It's hard to say exactly how this odd boy has managed to rise from obscurity to relative notability (working out probably helped), but all things considered he's done it with surprising ease. Somehow the fact that Hoult looks like a Vulcan hasn't impeded his jagged incline of fame, (neither has it for Vulcan brother Zachary Quinto, who was also in the running for this week's Break Out). Hoult is best known to American audiences as awkward, singing with his eyes closed Marcus, the "Harold" to Hugh Grant's "Maude" in About a Boy. At only 13, this was undoubtedly his "Break Out" role. But right under American noses, he's grown up a lot since 2002, and he's done it quickly. Over in Britain, Hoult created the role of Tony Stonem, in what I cannot reiterate enough is one of the best teen television shows I have ever seen, Skins (available here). Slowly, due to some vigorous bloggers, and the occasional EW mention, people over here are starting to catch on to the phenomenon that is Skins, a show that puts Gossip Girl's often pathetic attempts at scandal to shame (don't get me wrong, you know I love GG). And of all the debauchery soaked characters, Tony is king. One minute he's freely offering up girlfriend Michelle to pining best friend Sid whilst he feels up a choir girl, and the next minute he's setting up said choir girl's brother to take the fall for incest. When I first heard that it was Hoult who would be playing the handsomely devilish soul lacking Tony, I was shocked. How could the naive, awkward, sweet little boy I knew from his days alongside Hugh Grant take on such a character convincingly? I gotta say, it's those eyebrows... they fully help him pull off the devil angle. But it's the acting too. The boy.. sorry, man, is in fact very talented, and has shown thoughout each of his still limited roles the ability to push harder, go further, and even show a little skin (ahhh really bad pun, sorry). All that said, some of his timing and reactions still need work, but Hoult has more than enough promise to get him over the hump. He's someone I've been wanting to see more of for a long time, and as he is now 20, the timing couldn't be better. Hoult will be co-starring in the upcoming A Single Man with Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, as well as The Kid, where he is rumored to be playing a young version of Rupert Friend. Both films are characterized as dramas.So look out for the man behind the eyebrows, Nicholas Hoult, this week's Break Out!
About a Boy Trailer
Dood! This kid got HOT! Thanks for posting this Ivy. He looks like he's going to be awesome. I loved About a Boy!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen WAH-WAH? It was the first Nicholas-Hoult-is-all-grown-up movie I saw after ABOUT A BOY. Probably nothing as "grown up" as "SKINS", but it was still quite a shock to realize the tall drink of water on screen was the goofy little kid who would sing to himself with his eyes closed.
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