Thomas Brodie (Thomas Brodie-Sangster): Biography, Age, Height, Movies, TV Shows, Net Worth & Career

Thomas Brodie, full name Thomas Brodie-Sangster, is a British actor born May 16, 1990, in London. He’s known for playing Sam in Love Actually, Newt in The Maze Runner trilogy, and Benny Watts in The Queen’s Gambit. He’s a second cousin, once removed, of actor Hugh Grant.

If you searched “Thomas Brodie” expecting to land on a page about the actor from Love Actually, The Maze Runner, and The Queen’s Gambit, you’re in the right place. His full professional name is Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and “Thomas Brodie” is simply the shortened version fans and search engines use most often.

He first caught the public’s attention in 2003 as Sam, the lovesick stepson in Love Actually. Since then, he’s built one of the more unusual careers in British acting: he went from beloved child star to voice actor, then to a leading man in one of the biggest young-adult film franchises of the 2010s, and later to an Emmy-nominated dramatic actor.

Below, you’ll find everything worth knowing about him, from his family ties to Hugh Grant to his current net worth and what he’s working on now.

Thomas Brodie Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full Name	Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Known As	Thomas Brodie, Thomas Sangster
Date of Birth	May 16, 1990
Age	36 (as of 2026)
Birthplace	Southwark, London, England
Nationality	British
Profession	Actor, voice actor, producer
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Years Active	2001–present
Zodiac Sign	Taurus

Early Life and Family

Childhood

Thomas Brodie-Sangster was born on May 16, 1990, in Southwark, London. He grew up around creative work, since both of his parents were connected to the arts, and he started acting professionally while still a young boy.

Parents and Family Background

His father, Mark Sangster, worked as a film editor and musician. His mother, Tasha Bertram, worked as a singer and dancer. That mix of music and film shows up throughout his career, since he plays guitar and bass and has taken on musically driven roles more than once. He has one sister, Ava Sangster. His father’s family has roots in Banchory, Scotland.

Is Thomas Brodie Related to Hugh Grant?

Yes, and this is one of the most searched facts about him. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is a second cousin, once removed, of actor Hugh Grant. The connection runs through his mother’s side: his maternal great-grandmother, Barbara May Randolph, was the sister of Hugh Grant’s maternal grandmother. The two actually appeared together in Love Actually, though their family link wasn’t widely known by audiences at the time.

Education and Early Interest in Acting

Details about his formal schooling haven’t been widely publicised, which is common for actors who started working professionally as children. What is well documented is how early he began: his first credited role came at age 11, in the 2001 BBC television film Station Jim.

From there, he moved quickly into more roles, including Bobbie’s Girl, The Miracle of the Cards, and Stig of the Dump. He also won a Golden Nymph award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival for his performance in the miniseries Entrusted, an early sign that his talent went beyond typical child-actor casting.

Thomas Brodie’s Acting Career

Career Beginnings

Before he became a household name, Brodie-Sangster spent 2001 to 2003 building a steady résumé of British television work. This groundwork gave him the experience and credibility to land a role in a major theatrical film.

Breakthrough with Love Actually

His breakout came in 2003 with Love Actually, where he played Sam, a boy determined to win over a classmate by learning the drums. The film became a global holiday favourite, and Brodie-Sangster earned a Golden Satellite Award nomination and a Young Artist Award nomination for the role. At just 13 years old, he became one of the more recognisable young actors in Britain.

Success with Nanny McPhee

In 2005, he played Simon, the eldest of seven unruly children, in Nanny McPhee. The film’s commercial success further cemented him as a familiar face in family entertainment.

Becoming the Voice of Ferb in Phineas and Ferb

Starting in 2007, Brodie-Sangster voiced Ferb Fletcher on Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb, a role he kept through the show’s original run in 2015. The show became an international hit, and it introduced him to an entirely different audience than his live-action film work had.

Playing Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones

Between 2013 and 2014, he took on the role of Jojen Reed in HBO’s Game of Thrones, joining one of the most-watched television series of the decade. His performance earned him a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series.

Newt in The Maze Runner Trilogy

Brodie-Sangster played Newt across all three Maze Runner films: The Maze Runner (2014), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018). The trilogy grossed close to $950 million worldwide and became his most commercially significant work to date.

Benny Watts in The Queen’s Gambit

His 2020 role as chess champion Benny Watts in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit marked a turning point in how critics viewed him as an actor. The performance earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, his most prominent industry recognition to date.

Recent Movies and TV Shows

More recently, he played Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren in the Danny Boyle-directed miniseries Pistol (2022), and he currently stars as Jack Dawkins in Disney+’s The Artful Dodger, which continues into its second season.

Thomas Brodie Movies and TV Shows

Popular Movies

• Love Actually (2003)
• Nanny McPhee (2005)
• The Last Legion (2007)
• Bright Star (2009)
• Nowhere Boy (2009), playing a young Paul McCartney
• Death of a Superhero (2011)
• The Maze Runner trilogy (2014, 2015, 2018)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), in a brief cameo

Television Series

• Doctor Who (2007)
• Game of Thrones (2013–2014)
• Wolf Hall (2015) and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024)
• Godless (2017)
• The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
• Pistol (2022)
• The Artful Dodger (2023–present)

Voice Acting Roles

• Ferb Fletcher in Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015)
• John Tracy in Thunderbirds Are Go (2015–2020)

Thomas Brodie Net Worth

Estimated Net Worth

Public estimates of Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s net worth vary depending on the source, but most place it somewhere between $3 million and $5 million. There’s no officially confirmed figure, since actors and their representatives rarely publish exact earnings, so treat any specific number as an informed estimate rather than a verified fact.

