James McArdle

Biography

James McArdle is a Scottish actor from Glasgow. Having worked as a child actor in films, he trained at RADA, graduating in 2010. In his graduation year he appeared in Macbeth at The Globe and starred in the summer smash hit Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He then played in plays such as A Month in the Country by Ivan Turgenev, Chariots of Fire by Mike Bartlett and Platonov for which he won the Ian Charleson Award. On screens, he is known for movies such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), '71 (2014) and Salting the Battlefield (2014).

Known For

Andor

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Mare of Easttown

Playing Nice

Mary Queen of Scots

Sexy Beast

Life After Life

New Worlds

All Movies (18)

• Queen James: Passion, Plots and Power in the Court of Britain's First King2026 · as King James
• National Theatre Live: Bacchae2025 · as Pentheus
• Four Mothers2025 · as Edward
• The Tragedy of Macbeth2021 · as Macbeth
• Ammonite2020 · as Roderick Murchison
• Scott and Laura2020 · as Scott
• Mary Queen of Scots2018 · as James, Earl of Moray
• National Theatre Live: Angels In America — Part Two: Perestroika2017 · as Louis Ironson/The Angel Australia
• National Theatre Live: Angels In America — Part One: Millennium Approaches2017 · as Louis Ironson
• On the Road2016 · as Joe
• The Chamber2016 · as Parks
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens2015 · as Niv Lek
• Salting the Battlefield2014 · as Ted Finch
• Private Peaceful2012 · as Lt. Buckland
• Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story2012 · as Toby
• Page Eight2011 · as Ted Finch
• Recycled2002
• The Custom of the Country—

All TV Shows (9)

• Playing Nice2025 · as Miles Lambert
• Sexy Beast2024 · as Gal Dove
• Andor2022 · as Timm Karlo
• Life After Life2022 · as Hugh Todd
• Mare of Easttown2021 · as Mark Burton
• Man in an Orange Shirt2017 · as Thomas March
• New Worlds2014 · as Will Blood
• Appropriate Adult2011 · as Stephen West
• WAR— · as Nicholas Taylor