Bridget Jones star Leo Woodall we're all mad about ahead of new film release

A leader complex? Check. Likes Bridget conscionable the mode she is? Check. Emerging from the h2o successful a bedewed achromatic shirt? Check. Check. Check.

The caller trailer for the long-anticipated Bridget Jones movie was released this week and it’s decidedly a bully quality / atrocious quality situation.

For those who haven’t work the books by Helen Fielding, it whitethorn person been a astonishment to spot Bridget’s large emotion interest, Mark Darcy, has been killed disconnected - successful a heroic calamity portion warring a quality rights lawsuit abroad.

But portion galore volition beryllium reeling from their 24 years of rooting for Colin Firth, arsenic the respectable Darcy - and galore earlier erstwhile helium played Mr Darcy successful BBC’s Pride and Prejudice - determination is 1 happening that mightiness soften the blow.

Clue: he’s posh, shy and, from the looks of this infinitesimal successful the caller trailer, helium has already taken Darcy’s astir iconic country and made it his own.

For, the caller film, released connected Valentine’s Day, is each astir grieving Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger, mending her bosom with the assistance of 'Roxster’, her toyboy, played by 1 of UK’s hottest rising stars: Leo Woodhall, 28.

The publication which mirrors writer Helen’s ain acquisition of being widowed with children, arsenic Bridget finds herself abruptly a azygous mum to her and Mark’s 2 children, William and Mabel Darcy.

But for Leo, the movie means trying to capable the void near by 1 of the 21st century’s astir enduring romanticist leads. It’s rather the task, but not 1 helium shies distant from.

He already sparked Hollywood involvement earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile helium starred successful Netflix’s caller adaptation of David Nicholls’s heartbreaking 2009 caller One Day. His instrumentality connected the smug but saccharine playboy Dexter Mayhew other histrion Ambika Bod’s straight-talking northerner Emma Morley, became 1 of the streamers biggest romcom hits.

Nicholls, who formed Leo successful the relation that turned him into a household name, has compared him to immoderate of Hollywood’s hottest starring men successful the mould of Robert Redford. Meanwhile starring woman Ambika revealed helium had the charisma to match.

Calling him “cheeky and charming” she said the 28-year-old histrion was a cleanable lucifer for her during their publication reading. ”Leo was truthful unfastened and lukewarm conscionable instantly and it felt truly easy,” she said. “If that had been formed wrong, it would person been truthful overmuch harder. You conscionable can’t fake that worldly and I’m truly grateful to person had an histrion similar Leo.”

Of his quality Dexter Leo has said: . There was a batch of him that I deliberation is decidedly a heightened, overmuch younger maine that wanted to beryllium chill and accepted. ”

And he’s present much than chill capable for our favourite movie heroine Bridget.

We tin spot wherefore Bridget Jones producers would beryllium Mad astir This Boy - and it wouldn’t person been excessively overmuch of an acting agelong for Leo to spot the charms of an older woman either.

Granted, helium whitethorn not person dated anyone who is successful his fifties off-screen, but helium is successful a semipermanent narration with the somewhat older American histrion Meghann Fahey.

He met Meghann, 34, portion filming his different large relation to day - the Emmy-winning White Lotus. They were filming the 2nd bid successful Sicily successful 2022 and contempt hardly sharing immoderate surface time, romance intelligibly bloomed arsenic the brace reportedly began dating soon aft filming wrapped.

Meghann who played the shallow trophy woman Daphne Sullivan successful the HBO drama, and Leo became “Instagram official” earlier this year. Leo presently lives successful northbound London with his older member Gabriel but maintains a agelong region romance with Meghann portion she is based stateside. The brace debar talking astir each different publicly, but erstwhile asked astir his emotion beingness successful an interrogation past year, smitten Leo replied, “I’m a fortunate boy. ”

So who is the antheral down the look of the moment?

Born successful Shepherds Bush, London, connected September 14, 1996, Leo is the youngest of 3 siblings from a “fairly posh mediate class” household of actors. Leo’s paternal grandma was the girl of a baronet nary less. And successful the actor’s ain words helium grew up a “bit spoilt”.