Main Income Sources

Acting: The bulk of his income has come from film and television roles, particularly the Maze Runner franchise and his ongoing work on The Artful Dodger.

Voice acting: His long run as Ferb on Phineas and Ferb and John Tracy on Thunderbirds Are Go added steady income over nearly a decade.

Production work: As his career has matured, he’s taken on production credits alongside acting roles, a common next step for established performers.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s Personal Life

Wife or Partner

Thomas Brodie-Sangster married actress Talulah Riley on June 22, 2024. The couple met on the set of Pistol in 2021 and announced their engagement in July 2023. Riley, known for roles in Pride & Prejudice (2005) and HBO’s Westworld, was previously married to entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Dating History

Brodie-Sangster has kept most of his personal life away from the press, and detailed public records of his relationships before Talulah Riley are limited. His relationship with Riley, which began during their work together on Pistol, is the one most documented by media outlets.

Readers interested in how other public figures navigate relationships in the spotlight may also want to read our profiles on Macy Piersiak, Mike Nellis, and Ned Porteous’s wife.

Hobbies and Interests

He plays both guitar and bass. To play Paul McCartney in Nowhere Boy, he taught himself to play left-handed guitar, matching McCartney’s own style. He’s also spoken openly about being mildly dyslexic, noting that reading takes him longer than it does for most people.

Physical Appearance

• Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
• Weight: Not publicly confirmed
• Hair Colour: Brown
• Eye Colour: Blue

Awards and Achievements

• Primetime Emmy Award nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, for The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
• Golden Satellite Award nomination for Love Actually (2003)
• Young Artist Award nomination for Love Actually (2003)
• Golden Nymph Award, Monte Carlo Television Festival, for Entrusted
• Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Game of Thrones

Interesting Facts About Thomas Brodie

Why he looks younger than his age: Because he built his career as a child actor and kept working steadily into adulthood, audiences often associate him with his younger roles, which can make his current age surprising to casual fans.

Famous family connection: He’s a second cousin, once removed, of Hugh Grant, and the two shared the screen in Love Actually years before that family tie became widely known.

Voice acting success: His work as Ferb ran for eight years, making it one of the longest-running roles of his career, even though it’s a voice-only performance.

Musical skill: He learned to play drums for Love Actually and left-handed guitar for Nowhere Boy, picking up real instrumental skill for both roles.

Reading and dyslexia: He has spoken about being mildly dyslexic, which affects how quickly he reads scripts and books.

Complete Filmography

Movies

Love Actually (2003), Nanny McPhee (2005), The Last Legion (2007), Bright Star (2009), Nowhere Boy (2009), Death of a Superhero (2011), The Baytown Outlaws (2012), The Maze Runner (2014), Phantom Halo (2014), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Television Shows

Station Jim (2001), Doctor Who (2007), Game of Thrones (2013–2014), Wolf Hall (2015), Godless (2017), The Queen’s Gambit (2020), Pistol (2022), Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024), The Artful Dodger (2023–present)

Voice Roles

Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015), Thunderbirds Are Go (2015–2020)

Where Is Thomas Brodie Now?

He’s currently starring as Jack Dawkins in the second season of Disney+’s The Artful Dodger, a role that has kept him in the spotlight through 2026. Alongside acting, he continues to take on production work, following a pattern common among actors moving into the later stages of an established career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Thomas Brodie?

Thomas Brodie is the shortened name commonly used for Thomas Brodie-Sangster, a British actor known for Love Actually, The Maze Runner series, and The Queen’s Gambit.

Is Thomas Brodie and Thomas Brodie-Sangster the same person?

Yes. “Thomas Brodie” is simply how fans and search engines often shorten his full name, Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

How old is Thomas Brodie?

He was born on May 16, 1990, making him 36 years old as of 2026.

How tall is Thomas Brodie?

He stands at 5 ft 10 in (178 cm).

What is Thomas Brodie’s net worth?

Estimates place his net worth between $3 million and $5 million, though no official figure has been confirmed.

Is Thomas Brodie married?

Yes. He married actress Talulah Riley on June 22, 2024, after meeting on the set of Pistol in 2021.

What are Thomas Brodie’s best movies?

His most notable films include Love Actually, Nowhere Boy, and the Maze Runner trilogy.

What role did Thomas Brodie play in The Queen’s Gambit?

He played Benny Watts, a chess champion and mentor to Anya Taylor-Joy’s character, Beth Harmon.

Was Thomas Brodie in Game of Thrones?

Yes. He played Jojen Reed from 2013 to 2014.

Is Thomas Brodie related to Hugh Grant?

Yes, he is Hugh Grant’s second cousin, once removed, through his mother’s side of the family.

Conclusion

Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s career is a rare example of a child actor who kept building momentum well into adulthood. From Love Actually to The Queen’s Gambit and now The Artful Dodger, he’s moved through nearly every corner of British and American entertainment, live-action, voice work, and prestige drama alike. With his current role continuing into 2026, his career shows no sign of slowing down.

Want more deep dives into the actors and public figures shaping entertainment today? Explore our other biography profiles for more stories like this one.