James Pattinson is one of the UK’s most in-demand actors. He has starred in some of the most memorable films of recent years. He can currently be seen in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy. Here, we take a look at his incredible acting career – and how he managed to rise to such great heights.
Early Career
Pattinson started his acting career in 1995, when he was 16 years old. He made his stage debut in a school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He then went on to study acting at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Here, he developed his craft and appeared in many stage plays. This included roles in Shakespeare’s plays – including Henry V and Julius Caesar. He also toured the UK with a Shakespearean play. During this time, he also made his screen debut in the short film Jock’s Yacht Regatta. This was followed a year later by his first major movie role in the Stephen Frears’ film The Queen. He played the part of Stephen, a young man who befriends Princess Elizabeth. The Queen is one of the most famous and beloved British films of all time. It won the Academy Award for Best Film in 1997. After making his debut in a Stephen Frears film, Pattinson went on to star in many more movies directed by the legendary auteur. This included Mrs Brown (1997), Gangster No. 1 (1997), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and the Oscar-winning Peter’s Friends (1998). It is fair to say that James Pattinson’s career soared after he starred in The Queen. After a few years of acting in popular films, he took the step up to more high-profile projects. This included roles in Mike Newell’s The Informant (2009), Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky (2011), and Richard Eyre’s A Short Trip to Timbuktu (2013).
Breakthrough
Pattinson had a pretty memorable breakthrough in 2012. He played the role of Richard III in a cinematic adaptation of the legendary Shakespeare play. It was directed by Matthew Vaughn and featured a stellar cast including Colin Firth, Rebecca Ferguson, and John Malkovich. Critics and audiences alike hailed it as one of the year’s best. Since then, he has starred in numerous hit movies, including the aforementioned The Umbrella Academy and Richard III, and the horror movie Crawl as well as the action-adventure comedy Sketches of a Ghost. He also starred in the ITV mini-series Victoria & Carlotta during the final year of 2017. In 2019, Pattinson played the role of Sherlock Holmes in the big-budget fantasy movie The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, while also starring in the upcoming Joe Dirt 5 alongside Johnny Knoxville and all-star cast. It premieres next year.
Pattinson’s rise to fame couldn’t have come at a more exciting time. Not only was he launching a new decade, but the 2010s were also shaping up to be one of the greatest decades for British film. The 2000s had seen an influx of exciting new talent, and the 2010s would continue this trend. Some of the most notable performers born in the 1990s include Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Tom Hiddleston. These actors are now household names and helped to usher in a new generation of British superstitions. It is therefore no surprise that so many of the upcoming films will star prominent British actors. Even if you don’t follow British cinema, it’s still worth rooting for these movies. They might not be commercial blockbusters like Toy Story 4 or Incredibles 2, but we’re sure that even the smallest of the new films will leave an impression.
While the 2010s have seen an incredible amount of success for British film, they have also been incredibly tough years. The industry has faced numerous setbacks, from a lack of confidence to fluctuating studio budgets. We’ll hopefully see more big-name movies, but we also need to see more indies. It’s great that we live in a time where even the small-budget independent film can find success, but we also need to see more of these films in the first place.
Saving A Remake
One of the main issues that British cinema has faced in the 2010s is the issue of remakes. The 1990s and early 2000s were a golden era for British cinema. Not only did we see a huge number of successful remakes, but many of them were critically acclaimed. It’s fair to say that the British film industry really started kicking ass again in the 2010s. It’s great that Hollywood is taking notice and noticing us, with many big-name films premiering in the UK in the last few years.
Despite this success, it’s still not all good news. Many people are worried that Hollywood is going to continue remaking our beloved British films. The problem is that not enough filmmakers are putting their money where their mouth is and funding new projects. The few that do are often met with critical backlash. It would be wonderful if the public supported these productions and helped to make up for the money lost in tax breaks and subsidies. We need more original stories, not more remakes. If we don’t see more original material, it’s hard to say how interesting our cinematic landscape will become.
New Genres
It’s always exciting to see established brands branching out of their comfort zone, especially when it comes to genre movies. Disney have been branching out of their classic storytelling comfort zone with incredible results. The studio is currently in production on a number of high-profile genre movies, including Black Widow, the Toy Story spin-off Toy Story 4, the untitled Han Solo movie, and The Predator. While these are all incredibly exciting projects, it’s still not exactly groundbreaking material. It’s great to see brands like Disney continuing to invest in the future of cinema, but we need more daring filmmakers willing to take risks and explore new genres and ideas. If we don’t see more original material, it’s difficult to say what will become of our cinema industry. Classic stories will always have a place, but it’s important to remember that there’s so much more out there. The next big thing could be hiding in plain sight.
It’s been a fantastic 2020 for British cinema, and we couldn’t be more excited for the future. James Pattinson’s career so far is undoubtedly proof of great acting ability and a commitment to his craft. It’s great that so much excitement is being generated by our cinematic industry, and it’s wonderful to see so many people inspired by our stories and characters. The next decade is going to be an incredible era for British cinema, and we can’t wait to see what James Pattinson will do next.