Arthur Hughes was born with a rare disease, but it hasn’t stopped the disabled actor from pursuing his big dreams, which include starring in this year’s best TV show, The Jetty.
In 2024, he landed his breakthrough role in Disney+’s Shardlake and also joined the ensemble cast of Jenna Coleman’s The Jetty. He is also a passionate supporter of disability rights.
In June 2022, he will become the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) first disabled actor, playing Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Not bad for a boy from Aylesbury…
Here’s everything you need to know about The Jetty star Arthur Hughes, including his previous TV and film roles, his disabilities, and his relationship status.
Arthur Hughes attends the 2024 BAFTAS (Photo by Kat Morley/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
Who plays Liam in “The Jetty”?
Actor Arthur Hughes plays Liam in The Jetty. From his first scene, it’s suggested that Liam may be the culprit behind the deliberate arson attack at the boathouse. He and his family are well-known troublemakers in the Lancashire lakeside town…
But all is not as it seems: the four-part drama stars Wilderness actress Jenna Coleman as widowed detective Ember Manning, who, as she investigates her latest case, discovers that her happy memories of the past may not be as ideal as she remembers.
BBC One describes the four-part crime drama as “part detective thriller and part coming-of-age story” and says the show raises “big questions about sexual morality, identity and memory in the wake of the Me Too movement.”
This is a tense, atmospheric crime drama in which Detective Manning is called in to investigate when someone with a grudge deliberately sets fire to the boathouse owned by her husband…
And that was the first thing that went terribly wrong for her that day…
Arthur Hughes and Ruth Madeley in the lead roles in And the Others (Credit: Dragonfly Film Television Productions Ltd/Samuel Dore)
Who is Arthur Hughes, the disabled actor who appears in The Jetty, and what is he in?
Arthur Hughes has been appearing on our television screens ever since his first appearance in an episode of Doctors in 2012. He played the role of Danny Hooper. The following year, he appeared as Joe in the miniseries Listening to the Dead. In 2014, Arthur played Jacko in The Trial of Purity.
In 2018, Arthur landed perhaps his biggest role to date, playing Ryan in the transformation series The Innocents. He then starred opposite Stephen Graham as Tim in the heartbreaking feature film The Help.
In 2022, he played disability activist Allan Holdsworth in BBC’s Then Barbara Met Alan. This year, Arthur has been on a roll: He landed the lead role opposite Sean Bean in the Disney+ series Shardlake, and is currently playing Liam in The Jetty.
Radio 4 and podcast fans will know Arthur as the voice of Ruairi Donovan in The Archers. He has played numerous stage roles including Laurent in La Cage aux Folles, Phil in The Solid Life of Sugar Water and the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Richard III. He was the first disabled actor to play Richard III with the Royal Shakespeare Company, having reportedly suffered from scoliosis.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Screen International has named Arthur Hughes one of Tomorrow’s Stars for 2023.
Sean Bean and Arthur Hughes appeared on This Morning to talk about their roles in Shardlake (Photo by Ken MacKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
What is Shardlake actor Arthur Hughes’ disability?
Arthur Hughes was born with radial dysplasia, a rare arm condition that affects one in 30,000 people. His right arm is deformed and he knows his arm is “not like the others.”
Speaking to Disability Horizons in 2022, he said: “Radial dysplasia is an arm condition where you’re missing the radius. It affects my right arm. I’m missing my thumb, my radius and a few other small parts.”
“It doesn’t affect me 99% of the time in my daily life. I have better use of my left arm, but I’m always looking for new ways to help me use my right arm too.”
Speaking about the barriers he faces living with an upper limb disability, he said: “The barriers I face are not necessarily visible and are not usually related to access per se. In my profession, I am quickly judged at first glance and have been removed from certain jobs or postings because one arm is a different size or shape to the other.”
He added: “It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I get stares and comments in public. It’s not pleasant, but thankfully it’s very rare. Another issue is that my limitations are often underestimated based on my appearance.”
Speaking to The Guardian in 2024 about his role in Shardlake, he said: “I think it’s really important that a disabled actor is playing this role, just to know what it feels like to be stared at, what it feels like to feel different, or to feel like people are wary of you or don’t know what to do around you.”
“That’s why disabled actors should play disabled characters.”
Is Arthur Hughes Married?
It is unclear whether Arthur Hughes is in a relationship. The actor is known for keeping his personal life private. A friendly stalk on his official Instagram page reveals that the Jetty star is all work and no play.
His account covers his career but barely touches on his personal life.
Arthur Hughes and co-star Abigail Hardingham in The Innocents (Photo by Brett D. Kobb)
How old is Arthur Hughes? Where is he from?
Arthur Hughes was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1992.
He is currently believed to be 31 years old.
As a teenager, he attended Aylesbury Grammar School and graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2013.
Read more: BBC One’s The Jetty: cast, start date, filming locations and spooky soundtrack
‘The Jetty’ begins on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 15 July 2024. Episode two will air at the same time on Tuesday 16 July 2024. All episodes are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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