2012 . This intense production, exploring adolescent pressures in a setting, showcased his ability to convey raw emotional vulnerability on a minimalist stage, earning praise for the ensemble's authentic delivery. In 2013, Merrick reunited with former Skins co-star to play Benny in Ella Hickson's debut play Boys at the Arcola Theatre in , following its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe. The production, a about young men navigating and friendship during a house party, highlighted Merrick's skill in ensemble dynamics and within the intimate confines of the off-West End venue. That same year, he made his debut as Slightly, the eldest Lost Boy, in Ella Hickson's adaptation Wendy & Peter Pan at the in , running through 2014. This inventive retelling, which flipped the narrative to center as an empowered , allowed Merrick to blend whimsy with in aerial and ensemble sequences, contributing to the family's fantastical journey to amid a family-focused holiday production. Merrick took on his first leading stage role as the titular wizard in Merlin, another Hickson-scripted fantasy, which premiered at Royal & Derngate in in late 2014 before transferring to the in 2015. Portraying the young sorcerer's awkward coming-of-age amid dragons and court intrigue, he demonstrated commanding presence and in a spectacle-driven piece reminiscent of fantasy, with innovative enhancing the magical elements. In 2016, Merrick played Billy Downs in a revival of The Libertine at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, directed by Terry Johnson. Returning to classic American drama in 2018, Merrick played the loyal neighbor Bernard in Arthur Miller's at the Royal Exchange Theatre in . In Sarah Frankcom's in-the-round staging, his portrayal of the studious foil to Biff emphasized themes of success and failure through subtle physicality and emotional restraint, supporting Don Warrington's central in a production that reframed the tragedy for contemporary audiences. The following year at , Merrick embodied the reluctant nobleman Bertram in a candlelit production of in the . Directed by Caroline Byrne, his petulant and self-absorbed interpretation captured the character's moral ambiguity in this problematic comedy, using the intimate Jacobean space to heighten tensions in scenes of pursuit and deception opposite Ellora Torchia's Helena. In 2020, Merrick appeared as the anxious newlywed Charles Murdock in a revival of Arnold Ridley's thriller The Ghost Train at the Royal Exchange Theatre. This atmospheric comedy-thriller, set on a stranded train amid rumors, played to Merrick's strengths in building suspense through escalating paranoia and interplay with the ensemble, maintaining the play's elements in a modern in-the-round format. In 2024, Merrick appeared as Charlie Wilder in a revival of The Cat and the Canary at , directed by .

Awards and nominations

Awards

Will Merrick received the Royal Television Society Award for in 2012 for his portrayal of in the fifth and sixth seasons of the E4 series Skins. This accolade highlighted his breakthrough performance as the free-spirited, farm-dwelling teenager, marking a significant early recognition in his acting career. The award was presented at the regional RTS West of England Awards ceremony in .

Nominations

Merrick was nominated for at the 2012 TV Choice Awards for his performance as in the series Skins.

References

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