Mostly sticking with indie projects for the majority of his career,Cosmo Jarvishas steadily built an underrated filmography with incredible movies and TV shows. Viewers might recognize the British actor after his fantastic performance in2024’s award-darlingShōgun,but Cosmo Jarvis has been acting for over a decade with his first feature film calledThe Naughty Room,released in 2012. Since then, he has appeared in projects likeLady Macbeth,Persuasion,Calm with Horses, andPeaky Blinders.
Alongside acting, Jarvis is an impressive singer, with multiple albums to his name. He also has roles inThe Alto KnightsandWarfareon the horizon. WithShōgundeveloping a season 2after having previously been established as a limited series, there are even more opportunities for Jarvis on the horizon, as he makes the most of his catapult into Hollywood stardom with the role.
Humans
Cast
Humans is a science-fiction television series that delves into the integration of sophisticated humanoid robots known as “Synths” into society. The story explores the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by humans as they interact with these advanced machines, questioning the nature of consciousness and the definition of humanity. Set in a near-future world, the series balances personal drama with broader social commentary.
Humansis a science fiction television series that poignantly explores the themes of artificial intelligence and robotics, and their effects on the future of humanity. The show is often tense and thought-provoking, making it an easy series to recommend to both science fiction fans and those who might not be as into the genre. Exploring the anthropomorphic robots called “synths”,Humansis immensely entertaining for all three of its seasons.
Humansis often tense and thought-provoking, making it an easy series to recommend to both science fiction fans and those that might not be as into the genre.
Cosmo Jarvis doesn’t have that significant of a role inHumans, only appearing for one episode in season 2, but he does an admirable job all the same. He plays Martin, a very minor character in the episode. Though it isn’t a massive role,it shows that Jarvis was looking to get his name out there, working his way up in a variety of interesting projects before gaining steam as an actor.
As the destruction of a young man’s grandparents' house causes him to take revenge while wearing a mask,Funny Faceis a solid drama film that features some standout performances. Directed by Tim Sutton (Pavillion),Funny Faceis an often interesting look at how a person’s environment can shape them, and although it isn’t the most groundbreaking film ever made, it has a lot to love with its humble ambitions.
Cosmo Jarvis is the lead inFunny Face, playing Saul, a disturbed young man who becomes obsessed with revenge. He is excellent in the role, expertly crafting a complex character that can be unsettling at times.It’s a showcase for the actor, displaying his immense talent as a performer, ashe carries a lot of this movie on his back, and has great chemistry with Dela Meskienyar throughout the film.
The Evening Hour
The Evening Hour follows Cole Freeman, who balances caring for the elderly in his Appalachian town with selling surplus painkillers to addicts. His delicate equilibrium is threatened when an old friend returns with disruptive plans, forcing Cole to confront the challenges to his identity and community stability.
The Evening Houris a small film, telling the story of a nursing aide for an elderly care facility in rural Appalachia that gets caught up with the town’s drug kingpin. Based on the novel of the same name by the author Carter Sickels,The Evening Houris an often powerful look at community, redemption, and history. It’s a film that seeps into one’s bones, resulting in something profound by the time the credits come around.
Cosmo Jarvis is fantastic in most of the indie films he has been in, and his role inThe Evening Houris no different, as he plays Terry Rose, a broken man who hopes to start up his own drug operation. He’s a complex, heartbreaking character and Cosmo Jarvis brings a lot of authenticity to him, making him one of the most compelling characters in the entire film.
Perhaps the most daring science fiction television series to come out in a long time,Raised by Wolveswas a unique HBO show that wrestled with a lot of heady themes, including religion and artificial intelligence. The series revolves around two androids tasked with raising human children on another planet after Earth is destroyed. Canceled prematurely,Raised by Wolveswas often weird and difficult to parse, but fascinating and some of the riskiest science fiction in a while.
The first two episodes of the series were directed by Ridley Scott, exploring some familiar themes that he utilized inPrometheus.
Cosmo Jarvis doesn’t have a major role inRaised by Wolves, only appearing as Campion Sturges in three episodes of the series. Still, Sturges is an important character, a former scientist who renounced his faith and fought for the atheist cause. Most characters inRaised by Wolvesare complex and offbeat, and Sturges is the same,played brilliantly by Jarvis, who channels his energy perfectly into the character.
