Out There star Louis Ashbourne Serkis' famous parents and first major film role
The first episode of ITV's newest drama Out There, filmed in Wales, airs tonight - Sunday, January 19 on ITV1 and one of the young stars comes from TV royalty. Louis Ashbourne Serkis plays Johnny Williams, son of Nathan Williams, played by Martin Clunes in the drama.
The drama portrays the invasion of the land treasured by a farmer, played by Martin, with disastrous consequences. His livelihood, home and family life are under threat from local county lines drug dealers.
These urban gangs use the British countryside as their operational field, transporting drugs and money between their city centres and rural areas. Outside of the ITV drama, 20-year-old Louis Ashbourne Serkis is known for his role as the Young Hatter in Alice Through the Looking Glass and has also made appearances in The Queen's Gambit and No Return.
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He landed his first major film role at the age of just eight-years-old, playing a young Hobbit in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012, which also featured his father Andy Serkis, famous for his portrayal of Gollum in Lord of the Rings. Andy has an impressive filmography, with roles in King Kong, The Batman, Black Panther and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, among others.
Louis Ashbourne, known for his role as the Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, hails from a family steeped in acting. His mother, Lorraine Ashbourne, boasts an impressive CV with credits in The Bill and Casualty, while recently captivating audiences as Molly Marshall in ITV's dramatic offering After the Flood.
Lorraine Ashbourne is also celebrated for her performances in Alma's Not Normal and Playing the Field, and as Mrs Valley in the Netflix hit Bridgeton, as well as from Sherwood fans who adored her portrayal of Daphne Sparrow. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Talking about the impact of his illustrious parents on his decision to pursue a career in showbusiness, Louis extolled his parents for their supportive stance. He shared: "I was never obliged to take part in what they do and they never forced it on me and said 'this is what you're going to do'. But I love it, I have always loved entertaining and bringing joy through that. I think if you get the opportunity to tell a story and to inspire people I think you should take it."
In an interview with The Mirror before the premiere of Out There, Louis discussed his passion for television. While reflecting on when acting became his destined path, he said: "I don't think there was one moment where I thought 'this is it', I think it was an accumulation, I think being exposed to it but also loving it, just loving films. I love storytelling."
Louis shared his journey into the acting world, saying: "I was young and in a way stumbled into acting, and tried it when I was around seven or eight. Then as you get older you kind of think 'this is great'.
"I can't believe you can do this for a job. It's an ability to make a difference. To be able to play someone and hopefully give someone an experience where they can be like 'I can relate to you'.
"I heard someone say recently on a podcast that resonated with me, watching a television or a film is the only space for two hours where you can literally be disconnected from everything that you're doing. It's really special to me, I love TV and I love to watch it."
