Connor Swindells

Connor Ryan Swindells^[1] was born in Lewes, East Sussex, the youngest of four sons to parents Ian and Phoebe. His mother, of Romani descent,^[2] died of bowel cancer when Swindells was seven years old, which he has said he is still processing.^[3] After her death, he and his father went to live with Swindells' paternal grandparents in West Chiltington until moving out to Billingshurst, both in the Horsham District of West Sussex.^[4]

Swindells attended Rydon Community College and Steyning Grammar School.^[5] He dropped out of college at age 17.^[6]

Swindells began acting when he saw an audition poster for a local play and his friend dared him to audition; he got the lead role. He then acted in two more local plays and signed with an agent at the end of the third play.^[7]

In 2017 Swindells made his television debut with guest appearances as Mostyn in the Hulu period drama Harlots (2017),^[8] and as Fletcher in the Sky One historical drama Jamestown.^[8]

In March 2017, Swindells was cast to replace Joe Alwyn as Donald in The Vanishing,^[9] a Scottish psychological thriller film directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, co-starring Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan.^[9] The film screened at the 2018 Sitges Film Festival before having a theatrical release on 4 January 2019.^[9] Swindells also starred as Adam in the 2018 drama film VS.^[10]

In 2019 Swindells began starring as Adam Groff, the headmaster's son, alongside Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Asa Butterfield, and Gillian Anderson in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023).^[8]

Swindells appeared in the films Emma (2020),^[8] and Barbarians (2021),^[8] and played Simon Hadlow in the 2021 BBC One crime drama Vigil,^[8] led by Suranne Jones. The following year, he began starring in the lead role of David Stirling in the World War II BBC One series SAS: Rogue Heroes.^[8]

Swindells appeared in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, reuniting with his Sex Education co-stars Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey.^[11]

In 2024, he played Jae Donnelly in the Netflix film Scoop (2024).^[8] Later that year he portrayed Gessler in the film William Tell (2024).^[12]

In 2025, he played DS Ed McCusker in the Lockerbie based miniseries The Bombing of Pan Am 103.^[13]

Since 2020, Swindells has been in a relationship with actress Amber Anderson, who also appeared in the film Emma.^[14] They married in the Scottish Highlands in October 2024. Their wedding was officiated by Alistair Petrie, who plays Swindells' father in Sex Education.^[15]