12 Best Nicholas Hoult Movies And TV Shows, Ranked

Nicholas Hoult is one sneaky actor. He may not leap to mind when thinking of the top actors of this current generation, overshadowed by household names like "Euphoria" star Zendaya or "Elvis" showstopper Austin Butler. Yet, he's taken roles across so many genres that you may not realize just how many projects he's been in. His recognizability also isn't helped by the makeup and costuming of his many roles, varying from a zombie, a vampire's assistant, a mutant, and an emperor. He's a master of disguise, but his acting is distinct if you pay attention.

This man stays so booked and busy that it's remarkable how consistent he's been for the last two decades. His filmography is stacked with everything from drama to fantasy to romcom to comic book movies. Hoult's signature acting niche is what I like to call the "Little B***h Boy." He thrives in characters that are varying degrees of annoying. A "b***h boy" can be a gullible hopeless romantic or an obnoxious douchebag. He can be a slimy know-it-all or an aloof manchild. The form that the B***h Boy takes can change, but the overall vibe remains the same: He is a man that makes you go "Oh my god, stop it!!!" at his antics, good or bad.

When I think of Nicholas Hoult, these are the roles that stand out as the Hoult-iest. They capture his incredible genre range as well as his ability to meld opposing qualities into a single character. Here are Nicholas Hoult's 12 best movies and TV shows.

"Juror #2," while not an iconic film on Hoult's resume, is still one of his best, because it plays on his strengths as an actor. Hoult is at his best when he's playing anxious, bothered, or on the brink of losing it mentally. He plays this emotional state so well because he is able to make his characters act this way covertly; he manages to convey to the audience a bubbling discomfort while exuding calm to his scene partners. Playing a juror who accidentally killed the very person at the center of the trial he was adjudicating calls for that exact skill.

The film is also a unique one for Hoult, as he got to play an antihero. He was not only the central antagonist to the whodunit at the center of the plot but also the de-facto protagonist. Justin Kemp is his most morally gray character, and Hoult delivered on the tension of the role.

Before Nicholas Hoult was cowering in fear of Nosferatu, he was playing assistant to Dracula in "Renfield."

"Renfield" is a downright silly movie, and that's mainly due to Hoult's acting as the titular character. Unlike many of the serious roles in his filmography, Hoult was able to show off his talents with physical comedy in "Renfield," engaging in fight scenes that usually veered into slapstick territory. You wouldn't call Hoult a comedic actor by any means, but in specific roles, he has a way of making his characters funny without any line delivery. A well-timed shrug, confused stare, or curious glance in this film primed the audience for knockout punchlines from Renfield.

This movie highlights Hoult's stellar ability to play aloof and subservient, which makes Renfield's road to self-discovery sweet to watch. Despite the absurd storylines and special effects, you could invest in Renfield's journey to independence. Try not to crack a smile during Renfield's makeover montage.

Thomas Hutter in the tale of "Nosferatu" might have been a role Nicholas Hoult was born to play. In the last decade, Hoult has unlocked greater potential in his art by perfecting the role of the beta male: loving and loyal, yes, but at worst a simp who is blissfully ignorant to the indifference or disdain others hold for him. You cannot have alpha male energy and play Thomas Hutter, and Hoult understood his assignment in the 2024 adaptation of the vampire thriller.

Hoult's performance in "Nosferatu" is striking because of the palpable fear he was able to convey as Thomas. From meeting Count Orlok at his castle, to his desperate sprint to save his wife, Helen (Lily-Rose Depp), audiences could feel the panic oozing from Thomas' pores. The actor is very good at playing vulnerable; he just has this puppy-dog look that says he's eager to please. This movie is one of Hoult's best because frankly, there may not have been another actor as suited to play the tragic future widower. Clearly audiences agreed, as "Nosferatu" killed it at the box office upon release.

Oh, Nicholas Hoult's role in the delightfully wicked "The Menu" was delicious. Pun very much intended.