Exploring some complex concepts,Annihilationis a science fiction horror thriller about a group of scientists who enter a quarantine zone called the Shimmer, that features mutating plants and animals caused by some kind of alien presence. The film is often unsettling and tense, with some of the most haunting imagery in a long time. By the end, not every question has been answered, but it leads the viewer on a thought-provoking ride.
Annihilationmight be one of the smallest roles in Cosmo Jarvis' entire filmography, playing an uncredited Special Ops Soldier. Even though he isn’t given much to do in the film, it seems like Jarvis has impressed director Alex Garland with his role in it, and since then, as he will have a role in Garland’s upcoming film,Warfare. It might not be much, but being inAnnihilationis a great addition to Jarvis' resume.
It Is In Us Allrevolves around a Londoner who returns to Ireland and is drawn in by a teenager who almost kills him in a car crash. Released in 2022, the tense thriller is an excellent slow burn, dedicating most of its time to character work, with some truly standout performances along the way. What really shines withIt Is In Us All, is the immensely beautiful cinematography of it all, really setting the atmosphere of the film’s narrative.
Cosmo Jarvis is the star of the show inIt Is In Us All, portraying Hamish Considine, a frustrated young man who is trying to make sense of who he is, the world around him, and the part he plays in that world.Hamish is a complex, often troubled character, and Jarvis brings him to life in stunning fashion.
With a stunning leading turn by Florence Pugh as Katherine Lester,Lady Macbethis a fascinating look at a young woman who enters into an affair with an estate worker after being sold into a marriage with an older man. With stunning attention to detail, the period piece works on a lot of levels, with some incredible performances and juicy narrative depth in spades. It’s a fantastic film and a showcase for several young stars.
Among those young stars is Cosmo Jarvis as Sebastian, the estate worker with whom Katherine has an affair. As the two get deeper into their tragic tryst, Jarvis and Pugh have some truly incredible performances,with Sebastian becoming a complex, complicated character whom Jarvis explores with a lot of skill. Despite being fairly early in his career, Jarvis proved his immense talent right away.
Running for six seasons,Peaky Blindersis a truly remarkable look at a crime gang following the aftermath of World War I. With a starring performance by Cillian Murphy,Peaky Blindersis one of the best modern television shows around, exploring class, corruption, and violence in the late-1910s through 1920s England. It’s an epic period piece that truly feels beyond most of its competition.
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Jarvis doesn’t appear until season 5, but he instantly makes a strong impression as Barney Thomason. Barney is a World War I sniper and old friend of Murphy’s Tommy, who unfortunately is locked in an asylum. Jarvis is perfect for the setting ofPeaky Blinders, andhis ability to give the characters he is portraying subtle depth is on full display as Barney, making him one of the best characters throughout the season.
Calm with Horsesis an incredible Irish crime drama about an ex-boxer who works as an enforcer to care for his autistic son. Full of humanistic performances and exploring some heavy themes,Calm with Horsesis one of the best entries in Cosmo Jarvis' filmography and it being the directorial debut of Nick Rowland is even more impressive, given how everything comes together perfectly to make a poignant film about a man and his struggles in life.
Jarvis is the star ofCalm with Horses, as Douglas “Arm” Armstrong, playing a man forced to make tough decisions for himself and his family. The movie is always interested in exploring the inner workings of its characters, andJarvis is skilled at pulling back the curtain on Arm, building an incredibly complex character that feels authentic in every way.
It’s hard to overstate just how goodShōgunis, as it does an incredible job of adapting the novel of the same name by James Clavell. Exploring a feudal Japan on the brink of civil war,Shōgunis a remarkable look at a fascinating culture, with the best performance of Hiroyuki Sanada’s career, as plays lead character Lord Yoshii Toranaga. The series was so good, it ended up becoming the most Emmy-awarded for a single season of television of all time. It’s a remarkably powerful work, that is one of the best shows in a long time.
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Like almost everyone else in the series,Shōgunmight very well feature the best performance of Cosmo Jarvis' career. Playing John Blackthorne, an English sailor and pilot who washes ashore in Japan, he finds himself thrust into a world he doesn’t understand as he is used as a pawn for a blossoming civil war.He brings a lot of situational humor to the role and his slow-burning relationship with Ana Sawai’s Mariko is equal parts romantic and tragic.Cosmo Jarvisis remarkable in the show, holding his own opposite some of Japan’s best.
