April Pearson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids April Pearson
Pearson at a Skins party in 2007
Born	April Janet Pearson (1989-01-23) 23 January 1989 (age 36) Bristol, England
Nationality	British
Education	Colston's Girls' School Bristol Old Vic Young Company
Occupation	Actress writer producer
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Jamie Patterson ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	1

April Janet Pearson (born 23 January 1989) is an English actress from Bristol, England. She loved acting from a young age and performed in local plays as a child.

Pearson's first TV role was in the medical drama series Casualty when she was nine years old. She became famous for playing Michelle Richardson in the popular E4 teen drama Skins from 2007 to 2008. This role earned her a nomination for an award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

After Skins, she acted in her first movie, a comedy horror film called Tormented (2009). She also performed in plays at the famous Bristol Old Vic theatre. Later, she began acting in more horror and independent films. She won two Best Actress awards for her role in the horror movie Dark Beacon (2017).

Early life

April Pearson was born and grew up in Bristol. She went to Colston's Girls' School, where she was chosen to be head girl in 2007. She was also part of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company, a theatre group for young people.

Her parents both worked in television. Her father was involved with the British medical drama show Casualty, the same show where April had her first acting role.

Career

Getting Started with Skins

Pearson joined a theatre group in Bristol when she was only three years old. She acted in many plays at her drama group and at school.

In 2006, while she was a student, casting directors for the TV show Skins visited her school. They saw her in a drama class and asked her to audition. She got the part of Michelle Richardson.

Skins was a big success. Pearson became well-known for her role. She said she enjoyed playing a character who was very different from her in real life. Being recognized by fans was strange at first, but she was happy people enjoyed the show. For her work on Skins, Pearson was nominated for a Golden Nymph Award for Best Actress.

Movies and Stage Acting

In 2009, Pearson acted in her first movie, Tormented. It was a comedy horror film where she played a student named Natasha. She acted alongside her Skins co-star Larissa Wilson.

That same year, Pearson returned to the stage. She performed in a play called Suspension at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. Critics praised her performance. Later, she acted in another play called Negative Space, where she played a kidnapped teenager. Reviewers said she was the star of the show.

Over the next few years, she appeared in the TV show Casualty again and in a few short films. One short film was a dark comedy called My Brother's Keeper, about a sister looking after her brother during a zombie apocalypse.

Working with Jamie Patterson

In 2014, Pearson starred in the romantic comedy movie Home for Christmas. She played Beth Prince, a young woman looking for a happy ending. The movie was directed by Jamie Patterson, who she would later marry.

She also appeared in short films that raised awareness for multiple sclerosis, a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. These films explored the challenges people with the condition face.

In 2015, Pearson appeared in a music video for the band The Wombats. She played an obsessed fan in the video for their song "Greek Tragedy". She also acted in the action film Age of Kill and the horror film Tank 432.

Success in Horror Films

Starting in 2016, Pearson began to star in more horror and independent films. She worked with director Jamie Patterson on the movie Fractured. For this role, she won the Best Actress Award from the British Horror Film Festival.

In 2018, she starred in another one of Patterson's films, Caught. She played Mrs. Blair, one of the strange visitors who come to a couple's home. Critics loved her performance, saying she was terrifying and carried the film.

Her next horror film was Dark Beacon (2017). She played Amy, a woman in a difficult and scary situation. Her acting in this film won her two Best Actress awards from American horror film festivals.

In 2018, she returned to the theatre to act in a play based on a story by Edgar Wallace called The Case of the Frightened Lady. She also appeared in the TV series Kiss Me First and the comedy-drama film Tucked.

Personal life

Pearson is a fan of Spanish movies, especially those by director Pedro Almodóvar. She lives in Brighton.

In 2014, Pearson and film director Jamie Patterson started the Laboratory Theatre Company. Their company aims to mix theatre and film together. Pearson and Patterson met while filming Home for Christmas and got married in 2017.

Since 2020, Pearson has hosted a podcast called Are you Michelle from Skins?. In the podcast, she has casual interviews with other celebrities. On December 8, 2021, Pearson announced that she was pregnant with her first child.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Short film

Music videos

Theatre

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: April Pearson para niños