Joseph McManners
Encyclopedia
Joseph McManners is an English
actor
and singer. He lives on a non-working farm in Petham
near Canterbury and recently left Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
(also in Canterbury) for Tonbridge School
after being awarded a drama and academic scholarship.
whilst watching the film Titanic
at the age of 8. He plays the violin
and the piano
and is learning to play the guitar. At that age, he sung 'In Dreams', though it is not the version which is featured in The Lord of the Rings (film) with Howard Shore
as the composer.
McManners auditioned for the lead role in the BBC
's operatic version of "The Little Prince
" directed by Francesca Zambello
and was chosen from 25000 others to play the part. During filming for "The Little Prince", he was spotted by executives from Sony BMG which led to a UK£2 million 4-album record deal
.
McManners went to Prague
together with his producer Nick Patrick in 2005 to record the music for his first album In Dreams
. Most of the music was performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and Joseph's brother plays violin on "Where is Love". The album was released on 5 December 2005.
His debut album release reached number five in the classical charts within a few days. The album was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the 2006 Classical BRIT Awards
and the release of "Bright Eyes" from the same album debuted at number one in Asian airplay.
In December 2006 it was reported that McManners had left Sony BMG over artistic differences. In the same year, Joseph was a guest singer at Liam Lawton's
live concert
held at the Dublin docklands, an event attended by almost 5,000 people. The orchestral arrangements were done by composer and arranger Nick Ingham.
Joseph's second album is currently being recorded and will be released some time in 21st century.
in a local production of the play at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre
opposite Ron Moody
who played Fagin
in the 1968 film adaptation
of the famous novel. He reprised his role as Oliver Twist
two years later in the BBC
's "Celebrate 'Oliver!'" presented by Shane Ritchie on 26 December 2005, and he appeared in an episode of BBC's The Sound of Musicals
on 4 February 2006 (filmed in 2005).
McManners made his feature film
acting debut in Hot Fuzz
. He played the part of Gabriel who is described as being an 'angelic schoolboy'. The back-story
and sub-plot surrounding his character was cut from the final version and can be found in the bonus material of the DVD. One reporter noted shortly after the film's release in early 2007 that because of Joseph's age, he was unable to legally view the film until his 15th birthday later that year.
It was also reported that McManners had turned down an earlier offer in 2005 to star as the young Hannibal Lecter
in the Hollywood film about the serial killer's childhood called Hannibal Rising
due to school and other commitments.
In the summer of 2007 Joseph audition
ed for the role of Eustace Scrubb
, a character in the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
, which is scheduled for release in 2010. However, the part went to British actor Will Poulter
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer. He lives on a non-working farm in Petham
Petham
Petham is a small village and civil parish in the North Downs, five miles south of Canterbury in Kent, South East England.The village church is All Saints Church, which was built in the 13th century but suffered from a fire in 1922 and had to be reconstructed...
near Canterbury and recently left Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys is a selective boys school of over 1000 pupils and staff, located in the outskirts of Canterbury, Kent. It holds both Foundation and Grammar school status and has 'specialist college' status in science....
(also in Canterbury) for Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
after being awarded a drama and academic scholarship.
Singing career
McManners decided to become a singer after he heard the song My Heart Will Go OnMy Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song/love theme of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff ,, it was recorded by Céline Dion...
whilst watching the film Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
at the age of 8. He plays the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and is learning to play the guitar. At that age, he sung 'In Dreams', though it is not the version which is featured in The Lord of the Rings (film) with Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
as the composer.
McManners auditioned for the lead role in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's operatic version of "The Little Prince
The Little Prince (opera)
The Little Prince, subtitled A Magical Opera, is an opera in two acts by Rachel Portman to an English libretto by Nicholas Wright, based on the 1943 book of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry...
