IMDB · Instagram · TheMovieDB.com · TikTok · TV Maze · X (Twitter)

Actor

1989-01-23 · Bristol, England · Female

1 series in the catalog

April Janet Pearson (born 23 January 1989) is an English actress. Born and brought up in Bristol, Pearson was drawn to acting from a young age and appeared in local theatre productions as a child. She made her acting debut in 1998 at the age of nine on the British medical drama series Casualty, and earned wider recognition in her breakthrough role as teenager Michelle Richardson in the E4 teen drama series Skins (2007–2008), for which she was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for an Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

She later made her film debut when cast in Jon Wright's comedy horror slasher film Tormented (2009). Pearson followed this with her Bristol Old Vic debut as Jemma in Catherine Johnson's Suspension (2009); the production centering around the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the nearby Avon Gorge Hotel, and as Callie in Rachel Sternberg and Jemma Wayne's Negative Space (2009), in which she received praise for both performances.

Her transition to horror and independent films began with the 2016 horror film Fractured, then followed by Caught (2017), for which she garnered critical acclaim for playing Mrs. Blair, one half of the antagonistic couple. Her role of Amy in Dark Beacon (2017) earned her two Best Actress awards at American Horror and Upstate NY Horror film festivals. She followed this by her portrayal of Isla Crane in Edgar Wallace's The Case of the Frightened Lady at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, in which she received praise for her performance.

Early life

Pearson was born and raised in Bristol. She attended Colston's Girls' School in the Montpelier area of Bristol, where in 2007 she was appointed head girl, and was a member of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company. Both of her parents had previously worked in the television industry, with her father still being involved in the British medical drama series Casualty.

Career

Early career and Skins (1998–2008)

Pearson joined a theatre group, located in Bristol, becoming one of its founding members at three years of age. Throughout her youth, she starred in various plays with both her drama group and whilst at school. At the age of 9, Pearson made her television debut with a minor role in the British medical drama series Casualty in 1998. Pearson was a student at Colston's Girls' School in 2006 when she was cast in the television teenage-drama Skins. Casting director Jane Ripley and Adam Smith travelled to Colston's Girls' School to hold auditions, wherein Ripley asked Pearson whether she wished to audition after watching her drama class. The programme was a success and ran for seven series, only two of which Pearson appeared in. Her performance was well received; the character was popular, and Pearson garnered widespread attention. She stated that the amusing nature of simply playing someone who's very different from her in person was what drew her to playing Richardson in Skins. After the release of the first season, Pearson stated that being recognised was rather strange, though remarked that, "I try to be nice to everyone and hope they keep watching the show." Skins won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Philip Audience Award, and Pearson was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Of her time on Skins, Pearson spoke of how she learnt to cope on a set and how to act in the working world, to which she added: "I owe the position I am in now to Skins and I'm so happy and proud that it has done so well."

Tormented and Bristol Old Vic debut (2009–2012)

Pearson briefly appeared as Karen Shevlin an episode of the British medical drama series Casualty. She later made her feature film debut as sadistic schoolgirl Natasha Cummings, in Jon Wright's comedy horror slasher film Tormented (2009). She reunited with her Skins co-star Larissa Wilson, and starred opposite Alex Pettyfer, Tuppence Middleton and Georgia King.

In an interview with The Evening Standard's Andy Barker, she stated, "I don't want to pigeon-hole myself this early on. I enjoy every genre."

Later in 2009, Pearson returned to theatre starring in Catherine Johnson's Suspension (2009) at the Bristol Old Vic. Michael Billington wrote, in his review for The Guardian, "You sense a bond of buried affection between James Lailey's guilt-ridden Gerry and [Pearson] as the bridling bride-to-be. In fact, all the performances from director Heather Williams's largely Bristol-based cast are good." Metro described it as "a fantastic success – for Johnson, the cast and crew, for Bristol Old Vic and for Bristol, the star of the show." Paul Callan of The Daily Express wrote: "Down in the hotel Jemma panics with her pre-wedding nerves and the (very pretty) [Pearson] gives us all too recognisable Big Day nerves. She has a fine sense of comic timing and is a perfect foil for the overpowering Anita, her Sherman Tank of a mother." Additionally, in the autumn, she portrayed kidnapped teenager called Callie in Rachel Sternberg and Jemma Wayne's Negative Space (2009). The Evening Standard spoke highly of Pearson's performance, in which they wrote: "The star, emphatically, is [Pearson], gamine and effulgent as Callie. Pearson is 20, but proves unsettlingly convincing as a girl not much more than half her age." In 2011, Pearson returned to Casualty to star as Grace Fitch, whilst starring in David Allain's short film Will You Marry Me? (2011). In 2012, Pearson co-starred in Jen Moss' dark comedy-drama short film My Brother's Keeper (Or How Not To Survive The Apocalypse), playing the role of Jess, who is looking after her well-meaning but dim-witted brother during a zombie apocalypse. Moss would later be awarded the Best Writer and Director Awards at the Viscera Film Festival. Of Pearson's performance as Jess, Bloody Disgusting remarked that the dynamic between Alex Esmail and Pearson is both "touching and funny".

Theatre return and collaboration with Jamie Patterson (2013–2015)

She later reunited with Skins co-creator Bryan Elsley in 2013, in which she briefly appeared as Liz in Dates. She also appeared in television programmes Casualty, and Comedy Feeds, before appearing in a minor role in the Giles Foster's television film Unknown Heart (2014). Pearson also appeared as Gen in Circle of Truth, a short film shot by David Allain which explored some of the challenges that people with multiple sclerosis face when deciding whether or not to disclose their diagnosis to their colleagues. The film's inception came about when Shift.ms, a charity and social network for people with Multiple Sclerosis, contacted producer Jess Gormley. Alongside Pearson, Circle of Truth featured Ashley Thomas, Nathan McMullen, Lauren Socha, Simon Day, Justin Edwards, and Nicholas Burns. In April 2014, Pearson co-starred opposite Ben Peel in Greg Zinger's romantic comedy short film The Engagement (2014), which focused on the difficulty of making marital commitment. In her second feature-film, Pearson portrayed Beth Prince, a young woman in search of her happy ever after, in Jamie Patterson's romantic comedy Home for Christmas (2014). The film was based on Cally Taylor's novel of the same name, and co-starred Lucy Griffiths, Karl Davies, Derren Nesbitt, and Shirley Jaffe. Later that year, Pearson reunited with David Allain to reprise her role of Gen in short film Working It Out, in which her character interviews other people with multiple sclerosis about their experiences of employment. The soundtrack was provided by The Maccabees, and Pearson co-stars alongside Gabriel Bisset-Smith and Preeya Kalidas.

In January 2015, she starred in the music video for The Wombats' single, "Greek Tragedy", in which Pearson plays an obsessed Wombats fan. In the first half of 2015, Pearson played Lexi in Neil Jones's critically panned action film Age of Kill (2015). In the same year, Pearson starred in Nick Gillespie's psychological horror film Tank 432 (2015). Although the film was critically…