Dubbed ‘the next Benedict Cumberbatch’ when he first burst onto our screens, let us tell you why hot, up-and-coming Brit actor Tom Hughes is living up to the hype. And then some.
So, who is Tom Hughes?
Best known for taking the lead role in BBC’s 2014 cold war drama The Game, Hughes is back our screens this year alongside Jenna Coleman, playing Prince Albert in Victoria.
Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman
Tom Hughes and co-star Jenna Coleman, who play out the romance between young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in ITV's Victoria, have been reportedly dating in secret for about a year, before taking their love on-screen. Prince Harry is said to have inadvertently played cupid between them, as his flirtations with Jenna is what sparked Tom's jealously, and ultimately his commitment to her.
How old is Tom Hughes?
Thomas Hughes was born on April 18th, 1986, making him 30 years old.
Where was Tom Hughes born?
Hughes was born in Chester, Cheshire.
Where does Tom Hughes live?
It has been speculated that Tom Hughes has recently moved in with Victoria co-star and on-screen lover, Jenna Coleman, somewhere in North London.
What has Tom Hughes been in?
Hughes’ first screen break, like many-a-Brit actor before him, came on Casualty. Rather than donning scrubs in a modern day A&E however, Hughes appearing in the period soap spin-off Casualty 1909, looking pretty smooth in a doctor’s coat.
Other notable roles have included Cemetery Junction (2010), where he showed off some seriously memorable dance moves.
He also starred in Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (2010) as musician Chaz Jankel and Dancing on the Edge (2013) alongside Jenna Coleman (with whom he is set to reunite in Victoria this year). Oh, and you might have seen him in About Time (2013), one of the most underrated rom-coms ever.
The Game (2015) marked Hughes’ biggest role to date, where the actor played MI5 'honeytrapper' Joe Lambe, a spy using his good looks to secure state secrets.
Tom Hughes and fashion
Did you think this Brit actor looked familiar but haven’t seen any of his work? You may recognise him from the world of fashion, too. Tom starred in Burberry’s 2009 campaign alongside Emma Watson and Douglas Booth.
The actor isn’t adverse to dipping his toe into fashion week, either, sitting front row at Mulberry’s SS12 show alongside Olivia Palermo.
Tom Hughes the rock star
If he wasn’t acting, you’d most likely find Mr Hughes at home with a guitar. “Music is my world. It’s my passion… I’ve been playing the guitar since I was five. I played in a band, but I left the band about three years ago to work on my own stuff for a bit. But if anything, guitar is my main passion — it’s the one that’s been with me the longest.”
Tom Hughes on his acting beginnings
“At school I did this play, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I played Mr. Fox. Afterwards, I ran off stage and said to my mum, ‘I want to do this forever!’ And I think she thought, understandably, when you’re seven years old, if you want to be an astronaut it will probably wane, it will disappear and you’ll want to be a policeman the next week.
“But the fascination to live in another world for an hour or so was addicting. It was something I was desperate to taste again. I used to go to Liverpool, which is an hour away from where I grew up, and I would travel there on Friday nights — all my friends would be out, having a good time, and I’d be out for two or three hours [acting], then travel back to Chester. And we didn’t really speak about it, it was like my own little private escapism, if you like.”
Yes, Tom. We do like.
Like Tom Hughes? See 44 other amazing up-and-coming actors to look out for in 2016.