Gerran Howell
Welsh actor (born 1991)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerran Howell (/ˈɡɛrən/ GHE-rən, born 25 February 1991)[1][2] is a Welsh actor. He began his career starring as the titular character of the CBBC series Young Dracula (2006–2014). He is known for his roles in the Hulu miniseries Catch-22 (2019) and the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt (2025–present), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2026.
Early life
Howell grew up in Barry Island, Wales.[3] His mother was the head teacher of High Street Primary School, while his father also worked as a teacher in Barry.[4] Howell attended Barry Comprehensive School.[5]
Howell began acting when Karen Walters (the head of the drama department at Barry Comprehensive and a friend of his mother's) cast him in school plays.[6] He trained an after-school improvisation class in Cardiff Bay, and later went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[7][8]
Career
Film and televion
From 2006 until 2014, Howell started in the CBBC children's horror-comedy show Young Dracula.[9] He played Vladimir Dracula, a reluctant young vampire who moves with his family from Transylvania to Wales.[10][11] He secured the role after the casting director visited the after-school improvisation class that Howell attended in Cardiff.[3] Howell also appeared as Ernesto in the CBBC drama The Sparticle Mystery (2011–2015) and as Jacob Seaton in the comedy series This Country (2017–2020).[12][9]
In 2019, Howell appeared in the miniseries Catch-22 as Kid Sampson.[13] One of the first actors to be cast in the series, director George Clooney personally selected Howell for the role after watching his audition tape.[14] Later that year, Howell appeared as Private Parry in the 2019 film 1917.[9] In 2022, Howell starred in Freedom's Path as William, a Union soldier who befriends a runaway slave, played by RJ Cyler.[15][16] His performance received a positive critical reception.[17][18] In 2024, he appeared as DC Simon Evans in the television series Ludwig.[19]
The Pitt
In July 2024, it was announced that Howell was joining the cast of the upcoming HBO Max medical procedural drama The Pitt.[20] After being invited to submit a self-tape audition, he had been unsure if he would receive the role because he was not based in Los Angeles.[21] It has been reported that he was recommended for the role by George Clooney, who he had worked with on Catch-22.[22] To prepare for the role of medical student Dennis Whitaker, Howell engaged in a "boot camp" training period alongside castmates Isa Briones and Shabana Azeez in which he was taught about medical procedures.[7][23] He likened it to "medical school crammed into two weeks".[24] Season one of The Pitt began airing on 9 January 2025, and Howell returned for season two, which premiered on 8 January 2026.[25][26] On 16 April 2026, it was confirmed by R. Scott Gemmill that Howell will be returning for the show's third season, with filming to commence in mid-June.[27][28]
Howell's performance as Dennis Whitaker received praise for its authenticity and for providing comic relief.[29][30] His American accent was also commended.[21] Collectively with his costars, Howell won the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for 2025.[31] On 8 July 2026, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, alongside his co-stars Patrick Ball and Shawn Hatosy.[32]
Other work
In addition to his work on-screen, he has also recorded voice-overs for radio adverts and video games: In the Xenoblade series, he voiced the supporting characters Milton and Joran.[33]
Personal life
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Crusade in Jeans | Baudonin | ||
| 2014 | Queen and Country | Kitto | ||
| 2019 | The Song of Names | Young Martin Simmonds | ||
| 1917 | Private Parry | |||
| 2020 | Willy and the Guardians of the Lake | Willy | Voice role (UK version) | [33] |
| 2022 | Freedom's Path | William | ||
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Casualty | Niall Andrews | Episode: "Blind Spots" | |
| 2006–2014 | Young Dracula | Vladimir Dracula | Main role; 66 episodes | |
| 2011–2015 | The Sparticle Mystery | Ernesto | Guest star (series 1), Recurring role (series 2), Main role (series 3); 18 episodes | |
| 2012 | Casualty | Rory Brothwick | Episode: "Hero Syndrome" | |
| Some Girls | Ryan | Episode: "#1.2" | ||
| 2015 | Drifters | Callum | Episode: "Wedding" | |
| 2017 | Emerald City | Jack | Main role; 10 episodes | |
| Strike Back | Alexsander | Episode: "Retribution" | ||
| 2018 | This Country | Jacob Seaton | Episode: "The Vicar's Son" | |
| Genius | Karl-Heinz Wiegels | Episode: "Picasso" | ||
| 2019 | Catch-22 | Kid Sampson | Miniseries; 5 episodes | |
| 2022 | Suspicion | Leonardo "Leo" Newman | Main role; 3 episodes | |
| McDonald & Dodds | Fulton Harte (alias: Father Luton) | Episode: "Clouds Across the Moon" | ||
| 2024 | Ludwig | DC Simon Evans | Main role; 6 episodes (series 1) | [35] |
| 2025–present | The Pitt | Dennis Whitaker | Main role; 30 episodes | [36] |
| 2025 | Out There | Rhys Simpson | Miniseries; 6 episodes | [37] |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Déraciné | Herman | [33] | |
| Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country | Milton | [33] | ||
| 2022 | Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | Joran | [33] | |
| 2023 | Lies of P | Toma / Lonely Puppet / Wandering Merchent | ||
Awards and honors
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Actor Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Pitt | Won | [38] |
| 2026 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Pending | [39] |