" directed by Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello is a leading American opera and theatre director. Zambello lived in Europe when she was a child, learning to speak French, Italian, German and Russian. Zambello is of Italian descent, the daughter of Jean , an actress and Charles C. Zambello, a former actor who became head of...
and was chosen from 25000 others to play the part. During filming for "The Little Prince", he was spotted by executives from Sony BMG which led to a UK£2 million 4-album record deal
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
McManners went to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
together with his producer Nick Patrick in 2005 to record the music for his first album In Dreams
In Dreams (2005 album)
In Dreams is the debut album by Joseph McManners and it was released on 5 December 2005 by Sony BMG following a £2 million 4-album record deal...
. Most of the music was performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and Joseph's brother plays violin on "Where is Love". The album was released on 5 December 2005.
His debut album release reached number five in the classical charts within a few days. The album was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the 2006 Classical BRIT Awards
Classical Brit Awards
The Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
and the release of "Bright Eyes" from the same album debuted at number one in Asian airplay.
In December 2006 it was reported that McManners had left Sony BMG over artistic differences. In the same year, Joseph was a guest singer at Liam Lawton's
Liam Lawton
Fr. Liam Lawton is an award winning multi platinum, Irish, singer-songwriter and Roman Catholic priest.-Education:He received his theological training at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he was influenced by Sean Lavery, the Director of Sacred Music...
live concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
held at the Dublin docklands, an event attended by almost 5,000 people. The orchestral arrangements were done by composer and arranger Nick Ingham.
Joseph's second album is currently being recorded and will be released some time in 21st century.
Acting career
In 2004, McManners starred as Oliver TwistOliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
in a local production of the play at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre
Marlowe Theatre
The Marlowe Theatre is a major 1200-seat theatre in Canterbury, England.It closed in March 2009 for redevelopment and a brand-new Marlowe Theatre re-opened to audiences on 4 October 2011.-Name:...
opposite Ron Moody
Ron Moody
Ron Moody is an English actor.- Personal life :Moody was born in Tottenham, North London, England, the son of Kate and Bernard Moodnick, a studio executive. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was a Lithuanian Jew. He is a cousin of director Laurence Moody and actress Clare...
who played Fagin
Fagin
Fagin is a fictional character who appears as an antagonist of the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, referred to in the preface of the novel as a "receiver of stolen goods", but referred to more frequently within the actual story as the "merry old gentleman" or simply the "Jew".-Character:Born...
in the 1968 film adaptation
Oliver! (film)
Oliver! is a 1968 British musical film directed by Carol Reed. The film is based on the stage musical Oliver!, with book, music and lyrics written by Lionel Bart. The screenplay was written by Vernon Harris....
of the famous novel. He reprised his role as Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
two years later in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's "Celebrate 'Oliver!'" presented by Shane Ritchie on 26 December 2005, and he appeared in an episode of BBC's The Sound of Musicals
The Sound of Musicals
The Sound of Musicals was a 2006 four part BBC series starring several different musical theatre actors and some other professional singers who performed acts from different musicals. Each week the standard cast was joined by a celebrity guest host who also performed their favourite numbers...
on 4 February 2006 (filmed in 2005).
McManners made his feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
acting debut in Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action dark comedy film written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three had previously worked together on the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead as well as the television series Spaced...
. He played the part of Gabriel who is described as being an 'angelic schoolboy'. The back-story
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
and sub-plot surrounding his character was cut from the final version and can be found in the bonus material of the DVD. One reporter noted shortly after the film's release in early 2007 that because of Joseph's age, he was unable to legally view the film until his 15th birthday later that year.
It was also reported that McManners had turned down an earlier offer in 2005 to star as the young Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
in the Hollywood film about the serial killer's childhood called Hannibal Rising
Hannibal Rising
Hannibal Rising is a novel written by Thomas Harris, published in 2006. It is a prequel to his three previous books featuring his character, the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The novel was released with an initial printing of at least 1.5 million copies and met with a mixed...
due to school and other commitments.
In the summer of 2007 Joseph audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
ed for the role of Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he is accompanied by Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, his cousins...
, a character in the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a 2010 3D fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia . It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media...
, which is scheduled for release in 2010. However, the part went to British actor Will Poulter
Will Poulter
William Jack Poulter is an English actor, most notable for his roles as Lee Carter in Son of Rambow, and as Eustace Scrubb in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.-Career:...
.