
Josh Finan – Actor, BAFTA Nominee & Rising Star
Josh Finan is a British actor from Merseyside who has built a screen career across film, television, and stage since 2017. A graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he is best known for playing Marco in the BBC One drama The Responder and Gerry Adams in the FX/Disney+ series Say Nothing.
His performance in The Responder earned him a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Screen Daily later named him among its Stars of Tomorrow for 2024.
In 2024, Finan appeared in three major television series within a single year. In January 2026, he took a lead role in the BBC One prison drama Waiting for the Out.
Who Is Josh Finan?
Josh Finan was born and raised in Merseyside, with one source specifying Wirral, near Liverpool. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2016, and began building his professional screen career the following year.
His most recognised work includes The Responder, Say Nothing, Waiting for the Out, The Gentlemen, and Baby Reindeer. Wikipedia documents his filmography across television, film, and short-form projects.
Josh Finan at a Glance
- Known for: The Responder (2022–2024), Say Nothing (2024), Waiting for the Out (2026)
- Age: Not publicly confirmed
- Education: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
- Notable Nomination: BAFTA (Supporting Actor)
- Breakout Role in The Responder: Finan received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for his portrayal of Marco in the BBC series.
- Gerry Adams Portrayal: In Say Nothing, he plays the former Sinn Féin leader in a drama about The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
- Rapid Career Trajectory: His career moved from theatre to lead roles in high-profile television dramas in under a decade.
- Classical Training: He graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2016, one of the UK’s leading drama schools.
- 2024 Breakthrough Year: Three significant television series featuring Finan were released in the same year.
- Genre Range: His credits span superhero blockbusters, gritty crime drama, and historical fiction.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Merseyside, near Liverpool |
| Training | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduated 2016 |
| Known for | The Responder, Say Nothing, Waiting for the Out, The Gentlemen, Baby Reindeer |
| Notable nomination | BAFTA TV Award, Best Supporting Actor |
| Agency | Insight Management |
| First film credit | The Current War (2017) |
| First television credit | Guerrilla (2017) |
| 2024 television projects | The Gentlemen, Baby Reindeer, Say Nothing |
| 2026 lead role | Waiting for the Out |
What TV Shows Has Josh Finan Starred In?
Finan’s television career took off with The Responder, a BBC One crime drama set in Liverpool. He played Marco, a young man drawn into the drug trade. The first series aired in 2022, and the second followed in 2024.
The Responder and the Role of Marco
Marco became Finan’s breakout part. The series follows a police officer working night shifts in Liverpool while dealing with his own mental health struggles. Finan’s performance drew a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Say Nothing and the Portrayal of Gerry Adams
In 2024, Finan played Gerry Adams in Say Nothing, a historical drama set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The series is adapted from Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book. His casting drew attention because Adams is a politically significant figure.
Say Nothing is adapted from Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The FX/Disney+ mini-series features Finan as Gerry Adams, a leading political figure in the conflict.
Additional Television Credits
In the same year, Finan appeared as Jethro in The Gentlemen and as Diggsy in Baby Reindeer. Earlier television credits include Guerrilla (2017) and Doctors (2020).
What Movies Has Josh Finan Been In?
Finan’s film work includes a mix of studio releases and smaller independent productions. Insider Newz, an entertainment site covering his career, lists several of these credits.
Early Film Credits
The Current War (2017), a historical drama about the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, gave Finan one of his first film roles. He followed it with Hellboy (2019), the supernatural action film starring David Harbour, in which he played a novice.
Independent Films and Shorts
Surge (2020) added a further film credit, alongside the short film Leaving the Forces (2020), in which he played Sebastian Bell. His filmography also includes the short Stile (2020) and the 2021 screen work Shook by Samuel Bailey, in which he played Cain.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Current War | Peter |
| 2019 | Hellboy | Novice |
| 2020 | Surge | Jermaine |
| 2020 | Leaving the Forces | Sebastian Bell |
| 2020 | Stile | Poor Boy |
Finan’s screen credits span the superhero blockbuster Hellboy, the historical drama The Current War, the gritty BBC crime drama The Responder, and the historical mini-series Say Nothing. That variety is one reason his casting has expanded quickly.
What Is Josh Finan’s Upcoming Project Waiting for the Out?
Waiting for the Out is a BBC One prison drama that began airing in January 2026. Finan plays Dan, a philosophy teacher, in what marks his lead role for the series. Man About Town covered the series in a 2026 interview with the actor.
What Is Waiting for the Out About?
The series is set inside a prison and follows Dan as he navigates life as a teacher behind bars. Details about the full plot have not been widely published, but the role places Finan at the centre of a British drama for the first time.
