Will Sharpe movies and TV shows span a remarkable dual career as both a BAFTA-winning actor and an accomplished writer-director. Best known for Giri/Haji, The White Lotus, and Flowers, Sharpe has built a filmography that ranges from intimate British comedies to major international productions. This guide covers his essential acting roles and his equally significant behind-the-camera work.
Sharpe’s breakthrough as a performer came with the 2019 BBC and Netflix crime drama Giri/Haji, in which he played Rodney Yamaguchi. The role earned him the BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2020 . In his acceptance speech, Sharpe thanked writer Joe Barton for crafting “such beautifully funny and complex characters” and noted that simply having the opportunity to play the role had been enough for him .
Before that award recognition, Sharpe had already established himself as a creator with the Channel 4 comedy-drama Flowers, which he wrote, directed, and starred in across two series from 2016 to 2018 . The show demonstrated his ability to balance dark subject matter with warmth, a quality that would define much of his later work. Flowers remains the clearest example of Sharpe operating simultaneously as writer, director, and performer.
His international profile expanded significantly with The White Lotus Season 2 in 2022, where he played Ethan Spiller, a tech entrepreneur whose marriage fractures during a Sicilian holiday. The performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2023, alongside co-stars F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, and Theo James . Vogue noted that Sharpe has become especially adept at playing men who exist in “several emotional registers at once,” a quality that gave his White Lotus performance its particular magnetism .
In 2025, Sharpe took on his first romantic lead in Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much, starring opposite Megan Stalter as Felix, an indie musician living in London . The same year, he appeared in Jesse Eisenberg’s acclaimed comedy-drama A Real Pain, playing a meticulously earnest tour guide. In an interview about the role, Sharpe explained that he initially read the character with a neutral London accent but felt something was missing, ultimately shifting to a Sheffield accent to give the mixed-race character a more specific and warmer backstory .Quick Bio: Will Sharpe
Notes on unverified fields: Net worth figures appear only on low-authority aggregator sites and cannot be verified through reliable sources, so they are excluded. Sharpe and Di Martino keep their relationship private, and it is not publicly confirmed whether they are married .
Sharpe’s directing and writing credits reveal an artist drawn to unconventional stories. His debut feature Black Pond (2011), which he co-wrote and co-directed, received a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding British Debut in 2012 . A decade later, he directed The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021), a biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and the Sky and HBO true-crime drama Landscapers (2021) . The latter starred Olivia Colman and demonstrated Sharpe’s ability to attract major talent while maintaining a distinctive visual and tonal sensibility.
Most recently, Sharpe took on the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Sky’s five-part adaptation of Amadeus, which aired in December 2025 . The series, adapted by Joe Barton, also stars Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri and explores Mozart’s rise and downfall in 18th-century Vienna . Sharpe’s casting as Mozart reflects his growing reputation as an actor capable of portraying brilliance laced with chaos.
Looking ahead, Apple TV has announced Prodigies, a seven-episode romantic comedy series premiering globally on February 10, 2027. Sharpe created, wrote, directed, executive produced, and stars in the series alongside Ayo Edebiri . The show follows two former child prodigies in their thirties who reexamine their lifelong relationship, moving from London to Tokyo by way of Virginia . The ensemble cast includes John Malkovich, Tobias Menzies, and Sophia Di Martino, further confirming Sharpe’s standing as a creator who draws top-tier collaborators.
For newcomers to Sharpe’s work, the entry points depend on what you want to see. Giri/Haji and The White Lotus showcase his acting range and have earned the most mainstream attention. Flowers and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain reveal his sensibilities as a writer and director. What connects all of these projects is a consistent interest in characters who are trying, often imperfectly, to connect with others. Whether he is in front of the camera or behind it, Sharpe gravitates toward stories that balance humor with genuine emotional weight.
What is Will Sharpe best known for?
Will Sharpe is a British-Japanese actor, writer, and director. He won a BAFTA for his supporting role in Giri/Haji and received an Emmy nomination for playing Ethan Spiller in Season 2 of The White Lotus . He also created and starred in the Channel 4 series Flowers.
What is the Apple TV+ series Prodigies about?
Prodigies is a romantic comedy series created, written, directed by, and starring Will Sharpe alongside Ayo Edebiri. It follows two former child prodigies in their thirties who reexamine the relationship they have had since they were nine. The seven-episode season premieres globally on February 10, 2027 .
Who does Will Sharpe play in Amadeus?
Sharpe portrays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the five-part Starz adaptation of Amadeus, opposite Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri. The series reimagines Mozart as an impulsive prodigy burdened by his own talent, rather than a distant historical icon . Sharpe said he approached the role by focusing on the psychological cost of genius.
Did Will Sharpe really play the piano in Amadeus?
Sharpe learned to play the specific pieces required for the series with the help of a piano teacher, Ben Holder. He has said he is not a professional musician but threw himself into the musical sequences, describing the experience as inspiring and supported by the players involved .
What is Will Sharpe’s role in A Real Pain?
Sharpe plays James, an earnest and meticulously prepared tour guide leading a Holocaust history tour through Poland in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain (2024). Sharpe initially read the character with a neutral London accent but switched to a Sheffield accent to give the mixed-race character more specificity and warmth .
