Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (born 7 December 1989) is an English actor and model. He is best known for playing Marcus Brewer in the 2002 film About a Boy, Hank McCoy/Beast in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class, and Tony Stonem in the E4 teen drama Skins from 2007 to 2008.
Hoult was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the third of four children of Glenis (née Brown), a piano teacher, and Roger Hoult, a pilot for British Airways. His siblings are Clarista, James, and Rosie, and his great-aunt was actress Anna Neagle.
Hoult was first spotted at the age of three, sitting in the audience with his mother at a play. The director noticed and suggested that he should try out for one. He attended Ranelagh School, made his professional debut in the 1996 film Intimate Relations (at the age of 7), and worked mainly in television, until the success of About a Boy, in which he plays Marcus.
While at sixth form, he gained a lead role as Tony Stonem in the first two series of E4 teen drama Skins. Hoult was nominated for a Walkers Home Grown Talent Award and won the Monte Carlo TV Festival Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for the role. In 2009, Hoult appeared in the Tom Ford film A Single Man, alongside Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. He replaced Jon Kortajarena as the face of Tom Ford eyewear for the spring 2010 collection.He also worked as a spokesperson for Shiatzy Chen.
In 2010, Hoult was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star award, the only award to be voted by the British public. He has appeared in the video to The Midnight Beast song "Lez Be Friends". He also voices 'Elliot' in the video game, Fable III. On 8 July 2010, it became public that he had been cast in the role of Beast in the X-Men spin-off, X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn. MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named him one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'.
In February 2011, at the age of 21, Hoult was offered the lead role in Jack the Giant Slayer. He filmed the project later that year, and as well as the zombie romance film Warm Bodies, with Teresa Palmer, which was theatrically released on February 1, 2013.
For his ongoing charity work with Christian Aid, Hoult was entered into the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2011 Hoult began dating American actress Jennifer Lawrence, whom he met on the set of X-Men: First Class.
It was widely reported in January 2013 that the couple had ended their relationship, however this has yet to be confirmed.