Will Merrick

Will Merrick
Born
William Charles Merrick[1]

(1993-04-09) 9 April 1993 (age 31)
Ledbury, Herefordshire, England
EducationThe Downs School
Dean Close School
OccupationActor
Years active2009–present
Known forSkins (2011–2012)
About Time (2013)
The Rack Pack (2016)
Brief Encounters (2016)
Dead Pixels (2019)

William Charles Merrick (born 9 April 1993) is an English screen and stage actor. His debut was in the third generation of the BAFTA winning, E4 television series Skins as the character Alo Creevey.[2]

Early life and education

Merrick originates from Ledbury in Herefordshire.[3] He attended The Downs School, Malvern and Dean Close School. He came in the top ten of over 50,000 candidates for the 2009 drama GCSE examination.[4]

Career

As a member of the Close up Theatre, Merrick performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010 and 2011, in the productions of The History Boys playing Posner and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, playing Charley.[5] At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012–2013 Merrick started a theatre company No Prophet at the age of 18. With it he played roles in Punk Rock, a stage production by Simon Stephens, and Boys written by Ella Hickson.[6][7]

In 2011, Merrick made his first television appearance in the E4 teen drama Skins, playing Alo Creevey, having auditioned for the role of Rich Hardbeck.[8] He described his character as a "loving person, very open-minded, positive and enthusiastic kind of guy."[9]

In February 2012, Merrick won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor, competing against Dakota Blue Richards, his Skins co-star.[10] In the same year he was also nominated for Best Actor at TV Choice Awards.[11]

In May 2012, Merrick recorded an episode of BBC One family sitcom In with the Flynns,[12] in the role of Dean.[13] In the same year he has landed his first big screen role as Jay in Richard Curtis' new romantic comedy About Time alongside Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson.[12]

Merrick appeared in a 2013 episode Nightmare in Silver of Doctor Who in the role of Brains.[14] He played the role of Tom, alongside Jessie Cave, in an episode of Coming Up aired on Channel 4 in July 2013[15] and was a guest star in BBC fantasy series Atlantis.[16]

Merrick starred as snooker player Steve Davis in the 2016 BBC drama The Rack Pack. In 2016 Merrick played Butcher's apprentice Russell in the ITV drama series Brief Encounters. He played Arthur Solway in two episodes of BBC's Poldark. From 2019 to 2021 Merrick starred as gaming fanatic Nicky in the sitcom Dead Pixels.

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2013 About Time Jay Director: Richard Curtis
2017 Modern Life Is Rubbish Olly
2021 A Classic Horror Story
2023 Barbie Young Mattel Employee
2025 F1 † TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Platform Notes
2011–2012 Skins Alo Creevey E4 17 episodes
Won—RTS Award for Best Actor
Nominated—TV Choice Award for Best Actor
2012 In with the Flynns Dean BBC One 1 episode "Frozen Assets" No.2.6
2013 Doctor Who Brains BBC One Series 7, 1 episode No.3.13 "Nightmare in Silver"
2013 Coming Up Tom Channel 4 1 episode No.8.2 "Burger Van Champion"
2013 Atlantis Arcas BBC One 1 episode No.1.8 "The Furies"
2015 Count Arthur Strong Jeremy BBC Two 1 episode No. 2.2 "The Day The Clocks Went Back"
2016 Brief Encounters Russell ITV 6 episodes
2016 The Rack Pack Steve Davis BBC iPlayer 1 episode
2017 Poldark Arthur Solway BBC One 2 episodes
2019–2021 Dead Pixels Nicky E4 12 episodes
2023 Silo Danny Apple TV+ 2 episodes
2023 Bodies Constable Byrne Netflix 3 episodes
2023 Miss Scarlet and the Duke Martin Crabtree Alibi / PBS 1 episode "The Heir"

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2009 The Taming of the Shrew Grumio Close Up Theatre
Amadeus Venticello Close Up Theatre
2010 Hamlet Polonius Close Up Theatre
The History Boys Posner Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2011 Death of a Salesman Charley Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2012 Punk Rock William Carlisle Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2013 Boys Benny[17] Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Arcola Theatre
2013–2014 Wendy & Peter Pan Slightly Royal Shakespeare Company[18]
2014–2015 Merlin Merlin Royal & Derngate
2018 Death of a Salesman Bernard Royal Exchange Theatre

Awards and nominations

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012 Best Actor Royal Television Society Award Won
2012 Best Actor TV Choice Awards Nominated

References

  1. ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England and Wales, 1916–2005
  2. ^ Meet the Skins Will Merrick
  3. ^ Will Merrick throws party to mark debut in Skins
  4. ^ "Will Merrick theatre formation". skinsfansite. [dead link]
  5. ^ Death of a salesman
  6. ^ "Punk Rock, Edinburgh Festival Guide". edinburghfestival. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Punk Rock, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe". edfringe. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Will Merrick ('Skins') interview". cultbox. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  9. ^ Skins 5 meet Will Merrick
  10. ^ RTS Bristol Best Actor Will Merrick
  11. ^ "Nominations TV Choice Awards 2012". tvchoicemagazine. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  12. ^ a b "About time for stardom as Will lands big screen role". thisisgloucestershire. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Will Merrick Credits". unitedagents. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  14. ^ Lazarus, Susanna (6 December 2012). "Skins actor Will Merrick appeared in Doctor Who". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Coming Up Episode Guide". Channel 4. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  16. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (16 November 2013). "'Atlantis' episode 8 review: Blood ties and past lies". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  17. ^ "EHE8: Boys". Arcola Theatre. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  18. ^ "Wendy And Peter Pan". Royal Shakespeare Company. Retrieved 9 September 2013.