Christian Louis Cooke (born 15 September 1986) is an English actor. He is known for playing Freddie Taylor in Cemetery Junction and Len Matthews in the Channel 4 mini series The Promise. Cooke played Garry Kasparov in the mini series Rematch on Disney +, and Ron in the movie Plainclothes, which won a Special Jury Award at Sundance 2025.

Other television roles include Magic City (2012–13) and That Dirty Black Bag for AMC, and his other film roles include Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet (2013), Electricity (2014), Love, Rosie (2014) and Drunk Wedding (2015).

Early life and education Christian Louis Cooke was born on 15 September 1986 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He has an older brother, Alexander, a younger sister, Gabrielle, and is a first cousin to Mel B from the Spice Girls through his mother, Di, who is sister to Mel's mother.

He attended St Mary's Catholic High School in Menston.

Cooke began his acting career at the age of 10 when he appeared in a production of Bedazzled at the Bingley Arts Centre. His first television appearance was in a commercial for Birds Eye beef burgers, shortly followed by his first lead role as Wilmot Tanner in Granada Television series Wilmot.

Career Cooke played the role of Luke Kirkwall from 2000 to 2006 in the ITV drama Where the Heart Is and guest starred in Doctors, Barking!, The Royal, Casualty & Inspector George Gently. In 2007, he starred in one episode of BBC's Robin Hood as Will Scarlett's younger brother Luke and made his film debut in the short film Wish."Wish" Vimeo

Cooke also appeared in BBC One's The Chase and played Brae Marrack in the ITV1 soap opera Echo Beach. He guest-starred in the Doctor Who episodes "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky", playing UNIT soldier Ross Jenkins, in 2008.

During 2009, he played the lead roles of Luke Rutherford in ITV1's supernatural drama Demons & Lord Dorian Gaudain in ITV2's eight-part drama Trinity, where he had several rear nude scenes in its first episode, and appeared in Syfy's television film Dark Relic the following year."Syfy Movies – Dark Relic" Syfy He went on to play the lead role of Freddie Taylor in Cemetery Junction and starred in the critically acclaimed Channel 4 four-part drama The Promise, directed by Peter Kosminsky in 2011. That same year, Cooke made his directorial debut in Chandide, an independent short film based in London written & produced by Trinity co-star Arnab Chanda, who also starred in the lead role,"Chandide" Vimeo before completing Paramount Pictures' romantic comedy Drunk Wedding.Paramount Pictures films movie in Nicaragua Business of Cinema. 3 June 2011 The following year, he featured in 1950s Miami-set drama series, Magic City,Starz series Magic City full cast announced The Hollywood Reporter. 9 June 2011 which came to a close after two seasons in August 2013.Magic City cancelled by Starz tvseriesfinale. 5 August 2013

Cooke's film career has since grown in the form of two collaborations with director Bryn Higgins, titled Unconditional and Electricity, starring alongside Charlie Cox in British independent Hello Carter, playing Mercutio in Carlo Carlei's Romeo and Juliet and starring alongside Lily Collins in British-American romantic comedy Love, Rosie. He also made a return to short films, starring in Nativity-inspired Anomaly"Vimeo Staff Pick – Anomaly" Vimeo before taking the lead in Fare with Maimie McCoy, and has since featured regularly throughout the second season of American television series Witches of East End Witches of East End Season 2 premiere date tvline. 7 May 2014 before Lifetime announced the show's cancellation in November 2014.Witches of East End cancelled by Lifetime insidetv. 4 November 2014

Spring 2015 saw Cooke return to British television in BBC two-part book-adaptation drama Stonemouth, the first adaptation of Iain Banks' work since his death in 2013, opposite Sharon Small, Gary Lewis & Peter Mullan,"Stellar cast announced for BBC adaptation of Iain Banks’ Stonemouth" BBC Television. 21 October 2014 as well as the announcement of Magic Citys movie adaptation starring alongside Bruce Willis & Bill Murray, reprising his role as Danny Evans."Christian Cooke is one of the UK’s hottest new actors" City AM. 5 March 2015 On top of his return to British television, his role as Stewart Gilmour in Stonemouth marked his return to a lead role,"Waiting for a role like Stonemouth" What's on TV. 4 June 2015 and towards the summer of 2015 came the announcement of a return to directing with Peter Mullan & Michelle Fairley taking the lead roles in short film Edith;"Christian Cooke Soldiers On" The Scotsman. 7 June 2015 news that was followed by the release of Crackle original drama The Art of More, leading alongside Dennis Quaid & Kate Bosworth, where Cooke starred as ex-soldier Graham Connor."Stonemouth Media Pack" BBC Television. 19 June 2015