In this film, he was the most hilarious strain of Little B***h Boy – the obsessed, delusional fanboy. As Tyler Ledford, he played along with the murderous plot of Executive Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), delightedly pontificating to his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) about the elegance of the Chef's culinary choices. It's at this point in the list where we get into quintessential Nicholas Hoult — he's at his best when he's acting like the least self-aware person you know.

He was so pathetic in this role. So outwardly condescending as a consumer, but quickly exposed as inept when challenged to put up or shut up by Chef Slowik. The look of embarrassed terror on Tyler's face as Slowik whispers in his ear has been meme'd to death, yet it is an infamous visual because of Hoult's amazing job portraying the know-it-all prick we all desperately want to see humbled.

One of the most memorable entries in Hoult's filmography is "Warm Bodies." As a quirky, romcom take on the widespread zombie genre, it may seem like one of the sillier projects in his rolodex. However, Hoult's acting as "R" is just fantastic. He truly had no business being that good as a dang zombie, and he not only pulled it off, but he carried the movie in the process.

For much of the movie, Hoult had to act with grunts, single words, and facial expressions. The plot of the movie saw him gradually speak in longer phrases, then sentences, and finally full expressions as a human. The progression of R's journey to personhood (resurrection?) didn't feel clunky at all. Hoult's facial acting opposite Teresa Palmer as Julie was so convincing, and his balancing of portraying restraint (as a zombie) and yearning (to be accepted as mortal) made you really feel for his character. Outside of Hoult's endearing performance, there's no reason to love "Warm Bodies." He gave the film life, even as a zombie.

"About a Boy" was not only a beloved romantic comedy, but a rare film about father-son love carried by Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult. It was Hoult's breakout role at the tender age of 11, and he captured magnificently the uncertainty of entering your teen years. He played the role with such sincerity that you could feel secondhand embarrassment at his social missteps but also ache for him to be accepted, given his mother's (Toni Colette) depression struggles.

Interestingly enough, the film also proved to be a foreshadowing of strengths that Hoult would go on to perfect as an adult. Marcus Brewer was innocent, socially challenged, clever, and underneath it all, nervous. These qualities form a common thread that weaves Nicholas Hoult's signature flair; it's just a matter of how subtle or intense he chooses to bring those traits out in a given role. "About a Boy" was the basis for who Hoult would become as an actor.

"Superman" wasn't Nicholas Hoult's first foray into the world of comics. He spent the greater part of the 2010s as Hank McCoy/Beast in the "X-Men" franchise. "X-Men: First Class" makes this list because the actor nailed the first impression of McCoy and Beast.

As Hank McCoy, Hoult captured the pensiveness of the hyper-intelligent doctor. Somehow, the actor is able to play very smart or very dumb effortlessly, so tapping into one extreme here was light work for him. What makes "First Class" stand out, however, is how he was able to portray McCoy's fateful transformation into Beast. Hoult has a way of making you pity him because of how well he conveys desperation in a character; in this movie, you could sympathize with the shame that McCoy felt about his mutant traits. By the end of the film, however, Hoult portrayed McCoy embracing the aggression that came with his final mutant form — an aggression that we could only buy into because of Hoult's artistic range.

A transgression from Hoult's usual "b***h boy" oeuvre, his role as real life figure Robert Jay Mathews in "The Order" is the actor's most chilling to date. Based on a true story, Hoult played Mathews, the leader of a fringe 1980s white nationalist group in Washington State called The Order. Though it's certainly not a role you want any of your favorite actors to play, Hoult's casting was exactly what the film needed. He contains all the qualities in his acting that make for a convincing cult leader.

He spoke with conviction about his racist beliefs, enough that you could both fear him and believe in his leadership as a viewer. More than that, he brought his signature gentleness to the role, lowering his voice when speaking to his followers to elicit a sense of trust. He could be disarmingly soft with people, almost anaesthetizing them with his promises of brotherhood and kinship. The aspect of his acting that we love most of the time was utilized in this context for an overall malevolent character aura.

A fair warning for anyone who may be interested in the movie that it contains white nationalist imagery, violence, and antisemitism. If you can stomach it, Hoult's performance is worth witnessing.

