Freya Hannan-Mills

Freya Hannan-Mills
Born2004 (age 21–22)
Wallasey, Merseyside, England
OccupationsActress, writer, director
Years active2015–present
Known forHamnet, Swimming Home

Freya Hannan-Mills (born 2004) is an English actress, playwright, and director. She first came to national attention as a "writing prodigy" in 2017 when her play Mushy Peas and Battered Bits was performed by Jude Law at the Lyric Hammersmith. Since 2024, she has established an international screen career, notably appearing as Eliza Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's 2025 film Hamnet.

Early life and career

Hannan-Mills was born in Wallasey, Wirral, in 2004. She attended Birkenhead Prep School before being home-educated during her early teens to balance her creative commissions.[1] She later attended Bedales School in Hampshire and spent time in Vermont in 2018 as an exchange student at The Putney School.[2]

Hannan-Mills' creative career began in playwriting. In 2016, she performed with the Complicite theatre company in the production Seen and Not Heard at the Southbank Centre.[1] Her play Snow Angels (2017) was staged at the Lyric Theatre, London, after winning a place in the Daunt Books Anthology.[1] That same year, her play Mushy Peas and Battered Bits was performed by Jude Law at the Lyric Hammersmith Gala.[3] Hannan-Mills made her screen debut that same year in the BBC drama Doctors.[1]

In 2020, her film Swallow won the Film the House award for Best Short Film Under 16, following its selection for the BFI Southbank's TriForce Short Film Festival.[4]

Her performance as Nina in Justin Anderson's Swimming Home (2024) received critical praise; The Times described her performance as "striking,"[5] while Variety noted her "perceptive" portrayal.[6] Sight and Sound further highlighted her presence in the adaptation.[7] In 2024, she achieved breakout success starring as Alice Haynes in the psychological thriller series The Cuckoo alongside Jill Halfpenny. The series became a commercial hit on Netflix, reaching the number one spot on the platform's TV charts in the United Kingdom.[8] She played Eliza Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet (2025). The following year she led the supernatural horror film Sticks and Stones, portraying Sam Evans, a teenager accused of murder.[9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024Swimming HomeNina
2024Here AfterRobin Miller
2025HamnetEliza Shakespeare
2026Sticks and StonesSam EvansPost-production; Lead role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017DoctorsJasmine WilsonEpisode: "Role Models"
2021Whitstable PearlChloe MillsEpisode: "Woodness"
2024The CuckooAlice HaynesMiniseries; Lead role
2024EllisMaggie BradleyEpisode: "Hanmore"

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2018Film the House AwardsBest Short Film (Under 16)Turning TidesWon[10]
2020Film the House AwardsBest Short Film (Under 16)SwallowWon[4]
2022Directors UKBest Film Direction (Under 19)I'll Be Back TomorrowWon[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Wirral teenager's play produced in London". Liverpool Echo. 2017-03-23. Archived from the original on 2026-04-18. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  2. ↑ "First impressions of The Putney School". Bedales Academic & Curriculum. 2018-10-18. Archived from the original on 2026-07-14. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  3. ↑ Jones, Lauren (2019-02-19). "Play written by Wirral teenager set for two London performances". Wirral Globe. Archived from the original on 2026-04-25. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  4. 1 2 Jones, Lauren (2019-11-24). "Film written by Wallasey actress picked by Idris Elba". Wirral Globe. Archived from the original on 2026-04-21. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  5. ↑ Potton, Ed (2024-02-02). "Swimming Home review — a striking but confounding experience". The Times. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  6. ↑ Lodge, Guy (2024-02-03). "'Swimming Home' Review: A Splashing, Sashing Adaptation of Deborah Levy's Novel". Variety. Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  7. ↑ Smith, A. (2024-02-05). "Swimming Home review". BFI Sight and Sound. Archived from the original on 2026-04-25. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  8. ↑ Burke, Olivia (2024-10-22). "Netflix's The Cuckoo star Freya Hannan-Mills' life from BBC Doctors to Hollywood". The Mirror. Archived from the original on 2026-04-18. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  9. ↑ "2025 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK". Screen Daily. 2025-12-18. Archived from the original on 2025-07-14. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  10. 1 2 "Hannah-Mills-Freya-CV-02.07.2024.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 8 July 2026.
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