Will Merrick

Will Merrick, born William Charles Merrick on 9 April 1993 in Ledbury, Herefordshire, is an English screen and stage actor whose career has spanned over a decade of diverse roles. He first attracted attention as a teenager when he earned a place among the top ten of more than 50,000 candidates in the 2009 drama GCSE examination, an achievement that foreshadowed his future in performance. After completing his education at The Downs School, Malvern, and Dean Close School, Merrick joined the Close up Theatre company, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 and 2011 in productions such as The History Boys (as Posner) and Death of a Salesman (as Charley). At the age of eighteen he founded his own theatre troupe, No Prophet, through which he explored challenging new works like Simon Stephens’s Punk Rock and Ella Hickson’s Boys. Merrick’s breakout television role came in 2011 when he was cast as Alo Creevey in the third generation of the BAFTA‑winning E4 series Skins, a character he described as "loving, very open‑minded, positive and enthusiastic." His performance earned him the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor in February 2012, beating fellow nominee Dakota Blue Richards. Following Skins, he expanded into film with the romantic comedy About Time (2013), playing Jay alongside Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson. Subsequent television work includes a memorable appearance as Brains in the Doctor Who episode “Nightmare in Silver,” a guest spot in the fantasy series Atlantis, and a recurring role as Arthur Solway in Poldark. In 2016 he portrayed snooker legend Steve Davis in the BBC drama The Rack Pack, and from 2019 to 2021 he starred as gaming fanatic Nicky in the sitcom Dead Pixels. Throughout his career, Merrick has demonstrated a commitment to both screen and stage, earning critical praise for his versatility and energy.