Oliver Jackson-Cohen stars in Agatha Christie's drama Towards Zero, the BBC's latest whodunit from BAFTA-winning screenwriter Rachel Bennette.
Based on the 1944 detective novel of the same name, Towards Zero sees Oliver play a divorced British tennis player embroiled in a murder mystery while holidaying at his aristocratic aunt's house on the south coast of England in the 1930s.
The three-part series also stars Anjelica Huston, Ella Lily Hyland, Mimi Keene, Anjana Vasan, Clarke Peters, Matthew Rhys, Jack Farthing, Grace Doherty and Jackie Clune.
Fans can now binge-watch Towards Zero on BBC iPlayer, ahead of its BBC One premiere later tonight (March 2), and here's everything you need to know about Oliver's life and career away from the show.
Childhood Struggles
Oliver was born in October 1986 in Westminster, London. His mother, Betty Jackson, is a fashion designer who designed all the clothes on Absolutely Fabulous. Growing up behind the scenes in showbiz, Oliver became accustomed to seeing the likes of Kate Moss and Jennifer Saunders as a child.
The budding performer attended a French-language school but always had a passion for acting. His mum previously revealed that he loved "dressing up and doing shows" when he was younger.
After being kicked out of his school drama group for bad behaviour, Oliver attended the Youngblood Theatre Company on weekends. At just 16 years old, he was a runner at the Royal Variety Show, fetching sandwiches for the Queen of Pop, Madonna.
Oliver's childhood wasn't without its challenges, as he has since revealed he was sexually abused. Taking to social media in 2017, he wrote: "#MeToo As a child. Repeatedly.
"And have spent most of my life living with PTSD, pretending it didn't happen, and now, trying to rebuild what was shattered. The thing about sexual abuse is that the moment it is done, however brief or however long, it changes the course of your life permanently."
Oliver concluded: "You are changed; not through choice. I stand with all the brave."
From Hollyoaks to Hollywood
Oliver was just 15 when he landed his first screen role. Like many British actors, he joined the cast of a UK soap - Hollyoaks - where he played a waiter. This role then led to an appearance on ITV series The Time of Your Life.
Despite racking up several screen credits, Oliver couldn't get into a London drama school, so he moved to New York to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. However, he had to leave after four months when he was offered a job in Los Angeles.
Speaking to Harper's Bazaar in 2012, Oliver described the transition as "overwhelming", adding: "You are really vulnerable in a way because they start to tell you that they are going to turn you into this, and turn you into that.
"You are in this completely bizarre world, and that's when a lot of people start believing their own hype."
The tide soon started to turn for Oliver as he began bagging several high-profile roles alongside Hollywood icons, including Dwayne Johnson and Drew Barrymore.
By 2017, Oliver became a household name, appearing in both seasons of the anthology web series The Haunting. The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor were both a hit with critics and fans.
In an interview with Collectible Dry, he explained that he was able to channel his childhood trauma into creating a convincing performance in the horror.
Oliver's big break came in 2020 when he starred opposite Elisabeth Moss in science fiction horror The Invisible Man. However, he found the press tour challenging, starting three days after his dad died.
The actor has since appeared in Apple TV+ drama Surface, Amazon Prime miniseries Wilderness, and biographical drama Emily - which starred Sex Education's Emma Mackey in the lead role.
Ahead of Towards Zero's on-screen premiere tonight, Oliver spoke to the Mirror and other media at a press event for the series, where he expressed his gratitude for being a part of Agatha Christie's legacy.
"The influence that has come from this one person, the impact that it's left behind, it feels quite profound, so I was really grateful to get the call about [the show]. It's such an honour to be a part of something that is history," he said.
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