BIOGRAPHY
Born February 14, 1992 in London, England, Freddie Highmore is best known for his role in Finding Neverland and the big-budget Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Born to a so-called show business family, Highmore’s mother is the talent agent behind Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton, while his father is an actor.
Highmore began his acting career with small parts on television when he was 7, such as in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story. In 2004, he had a breakthrough performance as Peter in Finding Neverland. His critically acclaimed performance earned him a Screen Actors’ Guild Award nomination. In 2005, he played the part of Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factor. Johnny Depp, who worked with him in Finding Neverland, supposedly recommended him for the role, after being impressed with his performance. Depp played the lead in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What followed was a string of appearances in several moderately successful films, such as August Rush with Robin Williams, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and lending his voice in Arthur and the Minimoys. He also did the voice of Pantalaimon in The Golden Compass in 2007. He was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 2008 for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actor for August Rush, while he won the 2006 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Young Actor for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A huge soccer fan, Highmore previously said that he does not plan to continue acting as an adult. He also plays the clarinet and enjoys video games. He was originally cast in December Boys but had to pull out because he couldn’t go to Australia to film because of his sick grandmother. The part eventually went to Daniel Radcliffe. He is fluent in French.