Nico Mirallegro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nico Mirallegro
Mirallegro in June 2013
Born	(1991-01-26) 26 January 1991 (age 34) Heywood, Greater Manchester, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2007–present

Nico Cristian Mirallegro (born 26 January 1991) is an English actor. He is well-known for his roles in popular TV shows like Hollyoaks, where he played Barry "Newt" Newton (2007–2010). He also starred as Finn Nelson in My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015) and Joe Middleton in The Village (2013). His film roles include Spike Island (2012) and Peterloo (2018).

In 2012, Screen International magazine named him one of their "Stars of Tomorrow." Many people consider him one of the most promising young actors in the United Kingdom. He has been nominated for several awards, including Best Actor at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2016 and Best Supporting Actor at the BAFTA Awards in 2014.

Early Life and Acting Start

Nico Mirallegro was born on 26 January 1991 in Heywood, Greater Manchester, England. His father is from Sicily, Italy, and his mother is from Malin Head, Ireland. He went to Siddal Moor Sports College in Heywood and also studied at the Manchester School of Acting. His parents are separated, and his father lives in Spain. Nico lived with his father in Spain for a while when he was a teenager. He can speak both Italian and Spanish.

Nico says he started acting by chance when he was a teenager. He followed his sister, Claudia, to acting classes. He remembers being very nervous at one of his first classes, so much so that another person had to say his lines for him!

Acting Career Highlights

Television Roles

Nico Mirallegro's first professional acting job was in 2007. He played the character Newt in the long-running British soap opera Hollyoaks. He left the show after two years, at age 18, to try other acting projects. He was thankful for his time on Hollyoaks, saying it taught him a lot about acting in front of a camera every day.

While working on Hollyoaks, Nico also appeared in LOL, a web series about teen relationships and challenges. In 2010, he was in an episode of the BBC drama series Moving On, playing a young person who faced bullying. Also in 2010, he appeared in nine episodes of the BBC series Doctors as an Italian exchange student.

In December 2010, Nico joined the cast of Upstairs Downstairs, a BBC One show set in the 1930s. He played Johnny Proude, a young footman who started working in service to escape poverty. He returned for the second series of the show. In 2011, Nico was in the BBC thriller Exile, playing the teenage version of the main character. Later that year, he played Sam in the BBC drama The Body Farm.

In 2013, he started playing Finn Nelson in E4's teen comedy-drama My Mad Fat Diary. That same year, he also played Joe Middleton in the BBC drama The Village. In 2014, Nico played a teenager accused of murder in the BBC One show Common. Critics praised his performance, calling him "the best actor ever to graduate from Hollyoaks."

In 2015, Nico starred in the TV film The Ark, which told the story of Noah. Nico played Kenan, Noah's youngest son. He also appeared in HBO's Virtuoso, set in the 18th century, where he played a talented violin player.

In June 2017, Nico acted in the BBC drama Murdered for Being Different, which won a BAFTA award. In 2019, he was cast as a British Army soldier in the BBC One drama Our Girl. In November 2023, it was announced that Nico would star in a new Paramount+ drama series called Stags, which was released in 2024.

Film Appearances

Nico Mirallegro's first film was a short film called Six Minutes of Freedom, made in 2009. He played a troubled teenager who was training to be a boxer. The film won an award at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival.

In 2010, Nico filmed McQueen the Movie, where he played Sam, one of the two main characters. The film is set in the 1990s in the North of England.

In 2012, Nico played a teenage lead guitarist in Spike Island. This film was about the Manchester rock band The Stone Roses. Nico said making the film was "six weeks of pure bliss."

Shooting for Socrates is a 2014 football drama. Nico played David Campbell, who made his debut for the Northern Ireland team against Brazil.

Stage Performances

In January 2014, Nico appeared in the play The Pass at London's Royal Court Theatre. He played a hotel bellboy in the play. He later played the same role in the 2016 film version of The Pass.

Radio Work

Since 2014, Nico Mirallegro has performed in several BBC Radio 4 dramas. He played the main character in Orpheus and Eurydice, for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2016. He also starred in 79 Birthdays (2016) and Over Here, Over There (2016), a radio drama about asylum seekers in the UK.

Charity Work

Nico Mirallegro plays in celebrity football matches to support charities like Help For Heroes and Once Upon a Smile.

Personal Life

Nico Mirallegro grew up in Heywood, Greater Manchester. He went to Siddal Moor Sports College and is a big fan of Manchester United FC.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television

Stage

Music videos

Radio

Web series

Audio books

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Nico Mirallegro para niños