Ruaridh Mollica

Last updated
Ruaridh Mollica
Born
Ruaridh Silvio James MacGillivray-Mollica

14 October 1999 (age 24)
Prato, Italy
Alma mater Heriot-Watt University
Years active2013–present

Ruaridh Silvio James MacGillivray-Mollica (born 14 October 1999) is a Scottish-Italian actor, writer, and director. For his performance in the film Sebastian (2024), he was nominated for a British Independent Film Award. On television, he appeared in the Channel 5 series Witness Number 3 and the BBC Three series Red Rose (both 2022).

Contents

Early life and education

Mollica was born in Prato, Italy to a Scottish mother and an Italian father. [1] Mollica attended Broughton High School in Edinburgh. [2] He joined the Strange Town youth theatre company, where he met his agent Ruth Hollyman. [3] Mollica graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Heriot-Watt University in 2021. [4] During his time at university, he participated in snowsports. [5] He intended to do a Masters degree in Cybersecurity at a London university, but declined the offer when he was cast in Red Rose. [1]

Career

Mollica began his career as a child actor, making his television debut aged 12 in an episode of the BBC One series Case Histories with Jason Isaacs and Mark Bonnar and his feature film debut as a background dancer in the Sunshine on Leith adaptation. He worked on-and-off for a number of years, [1] appearing in the 2015 drama Stonemouth as a young version of Christian Cooke's character [6] and the 2018 romance film Tell It to the Bees .

During his final year at university, [1] Mollica returned to acting when his Strange Town agent Ruth Hollyman got him the lead role opposite Joshua Griffin in Sean Lionadh's 2022 short film Too Rough , [7] which won a Scottish BAFTA. He then landed his first recurring television role as Patrick Hume in the BBC Three horror series Red Rose , which Mollica declined his postgraduate university place to film, and his first main role in the Channel 5 series Witness Number 3. [8] He also appeared in Wasted at the Jack Studio Theatre. [9]

In 2024, Mollica starred as the lead character Max Williamson in Mikko Mäkelä's sophomore feature Sebastian , which opened at the Sundance Film Festival. [10] For his performance, Mollica was nominated for the British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance. [11] Mollica also played a young version of Stephen Moyer's character Teddy in the Paramount+ series Sexy Beast . He has an upcoming role in the film Sukkwan Island. [12]

Personal life

Regarding his sexuality, in a February 2024 interview with Queerty, Mollica said, "it was only when I moved to London and had the ability to be myself that I realised, 'Oh actually, no, I like men as well'". [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Sunshine on Leith Dancer
2018 Tell It to the Bees Rose Attacker
2022 Too Rough NickShort film
2022The Doomsday ClockThe ReaderShort film; director, writer
2023 Boys on Film: Dangerous to Know Nick
2024 Sebastian Max Williamson
TBASukkwan Island

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Case Histories Freddie MarshallEpisode: "Nobody's Darling"
2015 Stonemouth Young StewartPart 1
2022 Witness Number 3 PoMain role
2022 Red Rose Patrick Hume5 episodes
2024 Sexy Beast Young Teddy Bass
2024 The Jetty Troy2 episodes
2024 Ridley Ryan Stanford2 episodes (series 2)
2024 The Franchise JazSupporting role (5 episodes)
TBA A Thousand Blows Nicholas Graften

Music videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baz Luhrmann</span> Australian filmmaker (born 1962)

Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music, and recording industries, he is regarded by some as a contemporary example of an auteur for his style and deep involvement in the writing, directing, design, and musical components of all his work. He is the most commercially successful Australian director, with four of his films in the top ten highest worldwide grossing Australian films of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Cumming</span> Scottish actor (born 1965)

Alan Cumming is a Scottish actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for the West End production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1991). His other Olivier-nominated roles were in The Conquest of the South Pole (1988), La Bête (1992), and Cabaret (1994). Cumming won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for reprising his role as the Emcee on Broadway in Cabaret (1998). His other performances on Broadway include Design for Living (2001), and Macbeth (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilda Swinton</span> British actress

Katherine Matilda Swinton is a British actress. She is known for playing eccentric and enigmatic characters, often working with auteur directors. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Cox (actor)</span> Scottish actor (born 1946)

Brian Denis Cox is a Scottish actor. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, he is known for his work on stage and screen. His numerous accolades include two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for a British Academy Television Award. In 2003, he was appointed to the Order of the British Empire at the rank of Commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heriot-Watt University</span> University in Edinburgh, Scotland

Heriot-Watt University is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by royal charter in 1966. It is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United Kingdom. The name Heriot-Watt was taken from Scottish inventor James Watt and Scottish philanthropist and goldsmith George Heriot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh International Film Festival</span> Movie festival in Scotland

The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films, in all genres and lengths. It also presents themed retrospectives and other specialized programming strands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Stott</span> Scottish stage, television and film actor

Kenneth Campbell Stott is a Scottish stage, television and film actor who won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1995 in the play Broken Glass at Royal National Theatre. He portrayed the dwarf Balin in The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014).

