Sean Biggerstaff

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Sean Biggerstaff
Born (1983-03-15) 15 March 1983 (age 41)
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationActor
Years active1988–present

Sean Biggerstaff (born 15 March 1983) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for playing Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter film series, appearing in Philosopher's Stone (2001), Chamber of Secrets (2002), and Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

Biggerstaff began acting as a child actor at the age of five and made his screen debut in the television miniseries The Crow Road (1996). He won a BAFTA Scotland Award for playing Jeremy Wolfenden in the television film Consenting Adults (2007). He also appeared in the feature films Cashback (2006) and Mary Queen of Scots (2013).

Early life[edit]

Biggerstaff was born in Glasgow, Scotland, growing up with his parents in Maryhill.[1] He went to Parkview Primary School in Summerston and joined the local drama group, the Maryhill Youth Theatre, when he was seven.[1]

Career[edit]

Biggerstaff gained his first professional acting role at ten, playing the son of MacDuff in a Michael Boyd production of Macbeth at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow. He then joined the Scottish Youth Theatre and spent six years with the group.[1] In 1996, at the age of 13, Biggerstaff secured his first major TV role, playing Young Darren in the BBC production of The Crow Road.[2] At 14, he was cast by future fellow Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman in his new movie, The Winter Guest, as Tom, a mischievous schoolboy. In a 2002 interview, Biggerstaff recalled: "It was while at the Scottish Youth Theatre that I was chosen for The Winter Guest. Alan Rickman (known to most of the kids as "the bad guy from Die Hard") popped along one day looking for two boys to accompany him to the coldest place on Earth, Fife, for two months to make a film. Myself and the suspicious character that is Douglas Murphy were the lucky ones."[1]

Rickman later recommended Biggerstaff to the London acting agency International Creative Management and Paul Lyon-Maris. Within a week, the Harry Potter castings were being distributed. During auditions, the directors suggested that Biggerstaff consider the part of Oliver Wood, and he played the role in the first two films, returning for a brief appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[3]

Biggerstaff's career since the first two Harry Potter films has included playing Henry, Duke of Gloucester in the 2004 television mini-series Charles II: The Power and The Passion;[4] Matt in the world premiere of Sharman MacDonald's stage play The Girl With Red Hair;[5] and Ben Willis in the short film Cashback for which extra scenes were recorded, and the piece was adapted into a feature released in 2006.[6]

In 2007, Biggerstaff played Jeremy Wolfenden in the BBC 4 television film Consenting Adults which was nominated for BAFTA Scotland's Best Drama Award on 18 November 2007, and won him the BAFTA Scotland's Award for Best Actor – Television.[7] He appeared in the film Hippie Hippie Shake.[8] and appeared in Whisky Galore! (2016) with Gillies MacKinnon and Eddie Izzard.[9]

In 2016, Biggerstaff played the lead role in French-Canadian Catherine-Anne Toupin's Right Now, a translation by Chris Campbell of À présent, directed by Michael Boyd, which was critically and commercially well received in Bath, London, and Edinburgh.[10]

In 2017, it was announced that he would star opposite Georgia Tennant in the Big Finish audio series Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter, taking the role of Noah.[11][12]

List of credits[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1997 The Winter Guest Tom
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Oliver Wood
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2004 Cashback Ben Willis Short (18 minutes)
2006 Cashback Feature based on the 2004 short
2009 X on a Map Paul Short (13 minutes)
Voices Herb Wallace Short (20 minutes) [citation needed]
2010 Hippie Hippie Shake
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Oliver Wood Cameo, Uncredited [3]
2013 Mary Queen of Scots Earl of Bothwell
2016 Whisky Galore! Sergeant Odd
2018 Super November Mikey [13]
2020 Sockdown Sean Short film

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Network Notes Ref.
1996 The Crow Road Young Darren BBC Scotland Mini-series
1998 Bright Sparks CBBC
2003 Shada Chris Parsons Voice for webcast animation [14]
Charles II: The Power and The Passion Henry, Duke of Gloucester BBC One Mini-series
2007 Consenting Adults Jeremy Wolfenden BBC Four Drama
2009 Agatha Christie's Marple Bobby Attfield ITV Series 4 Episode 4 "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"
Garrow's Law Tom BBC One Series 1 Episode 3
2019-20 Urban Myths Billy 2 episodes
2023 Good Omens Mr. Dalrymple Series 2

Radio[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Shada Chris Parsons Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama [15]
2008 The Skull of Sobek Snabb BBC Doctor Who audio drama [16]
Time Reef The Ruhk Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama [17]
2009 In a Land Far Away Jamie 'Bullet' McQueen BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Drama
2011 Good With People Jack BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play [18]
2012 Rebus: The Black Book DS Brian Holmes BBC Radio 4 Classic Serial [19]
2014 Heart and Soul Ivor Big Finish Doctor Who audio [20]

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Theatre Ref.
1993 Macbeth Macduff's son Tron Theatre, Glasgow [14]
2005 The Girl With Red Hair Matt Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Hampstead Theatre, London
[14]
2012 Appointment with the Wicker Man Rory National Theatre of Scotland, Tour [14]
2016 Right Now (A Présent) Ben Ustinov Studio, Bath [21]
2017 Brothers Karamazov Ivan Tron Theatre, Glasgow [22]


Awards[edit]

Year Group Award Result Film Ref.
2007 BAFTA Scotland Best Actor – Television Won Consenting Adults [23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Sean Biggerstaff – Bio".
  2. ^ ""The Crow Road" (1996) – Episodes cast". IMDb.
  3. ^ a b Dale, Paul (28 February 2010). "Greenberg revealed at The List Surprise Movie at GFF". The List. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  4. ^ Charlotte Cripps: "Preview: Glasgow Film Festival, Various Venues, Glasgow – Local Hero Joins Global Movie Stars", The Independent Online, 12 February 2007.
  5. ^ "Daily News".
  6. ^ "Glasgow Film Festival – Cashback – Sean Biggerstaff interview – Money talks". The List.
  7. ^ "The Llloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland Awards 2007". BAFTA Scotland. Retrieved 5 June 2010.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Larry Richman: "Sean Biggerstaff in Obscenity Drama, Hippie Hippie Shake", Pro-Networks.org, 20 September 2007.
  9. ^ Smith, Kenny (8 June 2018). "Whisky Galore and Harry Potter star on his love of a dram". Scottish Field. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  10. ^ Gardner, Lyn (1 March 2016). "Right Now review – bizarre comic drama keeps you guessing". TheGuardian.com.
  11. ^ Griffiths, Eleanor Bley (1 November 2017). "Georgia Moffett returns to the world of Doctor Who as the Doctor's daughter". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  12. ^ Hewitt, Susan (14 June 2018). "A Chat with Sean Biggerstaff – Noah from Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter". Blogtor Who. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Super November". 4 August 2019 – via IMDb.
  14. ^ a b c d "Sean Biggerstaff Official site". Archived from the original on 14 December 2003.
  15. ^ Shada, Big Finish Productions.
  16. ^ The Skull of Sobek at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
  17. ^ Time Reef & A Perfect World, Big Finish Productions.
  18. ^ BBC – Afternoon Play – Good With People
  19. ^ BBC – Classic Serial – Rebus: The Black Book
  20. ^ Confessions of Dorian Gray, BigFinish.
  21. ^ "Theatre Royal, Bath (2016)".
  22. ^ "Mumble Theatre". 15 October 2017.
  23. ^ "The Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland Awards 2007 – Winners & Nominations". BAFTA Scotland. Retrieved 27 September 2009.[permanent dead link]

External links[edit]