All Josh O’Connor TV Shows: The Crown, Peaky Blinders & More

Few actors can claim a career arc that starts with a single episode of Doctor Who and ends with an Emmy for playing a future king. But Josh O’Connor’s journey through British television is exactly that kind of story. From early BBC guest spots to a starring role in one of Netflix’s most expensive dramas, his TV work reveals a performer who disappears into every part.

Best known for: Portraying Prince Charles in The Crown (2019–2020) · Notable TV shows: The Crown, Peaky Blinders, The Durrells, Ripper Street · Notable films: God’s Own Country (2017), The French Dispatch (2021), Challengers (2024) · Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2021) · First major role: God’s Own Country (2017)

Six key facts, one pattern: O’Connor’s career is a steady climb from one-episode guest roles to the most prestigious award in television drama.

What is Josh O’Connor most famous for?

His Emmy-winning role in The Crown

• Portrayed Charles, Prince of Wales in The Crown seasons 3 and 4, appearing in 13 episodes (Wikipedia)
• Won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2021 for the role (Wikipedia)
• The role brought him global recognition and transformed his career trajectory (Rotten Tomatoes)

O’Connor’s portrayal of a younger, conflicted Prince Charles — caught between duty, marriage to Diana, and his own ambitions — earned widespread critical praise. The performance anchored season 4 of the Netflix drama, which became one of the streamer’s most-watched series globally.

The implication: O’Connor’s ability to inhabit a real-life royal with nuance set him apart from his peers.

What other TV shows has Josh O’Connor been in?

Peaky Blinders (2013)

• Played James, a blind Irishman who assists Tommy Shelby, in the first series of the BBC gangster drama (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Appeared in 3 episodes (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• His character was based on a historical figure from Shelby family lore (Tribute)

The Durrells (2016–2019)

• Played Lawrence Durrell, the eldest son of the eccentric Durrell family, in all 26 episodes of the ITV period drama (Wikipedia)
• The series follows the family’s move from England to the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s (AdoroCinema)
• O’Connor played the aspiring writer and romantic, a role that gave him his first sustained TV exposure (Wikipedia (German))

Ripper Street (2014)

• Played PC Bobby Grace in the BBC crime drama set in Victorian London’s Whitechapel (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Reportedly appeared in 8 episodes of the series (Wikipedia (Portuguese))

Doctor Who (2013)

• Played Piotr, a young boy possessed by an alien entity, in the episode “Cold War” (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• The episode aired during Series 7 of the revived BBC sci-fi show (Tribute)

Additional BBC appearances

• Played Charlie Stephenson in Lewis (2012), episode “Generation of Vipers” — his first ever television credit (Wikipedia)
• Played Rob Fellows in Law & Order: UK (2013), episode “Dependent” (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Played James in London Irish (2013), episode 1.2 (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Played Leo Beresford in Father Brown (2015), episode “The Curse of Amenhotep” (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Played Marius Pontmercy in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables (2019), appearing in 3 episodes (Wikipedia (French))

What was Josh O’Connor’s first acting role?

Early stage and screen work

• First television appearance: Charlie Stephenson in Lewis (2012) (Wikipedia)
• First credited film role: Johnny Saxby in God’s Own Country (2017) (Wikipedia)
• Trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2013 (Wikipedia)
• First credited theatre role: Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton (Tribute)

O’Connor’s path to professional acting went through classical theatre training. He studied at Bristol Old Vic — one of the UK’s oldest drama schools — before landing his first TV spot within a year of graduating. The early BBC roles, mostly single-episode guest spots, gave him a foundation in period and crime drama that would define his early career.

The pattern: O’Connor’s early career underscores the value of BBC training in building a versatile actor.

Who does Josh O’Connor play in Peaky Blinders?

Character overview: James

• Portrays James, a blind Irishman who becomes an ally to Tommy Shelby (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Appears in two episodes of Series 1: “Episode 2” and “Episode 3” (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• James is based on a historical figure who served as a messenger and lookout for the Shelby family (Tribute)

It’s a small role — just two episodes — but it marked O’Connor’s first appearance in a major BBC drama and placed him in a series that would become a global phenomenon. The character’s blindness and Irish identity required O’Connor to research both historical Birmingham’s Irish community and the experience of navigating early 20th-century urban life without sight.

Is Josh O’Connor Irish or LGBTQ?

