Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 September 2008 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (born 25 September 2008[2]) is an English actor. His credits include The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Flora & Ulysses (2021), Pinocchio (2022) and Son of a Critch (2022–present). He is set to star as Link in an upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
Early life and education
While growing up in the village of Lund, Ainsworth attended the Northern Lights Drama Theatre School in Hull.[2] His younger sister Erin Ainsworth also acts.[3]
Career
At the age of ten, Ainsworth made his television debut in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale in 2018,[4] and in the same year performed in a production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on board the Norwegian Epic cruise liner.[1]
Two years later, Ainsworth debuted in his first major production as Miles in the Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), a continuation of the series The Haunting of Hill House.[5] Ainsworth starred in the Disney film Flora & Ulysses, which was released on Disney+ in 2021.[6][7] In 2022, he voiced the title character in the live-action Disney film Pinocchio.[8] Also that year, Ainsworth began portraying Mark Critch in the semi-autobiographical Canadian comedy series Son of a Critch,[9] for which he received a Best Leading Performance in a Comedy Series nomination at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards.[10]
In 2025, Ainsworth starred in Everything's Going to Be Great.[11] That same year, it was announced that he would star as Link in an upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.[12]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Recycling Man | Jacob | [13] |
| 2021 | Flora & Ulysses | William Spiver | [6] |
| 2022 | Pinocchio | Pinocchio (voice) | [8] |
| 2023 | All Fun and Games | Jonah "Jo" Fletcher | [14] |
| 2025 | Everything's Going to Be Great | Lester Smart | [11] |
| 2027 | The Legend of Zelda † | Link | Pre-production[12] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Emmerdale | School boy | Episode #8125 |
| 2020 | The Haunting of Bly Manor | Miles Wingrave | Main role |
| 2022 | The Sandman | Young Alex Burgess | Episode: "Sleep of the Just" |
| 2022–present | Son of a Critch[15] | Mark Critch | Main role |
References
- ^ a b "Meet Benjamin Ainsworth". The Hull Hub. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ a b Davidson, Trudi (17 April 2018). "Child actor Ben Ainsworth will appear on Emmerdale in cheeky schoolboy scene". Hull Live. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Erin Ainsworth" (PDF). Mark Jermin Management. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ "Local Theatre School Pupil To Appear In Emmerdale On ITV This Tuesday 17th April". Yorkshire Times. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (24 August 2020). "Viewer Beware: Here's Your First Look at The Haunting of Bly Manor". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ a b Trumbore, Dave (27 June 2019). "Disney+ Movie 'Flora & Ulysses' Starts Production; Cast Revealed". Collider. Archived from the original on 28 June 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ Friedlander, Whitney (23 July 2020). "ALL UPCOMING DISNEY MOVIES: NEW DISNEY LIVE-ACTION, ANIMATION, PIXAR, MARVEL, 20TH CENTURY, AND SEARCHLIGHT". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Dreams come true for young actor in new Disney+ movie 'Pinocchio'". ABC7 New York. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Hullender, Tatiana (31 December 2021). "Mark Critch, Malcolm McDowell & Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Interview: Son Of A Critch". ScreenRant. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Weaver, Jackson. "BlackBerry, Sort Of, Little Bird dominate Canadian Screen Award nominations". CBC.ca.
- ^ a b Beauget-Uhl, Maelle. "Jack Champion And Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Talk 'Everything's Going To Be Great'". Forbes. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ a b Phillips, Tom (16 July 2025). "Nintendo Confirms Actors Set to Play Link and Zelda in Live-Action The Legend of Zelda Film". IGN. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ "The Recycling Man (short science fiction film: in full)". SFcrowsnest. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (19 July 2023). "'All Fun And Games': Vertical Sets Fall Release For Horror Thriller Starring Natalia Dyer & Asa Butterfield". Deadline. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ David, Greg (29 July 2021). "CBC and Lionsgate reunite with Andrew Barnsley and Project 10 for Mark Critch's original comedy Son of a Critch". TV, eh?. Retrieved 22 August 2021.