Young English thespian Freddie Highmore was born on this day in 1992. With both parents part of the moviemaking industry (his father is an actor and his mother is a respected talent agent), Highmore soon found himself acting alongside some of Hollywood’s elite. His past projects have linked him to French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, Kenneth Branagh, Ridley Scott and Albert Finney. It was under Marc Forster’s guidance, however, that Highmore saw his star rise to international fame playing Peter Llewelyn Davies in Finding Neverland (2004). Coping with a dead father and ill mother (played by Kate Winslet), Peter befriends childlike J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) to escape his difficult childhood. Highmore’s portrayal of the character won him a SAG nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He’ll next be seen alongside Robin Williams in August Rush.
Connections: Freddie Highmore found himself a dedicated mentor in his Finding Neverland co-star Johnny Depp. It is rumored that Depp told director Tim Burton that only Highmore could fill the shoes of Charlie Bucket in his remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Interestingly, while Burton had never before worked with the little thespian, his current paramour, Helena Bonham Carter, had had the pleasure of acting as his mother in 1999’s Women Talking Dirty.
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