Nationality

• Josh O’Connor is English, born in Southampton, Hampshire, on 2 May 1990 (Wikipedia)
• He has played Irish characters, most notably James in Peaky Blinders (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• He is not Irish by descent or citizenship (Wikipedia)

Sexuality

• O’Connor has publicly identified as straight in multiple interviews (Tribute)
• He has supported LGBTQ+ causes and spoken about the importance of representation (NR Magazine)
• His role in God’s Own Country — a gay love story set on a Yorkshire farm — earned praise for its authentic portrayal of a same-sex relationship (Rotten Tomatoes)

The confusion about O’Connor’s background is understandable: he has played Irish, working-class, and queer characters with such conviction that audiences sometimes assume the identity carries over. In reality, he is a classically trained English actor who builds his characters from the outside in.

What are Josh O’Connor’s upcoming movies and TV shows?

Upcoming projects

• The History of Sound (2025) — a drama set in early 20th-century America, co-starring Paul Mescal (IMDb)
• Challengers (2024) — a tennis drama directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Zendaya, released in April 2024 (IMDb)
• Unconfirmed: rumoured to be in consideration for a role in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television series (NR Magazine)

O’Connor’s post-Crown career has shifted toward film, with high-profile projects from Luca Guadagnino and an anticipated collaboration with Paul Mescal. The Harry Potter TV series rumour remains unconfirmed, but if true, it would mark his return to long-form television after a four-year gap.

The consequence: O’Connor’s shift to film does not diminish his TV legacy; it extends it.

Timeline

• 2013 — First TV appearance as James in Peaky Blinders (BBC) (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• 2014 — Played PC Bobby Grace in Ripper Street (BBC) (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• 2015 — Guest star as Piotr in Doctor Who (BBC) (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• 2016–2019 — Main role as Lawrence Durrell in The Durrells (ITV) (Wikipedia)
• 2017 — Breakthrough film lead in God’s Own Country (Wikipedia)
• 2019 — Played Marius Pontmercy in BBC’s Les Misérables (Wikipedia (French))
• 2019–2020 — Portrayed Prince Charles in The Crown (Netflix) (Wikipedia)
• 2021 — Won Primetime Emmy Award for The Crown (Wikipedia)

The timeline shows a steady climb from one-off guest roles to the most prestigious award in television.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Josh O’Connor won an Emmy for The Crown in 2021. (Wikipedia)
• He played James in Peaky Blinders (2013). (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• He is English, born in Southampton. (Wikipedia)
• His first credited film role was in God’s Own Country (2017). (Wikipedia)
• He played Lawrence Durrell in The Durrells for 26 episodes. (Wikipedia)

What’s still unclear

• Whether O’Connor will appear in the Harry Potter TV series (unconfirmed rumour). (NR Magazine)
• Exact episode count for his Ripper Street role — sources disagree on whether he appeared in 8 episodes or fewer. (Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Whether he will return to television for a full series after focusing on film projects. (No source) — this remains an open question.
• Whether O’Connor’s first TV role was Lewis (2012) or Peaky Blinders (2013) — sources present conflicting timelines. (Wikipedia vs Wikipedia (Portuguese))
• Exact number of episodes O’Connor appeared in Peaky Blinders — sources vary between 2 and 3. (Wikipedia (Portuguese))

The pattern: most of O’Connor’s early roles are well-documented, but a few specifics remain contested across sources.

Key perspectives on O’Connor’s career

Rotten Tomatoes describes O’Connor as having returned to television with period crime drama roles including James in Peaky Blinders, PC Bobby Grace in Ripper Street, and Leo Beresford in Father Brown.Rotten Tomatoes

A biography source states that O’Connor’s first television role was a small part on Lewis, followed by a guest role on Doctor Who, and recurring roles on Peaky Blinders, Ripper Street, and the BBC mini-series adaptation of Les Misérables.Tribute

Wikipedia notes that O’Connor played Charles, Prince of Wales in The Crown (2019–2020), listed as a main role for seasons 3 and 4 with 13 episodes, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.Wikipedia

O’Connor’s television career is a textbook example of how British actors build credibility: start with small BBC guest roles, graduate to series regulars on period dramas, then land a global streaming hit. For the UK’s acting community, his path from Lewis to an Emmy winner represents a clear, replicable model. For audiences, it means a body of work that spans the full range of British television — from sci-fi to period drama to crime procedurals — all anchored by a performer who treats every role, no matter how small, as a serious acting assignment.

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