Jude Hill

Jude Hill—yeah, the kid from Belfast—basically came out of nowhere and totally stole the show. Born in this tiny village, Gilford, in County Down, he’s not exactly your typical child star. His parents, Shauneen and Darryl, probably didn’t know what hit them when their son got picked out of 300 hopefuls to play the lead in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical flick, Belfast. And get this, he was just nine when they chose him. Ten during filming. Eleven when the movie dropped in 2021. Wild. So, the movie? It’s kinda all seen through Jude’s character, Buddy—a hyper-curious, bright 9-year-old, who’s basically a stand-in for Branagh as a kid. Critics, like Jeanette Catsoulis from the New York Times, called Buddy “a bright, cheerful 9-year-old,” which, honestly, nails it. That kid just lights up the screen, all wide-eyed and with that thick Northern Irish accent. No wonder he walked away with the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Young Actor. Before all that, Jude was just doing his thing at St John’s Primary and taking drama classes at Shelley Lowry’s in Portadown since he was, like, four. He’s not an only child, either—got a younger brother and sister. And he’s not just a one-hit wonder. He snagged the lead in Rian, this World War II-themed short film that made its premiere at CineMagic 2021. Fast forward to 2023, and Jude teams up with Branagh again for A Haunting in Venice. This kid’s career? Just getting started, honestly.