John Michie is a Scottish television and film actor, known for his roles as DI Robbie Ross in the STV detective drama series Taggart, as Karl Munro in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2013 and his role as CEO Guy Self in Casualty and Holby City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colman Domingo</span> American actor, playwright and director (born 1969)

Colman Jason Domingo is an American actor, playwright, and director. Prominent on both screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Lowden</span> Scottish actor (born 1990)

Jack Andrew Lowden is a Scottish actor. Following a four-year stage career, his first major international onscreen success was in the 2016 BBC miniseries War & Peace, which led to starring roles in feature films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Reynor</span> Irish actor (born 1992)

Jack Reynor is an Irish actor. His notable roles include the films What Richard Did (2012), Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Glassland (2014), Macbeth (2015), Sing Street (2016) and Midsommar (2019), as well as the series Strange Angel (2018–2019) and The Peripheral (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollyanna McIntosh</span> Scottish-born actress (b. 1979)

Pollyanna McIntosh is a Scottish actress and director known for her roles in films Exam (2009), The Woman (2011), Let Us Prey (2014), the first season of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard (2016), and social issue horror film Darlin' (2019) which she wrote, directed and starred in. McIntosh also starred as Jadis in The Walking Dead franchise (2017–2024), Queen Ælfgifu of Denmark in the Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla (2022), and voices Kris in the Max adult animation series Scavengers Reign (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narges Rashidi</span> German-Iranian actress

Narges Rashidi is an American-German actress of Iranian descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael R. Jackson</span> American playwright, lyricist and composer

Michael R. Jackson is an American playwright, composer, and lyricist, best known for his musical A Strange Loop, which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical. He is originally from Detroit.

Mikko Mäkelä is a Finnish-British filmmaker based in London. He is known for directing the feature films A Moment in the Reeds (2017) and Sebastian (2024). He was listed by IndieWire as one of 25 LGBTQ filmmakers on the rise.

Charlotte Wells is a Scottish director, writer, and producer. She is known for her feature film debut Aftersun (2022), which premiered in 2022 during Critics' Week at Cannes Film Festival, receiving 121 nominations and 33 awards, including Gotham and British Independent Film Awards. Wells has worked on numerous other films, such as Blue Christmas (2017), and her films have screened at festivals worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amrou Al-Kadhi</span> British-Iraqi writer, drag performer, and filmmaker

Amrou Al-Kadhi is a British-Iraqi writer, drag performer, and filmmaker whose work primarily focuses on queer identity, cultural representation and racial politics. Al-Kadhi made a cameo appearance in the 2021 Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Venom: Let There Be Carnage as a temporary host of the title character.

Amy Molloy is an Irish actress born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She resides in London UK.

Louis McCartney is a stage, television and film actor from Northern Ireland.

<i>Sebastian</i> (2024 film) 2024 film

Sebastian is a 2024 international co-production film written and directed by Mikko Mäkelä.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bamigboye, Baz (19 January 2024). "Breaking Baz: Scottish-Italian Newcomer Ruaridh Mollica On His Breakthrough Performance In Mikko Makela's Sundance-Bound 'Sebastian'". Deadline. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  2. "Drama Students' Scripts Performed at Traverse". Broughton High School, Edinburgh. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  3. "Ruaridh Mollica". Strange Town Agency. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  4. "Congratulations class of 2021: Heriot-Watt University". The Herald. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  5. "Volunteer Awards 20/21". HWU Sports Union. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  6. Dibdin, Thom (8 June 2015). "Strange Town Nights". All Edinburgh Theatre. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  7. Orenstein, Eitan (26 March 2023). "In Conversation With Ruaridh Mollica". The Student. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  8. Palmer, Katie (20 July 2022). "Witness Number 3 cast: Who is in the Channel 5 series?". Daily Express. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  9. Chandra, Rika (25 November 2022). "Review: Wasted, Jack Studio". Everything Theatre. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  10. Avella, Frank J. (23 January 2024). "Sundance: Director Mikko Mäkelä, Star Ruaridh Mollica On Their Bold New Queer-Themed Film 'Sebastian'". AwardsDaily. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  11. Pulver, Andrew (2024-11-05). "Kneecap leads nominations for British independent film awards". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  12. "Swann Arlaud, Woody Norman, Ruaridh Mollica and Alma Pöysti to Star in 'Sukkwan Island' Film Adaptation From Haut Et Court (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  13. Scheetz, Cameron (1 February 2024). "Ruaridh Mollica says sex worker drama 'Sebastian' helped him understand his queerness". Queerty. Retrieved 2 February 2024.