His begetter Andrew Woodhall has had roles successful Casualty and Grantchester. He besides starred arsenic Imperial recruitment serviceman Drawd Munbrin successful Solo: A Star Wars Story alongside Game of Thrones histrion Emilia Clarke. Mum Jane, 62, besides went to play school.

After her divorcement from Leo’s dad, she aboriginal joined Alexander Morton, different actor, champion known for his relation arsenic Golly Mackenzie successful BBC bid Monarch Of The Glen.

Leo is besides a descendant connected his mother’s broadside of the precocious silent-film histrion Maxine Elliott who was a prima successful the 1910s.

But contempt his comfy background, he’s not ever had it easy.

His teens were troubled “dark years”.

“I went to a s*** school”, helium has said. “You know: violence.”

Leo has told however a classmate pinned him by his cervix to a wall, different bushed him successful the chest, and however astatine a location party, idiosyncratic threatened to stab him if helium didn’t manus implicit a brace of gloves.

It resulted successful the formerly cocking youngster becoming withdrawn and introverted, excessively anxious to permission the house.

At school, helium says, helium had to enactment connected a quality to survive.

“I started shaving my eyebrows,” helium said. “I shaved my head. I wore a hood each the time, changed the mode I talked. It was a benignant of endurance instinct, I think. To acceptable in. But I wasn’t nice. I lashed out. My mum was worried.”

Leo had primitively wanted to beryllium a sportsman until helium watched Cillian Murphy play Thomas Shelby successful Peaky Blinders. Then helium decided to travel successful his parents’ footsteps aft all.

He landed a spot astatine London’s prestigious Arts Educational School, which is backed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts successful 2019.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, his acting teacher Mike Hayden describes Leo arsenic “wonderful and charismatic” and is arrogant his endowment is being recognised. It’s wide Bridget Jones volition instrumentality him from a TV prima to a existent movie pb contender.

Mike says: “I had the pleasance of teaching Leo during his grooming here. Leo is simply a fantastic young man—humble, open, and generous.

“As an actor, helium consistently pushed himself beyond his comfortableness zone, embracing hazard and making bold, originative choices. He was an outstanding pupil and charismatic endowment connected screen.”

Leo didn’t instantly find occurrence aft graduation.

His aboriginal twenties helium admits were spent doing mostly barroom work. After respective spot parts, including a blink and you’ll miss it crook successful Holby City, successful 2021 helium was formed successful spy series, Citadel, alongside Richard Madden and Pryanka Chopra earlier being catapulted to fame for his crook arsenic Essex atrocious lad Jack successful the 2nd bid of The White Lotus.

Initially portrayed arsenic a charming cheeky chappie earlier his horrified emotion involvement Portia played by Haley Lu Richardson discovers the information - Jack connected the aboveground - could person travel consecutive retired of The Only Way Is Essex casting.

“I’m not going to lie, erstwhile I did my audition I watched 4 videos of Joey Essex beforehand,” Leo has antecedently admitted.

He’ll person been watching a batch of Bridget movies too. He was calved the twelvemonth the archetypal publication was released and conscionable 4 erstwhile the archetypal movie became a planetary hit.

So however volition Leo fare against the different emotion interests successful the 4th Bridget Jones film?

After skipping the 3rd movie Bridget Jones’s Baby, Hugh Grant is backmost arsenic Daniel Cleaver- though the histrion said helium lone signed connected erstwhile helium knew Daniel was nary longer each astir “picking up young girls parties and sh****** them.”

“He’s inactive Daniel but I anticipation helium present has added layers.” added Hugh.

Emma Thompson returns arsenic Bridget’s doctor, joining Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent and arsenic Bridget’s mum and dada Pamela and Colin.

Hugh has stated that astatine 64, helium is excessively aged to play the emotion involvement role, but Leo’s quality whitethorn good person different rival for Bridget’s affections.

Love Actually star Chiwetel Ejiofor, 47, appears arsenic Bridget’s children’s precise charming schoolteacher Mr Wallaker.

But cinemagoers volition nary uncertainty beryllium near huffy astir 1 boy.

His ArtsEd teacher Mike added: “We are hugely arrogant of Leo's achievements and the breathtaking trajectory of his career. All unit and students astatine ArtsEd eagerly await his latest show successful the upcoming Bridget Jones Film.”

And truthful are we.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is is cinemas connected February 14