Flynn is the lead singer and songwriter of the band Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit. He has released six studio albums, as well as soundtracks and live albums. He also composed the theme for the comedy series Detectorists.
Early life and education
John Patrick Vivian Flynn[5] was born in South Africa,[6] the son of Eric Flynn, a British actor and singer, and Caroline Forbes.[7][failed verification][better source needed] He has a younger sister, Lillie Flynn, who sings with the Sussex Wit.
From his father's first marriage he has two older half-brothers, actors Jerome Flynn and Daniel Flynn, and an older half-sister, Kerry Flynn.[8]
At the age of two, he moved with his family to the UK.[7] Flynn won a music scholarship to Pilgrims School, an independent school in the city of Winchester in Hampshire, where he sang in the chapel choir. Because of his scholarship, he was required to learn two instruments: the violin and trumpet.[9] Later, he taught himself guitar and won a second music scholarship to Bedales School, another independent school in Hampshire.[9] He next went to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art to study acting.
Flynn has scars on his face from an attack by a dog when he was a child in South Africa.
In 2011, Flynn's music was used in the film A Bag of Hammers. In 2013, Flynn was cast in Song One, a film starring Anne Hathaway. Flynn plays a musician by the name of James Forester, who becomes involved with Hathaway's character, following an accident involving her brother.[10]
In 2014, Flynn played the lead role of Dylan in the rom-com television series Scrotal Recall which aired on Channel 4. After finding success on Netflix, the streaming network went on to commission a second series of 8 episodes, without Channel 4's involvement, which was made available globally on the streaming network in November 2016 under the new name Lovesick.[11][12] The show's third series arrived on Netflix on 1 January 2018.
In 2015, he was one of the stars of the Comedy Central sitcom Brotherhood. In it, he played one of two adult brothers who have to raise their younger brother when their mother unexpectedly dies. It was billed as the British version of the US sitcom Two and a Half Men.[13]
In 2017, he played the younger Albert Einstein in National Geographic's show Genius .
Also in 2017, he played Pascal Renouf, a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders in director/writer Michael Pearce's debut dark thriller Beast, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the UK on 27 April 2018.[14][15]
The film Operation Mincemeat, in which Flynn played author Ian Fleming, was released in 2021.[22] Also in 2021, he co-starred in another British film The Dig, which was released on Netflix on 29 January 2021. He plays the character of Rory Lomax.[23]
In summer of 2012, Flynn appeared in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre's productions of Richard III, as Lady Anne, opposite Jerusalem co-star Mark Rylance and then as Viola/Cesario in the Globe's production of Twelfth Night with Rylance as well.[30] The productions transferred to the Apollo Theatre in the West End until February 2013. In March 2013 Flynn played the lead role in Bruce Norris' play The Low Road at the Royal Court.[31]
In September 2015 he played Mooney alongside David Morrissey and Reece Shearsmith also at the Royal Court in Martin McDonagh's new play Hangmen.[32] He joined the transfer to London's West End at Wyndham's Theatre later that year until March 2016. During this run the play was recorded and broadcast for National Theatre Live.[33] He reprised the role again in the 2018 Off-Broadway production in New York at the Atlantic Theatre.
In November 2018 until February 2019, Flynn starred as Lee in the West End Premiere of Sam Shepard’s play, True West.[34] The production was recorded as an audio play, released by Audible,[35] which features original music by Flynn.
Flynn has released several studio albums featuring folk revival songs of his own composition. He released his debut, A Larum, in 2008, and received critical acclaim.[39][40] His second album Been Listening featured a duet with fellow British folk musician Laura Marling on the track "The Water".[41] This was followed by Country Mile in 2013 and Sillion in 2017. Aside from Been Listening, each of Flynn's albums has charted in the top 100 in the UK.[42] In May 2021, Flynn released Lost in the Cedar Wood, a collaboration with nature writer Robert Macfarlane.[43] The album was influenced by the ancient Mesopotamian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh.[43] In November 2023, Flynn and Macfarlane released a second album, The Moon Also Rises.[44]
Flynn has also written musical scores for films, television shows, and theatre productions. This includes writing the film score for the 2012 film A Bag of Hammers, and the score and theme song of the BBC Four television series Detectorists,[45] which he performed in a cameo appearance as a performer at an open mic night in series one, episode three. In 2015, he also composed the music (on period instruments) for the Globe Theatre's production of As You Like It.[46]
Flynn's version of "Rambleaway" appeared on Shirley Inspired..., a 2015 tribute album to British folk singer Shirley Collins.[47]
Flynn performed Song with No Name at the U.K. national commemoration for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which took place at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, France on June 6, 2024.[49]
In January 2020, Magnitsky the Musical was released by BBC Radio 3. It was written by Flynn and Robert Hudson. Flynn also performed the lead role and composed the music.[51]
Flynn is the co-author of the children's book The World to Come, written with Robert Macfarlane. It was published in the UK on 3 October 2024. The book is based off of and inspired by the song of the same name, featured on their 2021 album, Lost in the Cedar Wood. It is illustrated by Emily Sutton.[52]
Flynn has narrated a number of books and an audio drama.
The Lost Spells Macfarlane, R., & Morris, J. (2020). The Lost Spells. Anansi Audio.
The Octopus Man Gibson, J. (2021). The Octopus Man. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
The Waves Woolf, V. (2021). The Virginia Woolf Collection. Audible Audio.
Isaac and the Egg Palmer, B. (2022). Isaac and the Egg. Headline Publishing Group.
Mrs. Wickham Page, S. (2022). Mrs. Wickham. Audible Audio.
Flynn was longlisted in the Evening Standard Awards and the What's On Stage Awards for best Newcomer for his role in The Heretic in 2012.[54] He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role, for his role in Jerusalem the same year.[55] He won a commendation in the 2012 Ian Charleson Awards for his role as Viola in Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre.[56] In 2018 he won a Theatre World Award for his performance in the Off-Broadway production of Hangmen at the Atlantic Theatre, New York.[57] His radio play Magnitsky the Musical won Best Original Single Drama at the BBC Audio Awards in 2021.[58]
Personal life
In 2011, Flynn married theatre designer Beatrice Minns, whom he had dated on and off since secondary school. They have three children together and live in east London.[59][60][61]
Discography
Singles and EPs
Sweet William EP (2009)
Home & Dry (For the Fishing Industry Safety Group) (2021)
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