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Sean Biggerstaff
Sean Biggerstaff 2023.jpg
Biggerstaff at the German Film and Comic Con 2023
Born (1983-03-15) 15 March 1983 (age 41)
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation Actor
Years active 1988–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

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

Career

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. 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. 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."

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.

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; Matt in the world premiere of Sharman MacDonald's stage play The Girl With Red Hair; 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.

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. He appeared in the film Hippie Hippie Shake. and appeared in Whisky Galore! (2016) with Gillies MacKinnon and Eddie Izzard.

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.

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.

List of credits

Film

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)
2010 Hippie Hippie Shake
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Oliver Wood Cameo, Uncredited
2013 Mary Queen of Scots Earl of Bothwell
2016 Whisky Galore! Sergeant Odd
2018 Super November Mikey
2020 Sockdown Sean Short film

Television

Year Title Role Network Notes Ref.
1996 The Crow Road Young Darren BBC Scotland Mini-series
1998 Bright Sparks CBBC
2003 Doctor Who: Shada Chris Parsons Voice for webcast animation
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
2019–2020 Urban Myths Billy 2 episodes
2023 Good Omens Mr. Dalrymple Series 2

Radio

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Shada Chris Parsons Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama
2008 The Skull of Sobek Snabb
Time Reef The Ruhk
2009 In a Land Far Away Jamie 'Bullet' McQueen BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Drama
2011 Good With People Jack BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2012 Rebus: The Black Book DS Brian Holmes BBC Radio 4 Classic Serial
2013 Bernice Summerfield: New Frontiers Antonio Tulloch Big Finish Doctor Who audio
2014 Heart and Soul Ivor
2018 Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter Noah
2021 Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter - Still Running
2024 Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter - Saving Time

Theatre

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

Awards

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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sean Biggerstaff para niños

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