John Macmillan (also credited as MacMillan) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre, earning an Ian Charleson Award nomination for his work in Hamlet and Macbeth. He was nominated for a Satellite Award for his performance in the BBC Two adaptation of King Lear (2018).
His television work includes the BBC One drama Silk (2011–2014), the Channel 4 sitcom Chewing Gum (2015–2017), and the Channel 4 sitcoms Back (2017–2021) and Hang Ups (2018).
Early life Macmillan attended the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Mbabane, Swaziland (now Eswatini). He has also lived in Johannesburg, Malawi, Zambia, and Oxford. Macmillan trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In 2011, Macmillan opened a garden at Chatsworth Baptist Church School in West Norwood.
Career Macmillan began his career in theatre, going on the 2007 international tour of Cymbeline as Guideris. The following year, he appeared in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida Theatre and Philip Ridley's Piranha Heights at Soho Theatre. He received an Ian Charleson Award nominations for his performances in the 2009 productions of Hamlet and Macbeth. That year, Macmillan made his screen debut with small roles in the horror film Heartless and the fifth series of the BBC One crime drama Hustle as Harry Fielding. In 2011, Macmillan starred in the short Friend Request Pending and appeared in the Joe Wright's 2010 action thriller film Hanna. That same year, he began starring as clerk Joe Bright in the BBC One drama Silk.
In 2015, Macmillan played staff nurse Joe Costello in the Sky One medical drama Critical (CR:IT:IC:AL), appeared in The Homecoming at Trafalgar Studios, and began playing Ronald, Tracey's long-term boyfriend in Michaela Coel's Netflix sitcom Chewing Gum. Macmillan played Victor in both the 2016 and 2017 productions of Yerma alongside Billie Piper. The cast and crew won an Obie Award in the Special Citations category. He starred in the Philip Ridley play Killer, directed by Jamie Lloyd, at Shoreditch Town Hall. He starred as Troye King Jones in Simon Amstell's mockumentary film Carnage and began playing Julian in the Channel 4 sitcom Back. For his performance in the 2018 BBC Two television film adaptation of King Lear, Macmillan was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 2018, Macmillan starred as Abs Walter in the Channel 4 sitcom Hang Ups and began appearing in the Black British sketch comedy Famalam.
Macmillan played Laenor Velaryon, Princess Rhaenyra's first husband, in the first season of the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin's companion book Fire and Blood.
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 2009 Heartless She 2011 Hanna Lewis The Hype Man Miles Short film; also directed, wrote and produced Friend Request Pending Jason Short film, part of Stars in Shorts 2012 The Dark Knight Rises Analyst A Scholarship Leon Short film 2013 World War Z Officer 2014 Paddy The Sage Short film Maleficent Captain Fury Corporal 2017 Carnage Troye King Jones Mockumentary 2020 Heaven Can Wait Short film, part of Boys on Film 20 2021 The Dig Dr. Rothman Ron's Gone Wrong Bubble Techs (voice) 2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Ollie Amazon Prime film 2024 Seize Them! King Guthrum 2025 The Woman in Cabin 10 Captain Addis
Television Year Title Role Notes 2009 Hustle Harry Fielding 2 episodes (series 5) 2010 Sherlock Community Police Officer Episode: "The Blind Banker" 2011–2014 Silk John Bright Main role 2012 Panto! Finlay Christmas special 2014 New Tricks Archie Episode: "Bermondsey Boy" 2015 Critical Justin Costello 9 episodes Hoff the Record Marcus Fuster Episode: "The Movie" 2015–2017 Chewing Gum Ronald 5 episodes 2016 The Windsors Richard 1 episode Barbarians Rising Mago Episode: "Resistance" Ordinary Lies Adam Episode: "Holly" 2017 Midsomer Murders Solomon Franks Episode: "Death by Persuasion" 2017–2021 Back Julian 8 episodes 2018–2020 Famalam Various Sketch comedy (13 episodes) 2018 Kiss Me First Saul Green Episode: "You Can Never Go Home" King Lear Edmund Television film Hang Ups Adebowale "Abs" Walter Main role 2019 The Accident Gareth Jarvis 1 episode Dial M for Middlesbrough Chad Television film 2020 The Trouble with Maggie Cole Jez 2 episodes 2021 The Nevers Byner Episode: "True" 2022 House of the Dragon Laenor Velaryon Episodes: "The Princess and the Queen" and "Driftmark" Ghosts Scott Episode: "Speak as ye choose" 2023 Extraordinary Dr Wedderburn Episode: "Pet Project" The Cleaner Strazzamo Episode: "The Clown" The Great John Quirkton Episode: "Choose Your Weapon" The Burning Girls Mike Sudduth Main role 2025 Surface Richard Wilcox Recurring (Season 2) 2026 Ponies Tom Hasbeck Recurring
Theatre Year Title RolePlaywright Notes 2007 Cymbeline GuideriusWiliam Shakespeare International tour 2008 The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Bailiff / Simon the ZealotStephen Adly Guirguis Almeida Theatre, London Piranha Heights MedicPhillip Ridley Soho Theatre, London 2009 Hamlet RosencrantzWilliam Shakespeare Donmar Warehouse, London / Broadhurst Theatre, New York Macbeth MalcolmWilliam Shakespeare Royal Exchange, Manchester2012Children's ChildrenCastroMatthew DunsterAlmeida Theatre, London 2015 The Homecoming JoeyHarold Pinter Trafalgar Studios, London 2016, 2017, Yerma Victor Simon Stone, after Lorca Young Vic, London 2017 Killer VariousPhillip Ridley One man play; Shoreditch Town Hall, London2018YermaVictorSimon StonePark Avenue Armoury, New York2018Pinter Two: The Lover/ The Collection Richard / JamesHarold PinterHarold Pinter Theatre, West End, London 2023 Phaedra EricSimon Stone, after Euripides, Seneca and Racine Royal National Theatre, London 2025 The Lady from the Sea LyleSimon Stone Bridge Theatre, London 2026 The Oresteia JeromeSimon Stone Bridge Theatre, London
Video games Year Title Role Notes2017Horizon Zero DawnVarl 2018 Overkill's The Walking Dead Aiden 2019 Blood & Truth 2020 Troy: A Total War Saga Amnesia: Rebirth James Henry "Hank" Mitchell Spellforce 3: Fallen God Zazka 2022 Horizon Forbidden West Varl
Audio Year Title Role Notes 2016–2018 Tommies Juma Gubanda / Leland Moody 5 episodes 2020 The Sandman African Morpheus 20 episodes
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2009 Ian Charleson Awards Commendations Macbeth and Hamlet 2018 Obie Awards Special Citations Yerma Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film King Lear
Notes
References
External links
John Macmillan at Curtis Brown