Other Reported Projects
A profile in Numéro Netherlands reported that Finan was also set to appear in Netflix’s How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. That project has not yet been fully detailed in public sources, and casting should be treated as announced rather than confirmed.
Has Josh Finan Won Any Awards?
Finan has not won a BAFTA, but he received a nomination. His BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor came following his work on The Responder. IMDb lists the single BAFTA nomination on his profile.
No other major awards appear in his documented filmography. The nomination itself is widely cited as the moment his career gained broader industry attention.
How Has Josh Finan’s Career Developed Over Time?
Finan’s career milestones trace a steady progression from theatre training to lead television roles.
- – Graduates from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
- – Appears in Guerrilla and The Current War.
- – Appears in Hellboy.
- – Appears in Surge, Doctors, and the short film Leaving the Forces.
- – First series of The Responder airs on BBC One.
- – Receives BAFTA TV Award nomination for The Responder.
- – Appears in The Gentlemen, Baby Reindeer, and Say Nothing.
- – Takes the lead role in Waiting for the Out.
What Facts About Josh Finan Are Confirmed and Which Remain Unclear?
Some claims about Josh Finan’s personal life and casting circulate online without reliable confirmation. The table below separates what is established from what is not.
| Established Information | Information That Remains Unclear |
|---|---|
| Josh Finan played Gerry Adams in Say Nothing. | Whether Josh Finan has a brother. |
| He received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for The Responder. | Whether he is related to Martin Freeman. |
| He graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2016. | Whether he appears in the TNT series Legends. |
| He plays Dan in Waiting for the Out (2026). | His exact date of birth and net worth. |
Searches for “Josh Finan brother” and “Josh Finan related to Martin Freeman” are common, but no credible public source confirms a family connection to another actor. Finan and Martin Freeman worked together on The Responder; no evidence links them personally.
How Did Josh Finan Rise Through British TV and Film?
Finan’s genre range is unusually broad for an actor at his career stage. His credits include the superhero blockbuster Hellboy, the historical drama The Current War, gritty crime television in The Responder, and historical fiction in Say Nothing.
Peer recognition has followed quickly. The BAFTA TV Award nomination for his work in The Responder arrived within a year of the show’s first series, and Screen Daily’s Stars of Tomorrow selection in 2024 added further momentum.
His trajectory from theatre training to a lead role in a BBC One drama unfolded over roughly a decade. The cluster of high-profile television credits in 2024 marked the sharpest acceleration.
Which Sources Have Covered Josh Finan’s Work?
Several outlets have tracked Finan’s career. Man About Town interviewed him in 2026 about Waiting for the Out. Insight Management, his agency, announced his return for the second series of The Responder. Wikipedia and IMDb serve as primary reference points for his filmography.
“Stepping into the lead role for his prison drama Waiting for the Out, BAFTA-nominee Josh Finan talks Martin Freeman and crying on the tube.”
— Man About Town, 2026
“Josh Finan to return for Season 2 of The Responder.”
— Insight Management
What Can Be Said About Josh Finan’s Career So Far?
Josh Finan has moved from stage training to significant television roles in less than a decade. His BAFTA nomination for The Responder, his portrayal of Gerry Adams in Say Nothing, and his lead role in Waiting for the Out mark the clearest milestones. Further projects have been reported, and his public filmography continues to grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Josh Finan in Black Mirror?
No public source lists Josh Finan among the cast of Black Mirror. His known television credits include The Responder, Say Nothing, The Gentlemen, Baby Reindeer, Guerrilla, and Doctors.
Has Josh Finan appeared in any video games?
No video game credits appear in his documented filmography. His known work spans television, film, and stage.
Does Josh Finan have social media?
Public information about Josh Finan’s social media presence is not confirmed in available sources.
What is Josh Finan’s net worth?
No reliable figure for Josh Finan’s net worth has been published. Some entertainment sites offer estimates, but these are not confirmed by the actor or his representatives.
Is Josh Finan single?
His relationship status is not publicly documented in the reviewed sources.
Did Josh Finan do his own stunts in The Responder?
Production details about stunts in The Responder have not been documented in available public sources.
Who is Josh Finan’s agent?
Industry profiles list his representation with Insight Management.
Where can I watch Say Nothing with Josh Finan?
Say Nothing is an FX/Disney+ production. It was released as a television mini-series in 2024.
Was Josh Finan in the Royal Shakespeare Company?
His career path includes theatre work, with some references linking him to the Royal Shakespeare Company before his screen breakout. Detailed stage credits are not widely documented.