Will Sharpe is an Emmy nominated and BAFTA Award-winning English-Japanese writer, director, actor, and showrunner. He lived in Japan until he was eight years old. At Cambridge he read classics, and after graduation he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as an actor for their 2008/2009 season, also appearing in the BBC series SHERLOCK (2011). Prior to their successful feature debut, the moviemakers co-directed the half-hour picture COCKROACH (2009).
Will made his name as an auteur, writing, directing, and starring in the dark comedy-drama FLOWERS opposite Olivia Colman, Julian Barratt, Daniel Rigby and Sophia Di Martino. His other writing and directorial credits include four-part HBO/Sky drama, LANDSCAPERS, starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, THE ELECTIRAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy and BLACK POND which he co-directed with Tom Kingsley and THE DARKEST UNIVERSE.
His acting credits include, the role of ‘Ethan Spiller’ in season two of Mike White’s hugely popular THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO/Sky), the eccentric sex-worker ‘Rodney’ in the critically acclaimed BBC thriller series GIRI/HAJI, BBC 2 sitcom DEFENDING THE GUILTY and W1A (BBC).
Accolades include the BAFTA TV Best Supporting Actor award (2020) for his role in GIRI/HAJI, the Evening Standard British Film Award (2012) for Most Promising Newcomer for BLACK POND and the SAG Award (2023) for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series for THE WHITE LOTUS. He has also received multiple nominations for his writing, directorial and acting work including the Emmy and BAFTA Supporting Actor award (2023) for his role in THE WHITE LOTUS, the BAFTA TV award for Best Scripted Comedy (2021) for FLOWERS and the BAFTA Film award (2012) for Outstanding Debut and the SXSW award (2012) for Emerging Visions Audience for BLACK POND.
In 2024 he could be seen in Audrey Diwan’s EMMANUELLE alongside Noemie Merlant and Naomi Watts as well as Jesse Eisenberg’s second feature as a director, A REAL PAIN.
Goodfellas
