Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (born 25 September 2008) is an English actor. His credits include The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Flora & Ulysses (2021), Pinocchio (2022), Son of a Critch (2022–present) and House of the Dragon (2026). He is set to star as Link in an upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
Early life and education While growing up in the village of Lund, Ainsworth attended the Northern Lights Drama Theatre School in Hull. His younger sister Erin Ainsworth also acts.
Career At the age of ten, Ainsworth made his television debut in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale in 2018, and in the same year performed in a production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on board the Norwegian Epic cruise liner.
Two years later, Ainsworth debuted in his first major production as Miles in the Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), a continuation of the series The Haunting of Hill House. Ainsworth starred in the Disney film Flora & Ulysses, which was released on Disney+ in 2021. In 2022, he voiced the title character in the live-action Disney film Pinocchio. Also that year, Ainsworth began portraying Mark Critch in the semi-autobiographical Canadian comedy series Son of a Critch, for which he received a Best Leading Performance in a Comedy Series nomination at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards.
In 2025, Ainsworth starred in Everything's Going to Be Great. That same year, it was announced that he would star as Link in an upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. In 2026, Ainsworth portrayed Daeron Targaryen in the third season of House of the Dragon.
Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref 2021 Flora & Ulysses William Spiver 2022 Pinocchio Pinocchio (voice) 2023 All Fun and Games Jonah "Jo" Fletcher 2025 Everything's Going to Be Great Lester Smart 2027 LinkPost-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 2018 Emmerdale School boy Episode #8125 2020 The Haunting of Bly Manor Miles Wingrave Main role 2022 The Sandman Young Alex Burgess Episode: "Sleep of the Just" 2022–present Son of a Critch Mark Critch Main role 2026 House of the Dragon Daeron Targaryen Main role; 6 episodes
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