The start of 2016 brought in a reunion with Hello Carter director Anthony Wilcox, starring alongside Example, for Instagram-exclusive Shield 5, the first short film to be distributed across this platform."Shield 5" Instagram A year later, and Cooke's career grows in the form of a role in the premiere theatre production of Experience by Dave Florez at Hampstead Theatre, appearing in Yaël Farber's production of Knives In Hens by David Harrower at the Donmar Warehouse and collaborating with Edith producers Sara Huxley & April Kelley to co-produce comedy series Annie Waits.Mini Productions presents Annie Waits Mini Productions

In April 2018 Cooke played the part of Mickey Argyll in Ordeal by Innocence, a role initially portrayed by Ed Westwick, who was replaced by Cooke amid allegations of sexual assault.

Filmography

Television + List of acting performances in television Title Year Role Notes Wilmot 1999 Wilmot Tanner Main role Where the Heart Is 2000–06 Luke Kirkwall 68 episodes Casualty 2002 Mark Booth "Only The Lonely" Barking! 2004 Ryan "The Big Sausage" Doctors 2006 Gary "Positively Blooming" Casualty 2006 Jude Becket "Sons & Lovers" Inspector George Gently 2007 Billy Lister "Gently Go Man" The Chase 2007 Liam Higgins 9 episodes The Royal 2007 Bobby Horrocks "Starting Over" Robin Hood 2007 Luke Scarlett "The Angel of Death" Echo Beach 2008 Brae Marrack Main role Moving Wallpaper 2008 Himself 3 episodes Moving Wallpaper: The Mole 2008 Himself Webisode; Episode 1.4 Doctor Who 2008 Ross Jenkins "The Sontaran Stratagem", "The Poison Sky" Demons 2009 Luke Rutherford-Van Helsing Main role Trinity 2009 Lord Dorian Gaudain Main role Dark Relic 2010 Paul Television film The Promise 2011 Sergeant Leonard Matthews Miniseries Magic City 2012–13 Danny Evans Main role Witches of East End 2014 Frederick Beauchamp Main role; Season 2 Stonemouth 2015 Stewart Gilmour Main role The Art of More 2015–16 Graham Connor Main role Ordeal by Innocence 2018 Mickey Argyll BBC Television film (Replacing Ed Westwick) Barkskins 2020 Rene Sel Main role That Dirty Black Bag 2022SteveMain RoleRematch 2024Garry KasparovMain role Frauds 2025Deegs 4 episodes

Film + List of acting performances in film Title Year Role Notes Wish 2007 Malcolm Short film Cemetery Junction 2010 Freddie Taylor Unconditional 2012 Liam Romeo & Juliet 2013 Mercutio Hello Carter 2013 Eliott Fare 2013 Dominic Short film Anomaly 2014 Oliver Grier Short film Electricity 2014 Mikey O'Connor Love, Rosie 2014 Greg Drunk Wedding 2015 John Shield 5 2016 John Swift Short film-exclusive to Instagram A Rose In Winter 2018 Michael Praeger Everything You Didn't Say 2018 Dylan Short film Point Blank 2019 Mateo Guevara Netflix original film Magic City TBD Danny Evans Plainclothes 2025 Ron

Director Title Year Notes Chandide 2011 Short film Edith 2016 Short film Embers 2019

Producer Title Year Notes Chandide 2011 Short film; Co-Producer Edith 2016 Short film Annie Waits 2017 Television; Co-Producer

Theatre + List of acting performances in theatre Play Year Author Role Theatre Notes Experience 2017 Dave Florez Dan Hampstead Theatre Knives In Hens 2017 David Harrower Pony William Donmar Warehouse Directed by Yael Farber

References

External links