Michael Jibson

Michael Jibson (born 16 December 1980) is an English actor, director, writer and voice over artist. He was the winner of the 2018 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical, for his role of King George III in Hamilton. He was nominated for the 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, for Our House.

His many film roles include roles in Flyboys (2006), The Bank Job (2008), Panic Button (2011), Les Misérables (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). His television work includes Quiz (2020), Four Lives, No Return, The Essex Serpent, The Crown (all 2022), Bodies and The Reckoning (2023).

Jibson was born in Kingston upon Hull, and was raised in Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and attended Hessle High School. His father, Tim Jibson, is a radio director, his mother Evelyn is a retired receptionist. His brother, Paul Jibson is an actor/director and producer.

He made his West End debut at the age of 14 in as a member of Fagin's Gang in Oliver! at the London Palladium, directed by Sam Mendes. He went on to join the National Youth Music Theatre of which he is now a patron. He later trained at the Guildford School of Acting, where he obtained a BA Hons (Musical Theatre) degree in 2002.

In 2003, when Michael was 22, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, for his performance as Joe Casey in the Madness/Tim Firth musical Our House, directed by Matthew Warchus.

Other theatre work includes Brighton Rock at the Almeida Theatre, playing the lead role of Pinkie Brown, directed by Michael Attenborough in 2004. He played various roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation of The Canterbury Tales. He played the role of Charles Lindbergh in Take Flight at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2007. (nominated for a Theatregoer's Choice award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical). He played the dual roles of Puck and Philostrate in A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by Jonathan Munby at Shakespeare's Globe in 2008, where he also appeared as the Painter in Timon of Athens directed by Lucy Bailey. He played Dromio of Syracuse in Roxana Silbert's production of A Comedy of Errors at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre in 2010.[10]

He returned to the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2011, where he played Addison Mizner in the European premiere of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Road Show, directed by John Doyle.[11] He played Jimmy in Roots at the Donmar Warehouse in 2013, directed by James Macdonald.[12]

He played the role of King George III in the Original London cast of Hamilton winning the 2018 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical,.

In 2023 it was announced that Michael would play Victor Creel in the original West End cast of Stranger Things - The First Shadow, directed by Stephen Daldry, a new play based on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

Jibson's film work includes Flyboys (2006), The Bank Job (2008), Lecture 21 (also titled Lesson 21) (2008), Red Mist (2009), Devils Bridge, Cemetery Junction, Panic Button, the factory foreman in the film version of Les Misérables, A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day, Hammer of the Gods, The Fifth Estate, Good People, The Riot Club, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Hunter Killer (2018), 1917 (2019), To Olivia (2021) and Last Night in Soho (2021) .

In 2014, Jibson co-wrote the independent film The Lighthouse, based the tragic story of the Smalls Lighthouse in 1801, starring as Thomas Howell opposite Welsh actor Mark Lewis Jones.[13]

Jibson's television work includes Phamer McCoy in the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards winning 2012 US miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, BBC Four film Burton & Taylor, alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West; The Thirteenth Tale starring Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman – both for the BBC, Tubby and Enid, directed by Victoria Wood for the BBC, Father Brown BBC and Galavant for ABC.

In 2015 Jibson received rave reviews for portraying the English military officer Myles Standish in Saints & Strangers, a US TV movie for the National Geographic Channel and Sony Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter reviewer wrote: "The mini's MVP, however, is Michael Jibson as the Pilgrims' iconic military adviser, Myles Standish. His commanding performance strikes just the right balance between the mythical and the credible, as if he somehow instilled an animatronic Disneyland automaton with a stirringly virile essence".[14] Saints & Strangers chronicled the real story of the Pilgrims, including their harrowing voyage from England to America aboard the Mayflower and settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

In 2020 Jibson played Tecwen Whittock in James Graham's Quiz, directed by Stephen Frears.

In 2021 Jibson portrayed the infamous Rudolf II in the second season of Sky One's television drama A Discovery of Witches. Jibson played DS Stuart Reeves in the 2020 miniseries Honour which was based on the real life murder of Banaz Mahmod. After that 2021 saw him portray Cary Hemings in Season 2 of Sky One's political thriller Cobra.

in 2022 Jibson played DC Paul Slaymaker in Four Lives for the BBC. It received positive reviews and Hugo Rifkind in The Times wrote, "All of the cast were strong, but Michael Jibson deserves particular credit as a hopelessly obstructive family liaison officer. The human embodiment of computer says 'no'."[15]

In 2022 Jibson played Matthew Evansford in the Apple TV+ mini series The Essex Serpent, starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, which was directed by Clio Barnard.

In 2023 Jibson played Bill Cotton in the BBC mini series series The Reckoning, starring Steve Coogan as Jimmy Savile.

Also in 2023 Jibson played DCI Barber in the hit Netflix limited series series Bodies, starring Stephen Graham.

Jibson is married to fellow actor Caroline Sheen, cousin of actor Michael Sheen. The couple have one daughter, Flora, born in 2012.