For someone 14 years into their acting career, who is also a father-of-two approaching his 40th birthday, Will Sharpe's status as a heartthrob is really taking off. And it's about time. He is set to star as the male lead in (we're calling it early) two of the biggest romcoms of the next year. The first, Lena Dunham's Netflix series Too Much, is expected this summer, and the second, an Apple TV+ series co-starring Ayo Edebiri, was announced this week.
Those who have seen Will in any of his recent projects including Jesse Eisenberg's award-winning comedy drama, A Real Pain, the highly-rated second season of The White Lotus, or the BAFTA-winning BBC drama Giri/ Haji will already know how accomplished he is as a performer. But his upcoming romcom gigs are set to place him exactly where he deserves to be – front and centre.
Who is Will Sharpe?
Will Sharpe, or William Tomomori Fukuda Sharpe, is a British Japanese writer, actor and director from London. He made his start writing for comedy shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks before joining the cast of Casualty for a year in 2009. Will went on to star in the Channel 4 comedy Flowers and the BBC drama Giri/Haji in 2019 which earned him a BAFTA.
However, most people will know Will for his role in season two of The White Lotus where he played the awkward tech entrepreneur Ethan Spiller opposite Aubrey Plaza.
In 2023, he was announced as the director of the film adaptation of Michelle Zauner's best-selling memoir Crying in H Mart, but he stepped down from the project earlier this year.
This summer, Will stars in Lena Dunham's first solo project since her era-defining HBO series Girls, opposite Megan Stalter. In April, it was announced that he would write, star and direct the Apple TV romcom series Prodigies opposite Ayo Edebiri, who will also serve as a producer.
How old is Will Sharpe?
Will Sharpe is 38 years old.
Who does he play in Too Much?
In Too Much, Will plays musician Felix who is described as 'a walking series of red flags'. Jessica (Stalter) moves from New York to London following a heartbreak and hopes to live a life of solitude when she meets Felix and their connection is impossible to ignore.
The ten-part series is billed as 'an ex-pat rom-com for the disillusioned who wonder if true love is still possible, but sincerely hope that it is'. When a release date is confirmed, you'll hear it from us first.
What is Prodigies about?
Sadly, there is no release date for this series yet, given that it was announced this week, but we are already excited about Prodigies. It's about Didi (Edebiri) and Ren (Sharpe) who are both ex-child prodigies who have been together since they were children. Now in their early 30s, they are starting to question whether their very ordinary existence is living up to the extraordinary promise of their childhood.
As individual hopes and needs feed into and conflict with their shared lives, the series of challenges the fallacy at the heart of romantic storytelling – that the tale is over when the heroes get together. 'In life, surely, that is just the beginning?' the show's description reads.
It's also worth pointing out that Ayo and Will are two of the best comedy actors of their day, so there's no doubt this series will deliver in that department.
What else is Will Sharpe starring in?
It's not all romcoms here, though, Will also plays the lead role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the upcoming Sky series Amadeus. The series is written by Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project) and sees Will take on the role of one of the greatest musical virtuosos of all time.
It's a reimagining of Peter Shaffer's award-winning stage play and is set within the musical hub of Vienna at the end of the 18th century when Amadeus arrived in the city ready to carve his own path.
Is Will Sharpe married?
Yes, Will is married to fellow actor Sophia Di Martino, who he has been with since 2009. They have two children together, born in 2019 and 2021.
Does Will Sharpe have social media?
No! There are plenty of fan accounts doing the rounds, but Will does not have a public social media account. Another sign that he is charming and wise.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).