Jack Scanlon

Jack Charles Scanlon was born in Canterbury, Kent, then moved to Deal with his parents and younger brother. He attended Sir Roger Manwood's School^[1] in nearby Sandwich. He also attended Bath Spa University, where he studied Commercial Music. ^{[citation needed]}

He auditioned for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas through his drama club and was eventually cast as Shmuel after director Mark Herman narrowed his choice down to about three possible candidates and paired each with Asa Butterfield for a final audition together. According to Herman: "Jack and Asa played very well against one another."^[2]

Although The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is Scanlon's feature film debut,^[3] he did act before. He appeared in a 10-minute short film titled The Eye of the Butterfly (which led to him being suggested to the casting director of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas)^[4] and in a 2007 episode of the Peter Serafinowicz Show.^[5]

Scanlon also played the younger brother of main character Sean (William Miller) in the 2009 British children's miniseries Runaway, broadcast on BBC One, which was part of the CBBC season about homelessness.^[6][7]