Hugh Coles is an English film and television actor. He is known for his roles in The Festival (2018), Defending the Guilty (2019) and Atlanta (2022) as well as originating the role of George McFly in Back to the Future: The Musical, for which he was nominated for the 2022 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.
Early life and education Hugh Coles attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2017.
Career Screen In 2017 Coles made his film debut as "Rex" in The Festival. He also appeared in smaller roles in Urban Myths and Doc Martin in the same year.
In 2019, he appeared as Liam Mingay in the British sitcom Defending the Guilty. In 2020, Coles was a regularly featured contributor on the Channel 5 TV show NFL End Zone.
He has also appeared in Death in Paradise (2021) and as "Socks" in Donald Glover's TV series Atlanta (2022).
Stage Since 2019, he has been involved with the original production of Back to the Future: The Musical, including its run at the Manchester Opera House and the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End in 2021.
For his role as George McFly, Coles won the 2022 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Male Identifying Role. and was nominated for the 2022 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. In October 2022, it was announced that Coles would reprise the role on Broadway, joining co-star Roger Bart when the show opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in June 2023.
Filmography + TV & Film Year Title Role Notes2018 The Festival Rex Supporting Urban Myths PC Horley 1 episode 2018–2019 Defending the Guilty Liam Mingay 6 episodes 2019 Doc Martin Gerry Hammond 1 episode 2021 Death in Paradise Hugo Pickford 1 episode 2022 Atlanta Socks 2 episodes2023 Dreamland Dom 6 episodes Juice Pat 6 episodes 2024 Baby Reindeer Francis 2 episodes 2025 My Oxford Year Ridley Netflix film
+ Stage Year Show Role Venue2020 Back to the Future: The Musical George McFlyManchester Opera House2021–2022Adelphi Theatre, London2023–2025 Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway
Accolades Year Award Category Work Result 2022 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalBack to the Future: The Musical WhatsOnStage Award Best Actor in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical Stage Debut Awards Best Debut in a Musical Best West End Debut 2024 Broadway.com Audience Awards Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male)
See also List of British actors
References