Yahoo Finance Everything to Know About You Season 4 Star Ed Speleers
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Get to know Ed Speleers.
The British-based actor stars in You season 4, the latest installment of Netflix's psychological thriller.
A veteran actor himself, Speleers has a lengthy list of acclaimed credits to his name that spans both television and film since his breakout role at age 17 in 2004. Following roles on Downton Abbey and Outlander, to name a few, Speleers is turning heads once again with his role as Rhys Montrose on You.
According to Deadline, Speleers' role is described as a "dry and irreverent" author who published a memoir that launched him acclaim and pressure to step into a political career. But in a Netflix teaser posted to Instagram, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley)'s sure to note that Rhys didn't always live an affluent life. In fact, he "lived a traumatic early life before he came into money, going to Oxford and making all the right friends."
RELATED: The Cast of 'You' Season 4: Everything to Know
Speleers' acting roles have historically been rather mysterious, but during an interview with PEOPLE, he explained that he's drawn to roles "that find a way to push the envelope" and "find complexities in human behavior." Ultimately, "I want to understand people a little bit better," said Speleers.
Furthermore, the actor added: "I feel it's important for me to always take myself out of my comfort zone when taking on a part or trying to understand someone else and trying to get in their way of thinking and how they operate. I find it fascinating."
Between his various personas on camera and his personal life behind the scenes, here's everything to know about Speleers.
He was born and raised in England
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Speleers was born and raised in England (though now travels around for jobs, such as in Los Angeles, for example). Despite the popularity of studying acting where he grew up, Speleers did not — telling Interview Magazine that he partially regrets that decision now looking back.
"I've got a massive chip on my shoulder about that," he began. "Coming from England, it's a tradition. It's less and less so now; there are a lot of great young actors coming out of England who have maybe not gone to drama school, but I wish I had."
RELATED: Joe Goldberg Has His Own Stalker in 'YOU' Season 4 Trailer: 'Who Are You?'
He stars as Rhys Montrose in You season 4
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Speleers plays Rhys Montrose in season 4 of the hit Netflix psychological drama series. The official You Instagram describes Rhys as "a good man in a cruel world," a characteristic that accompanies a video of Joe's narration of the newcomer character.
In Speleers' words: "Reese is particularly creepy, but I think as most people in society, he's somewhere in the gray and is just trying to understand what has put him there." The actor joins star Badgley in the recurring role, in addition to newcomers Charlotte Ritchie, Tilly Keeper and Lukas Gage.
His breakout role was in the 2006 film Eragon
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Speleers filmed his first movie at the age of 17, playing the titular character in the 2004 adaptation of Christopher Paolini's popular novel of the same name. During a chat with Interview Magazine, the actor recalled his introduction to acting as "baptism by fire" because he "didn't have a clue about how a camera worked" at the time.
Prior to being cast in You, Speleers' other roles include James "Jimmy" Kent in the 2010 series Downton Abbey, Stephen Bonnet in 2014's Outlander and James Harcourt in 2016's Alice Through the Looking Glass.
You aside, Speleers can be seen in the upcoming season of Star Trek: Picard. A fan of the franchise, Speleers penned his excitement on his Instagram because "it's been a long time coming" for the actor. "The whole experience holds and will hold a very special place for me and my family," he wrote.
"I had the great fortune to work with some exceptionally talented people on both sides of the camera," Speleers continued in part. "This was a part I cherished in ways that I cannot articulate properly on social media and I've felt honoured to become part of the Star Trek family."
He's married to producer and costume designer Asia Macey
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Speleers is married to wardrobe director Asia Macey, though it remains unclear when the two met. She's known for her work on notable films including 2012's Downton Abbey series, 2014's Into the Woods and 2015's The Lady in the Van.
Although the couple keeps details of their romance private, Macey has made appearances on Speleer's Instagram as well as stepped out alongside him at various events.
He's a dad
Ed Speleers/Instagram
Speleers shares two children with Macey, a son and a daughter. The actor opened up about his decision to become a father during a 2016 interview with The Guardian.
"I'll be honest," Speleers began. "Having a child wasn't immediately on my radar, but it's the best thing in the world, and I'm very lucky to have both of them in my life." While it's unclear what his daughter's name is, his son's name is Jude.
He's a big fan of soccer
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Outside of TV and film, Speleers is a big sports fan, specifically professional soccer. His favorite team is the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England.
His love for the club goes way back, telling PEOPLE: "I've been obsessed with them since I was six years old." He added, "I must look up Tottenham Hotspur on Google about a hundred
times a day to see what's going on. To see what the latest play is... I think football is a huge part of my life."
Since Speleers' interest in soccer started at a young age, he's also introducing his children to the sport. "And now my son's into football. I thought he wasn't going to be, and now he really is," he said. "We get on brilliantly anyway, but that is a big thing for him and I at the moment."