"I live, I die, I live again!"

"Mad Max: Fury Road" was — and still is – a triumph in action filmmaking. It notably also features one of Nicholas Hoult's most memorable performances as Nux, a sickly War Boy yearning to make it to Valhalla by way of the Fury Road.

Similar to his role in "Warm Bodies," Hoult was tasked with adding warmth to a character that audiences would normally malign, as War Boys were the sacrificial lackeys of antagonist Immortan Joe. Hoult provided such light, hope, and longing into the eyes of Nux that audiences could immediately connect with him. When playing "good" characters, Hoult has a way of imparting such purity onto them. Even if those characters act hastily, you find yourself rooting for them to find joy. In "Mad Max: Fury Road," Nux's peace unfortunately came with his death, but in his final moments onscreen audiences were reassured that Nux had found his reason to live: love.

This role cracks the top five because it shows Hoult's masterful skill of bringing levity into tense moments. In an apocalyptic wasteland, Hoult added serenity. He was the relief that audiences could hold onto.

Nicholas Hoult originally wanted the starring role in "Superman." During the film's press tour, he confessed that there were moments during filming he thought he could play the hero better than David Corenswet. Instead of Supes, he was cast as Lex Luthor, the man driven mad by his jealousy toward the Man of Steel. This could have been a coincidence in final casting, but it is a testament to Hoult's acting that he could turn that fleeting thought into the basis of his character's hatred of Superman.

Hoult was frustrating to watch as Luthor for all the right reasons. His Luthor was narcissistic, cunning, and power-hungry as expected, but Hoult brought his specific flavor of humor and intensity to the supervillain genius. Luthor's seething envy was potent, but Hoult's dramatic range allowed him to add a layer of insecurity underneath his character's arrogance. All the while, the actor still made Luthor feel threatening. He created the closest approximation to the comic book Luthor that fans have seen yet — in many frames he felt like the comic book Lex come to life. It's not surprising his performance was praised, a far cry from the public's negative reception to Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. Finally, the villainous foil to Superman that we deserve.

Not many actors can say they found success as a child, teen, and adult — but Nicholas Hoult can. The signature role of his teen years, Tony Stonem in "Skins," is still cited as one of the actor's best roles because of the show's enduring legacy, hence the role's second place ranking on this list.

Tony was the sociopathic leader of the "Skins" crew, a troubled teenage boy who delighted in puppeteering his friends' every move. As the "cool guy," Tony was unabashedly a douche, but because of his young age, the insecurity that drove his controlling tendencies was transparent. The recurring theme of Hoult's acting is his ability to make you empathize with a character you shouldn't. He had a way of making Tony feel above everyone most of the time, but in key moments, he whimpered to remind viewers how small he actually felt inside. That meekness was on display usually in relation to his younger sister, Effy (Kaya Scodelario).

Hoult's performance in "Skins" nearly earns the top spot on this list because there are few teen characters that have ever existed like him. You remember Tony Stonem as one of one, and that impression was only left because of the panache Hoult put into the role.

There is no greater role that Nicholas Hoult has played to date than Emperor Peter III in "The Great." It is the absolute pinnacle of all his talents as an actor, as it is all of his best roles wrapped up into one.

No other actor could have mastered so effortlessly the complexity that this loosely-biographical version of Peter III demanded. In one moment, you were laughing at his unintelligence, and the next, you were aghast at his cruelty. In one scene, you saw him in full himbo mode in bed with multiple women, but later in the same episode, you saw him machinating someone's violent murder. He was vile, he was self-serving, he was a jerk! Even still, Hoult imbued a startling amount of whimsy into a character that we should have hated. On top of his dastardly deeds, Peter III in "The Great" was also a petulant leader, hence his abdication to his wife, Catherine (Elle Fanning).

Yet despite his very glaring faults, Hoult made that character lovable. Romantic, even. His incredible chemistry with Fanning was the burning sun that all other characters orbited, and their dynamic gave the show its guiding light — so much so that the series possibly nuked itself with Peter's death, getting cancelled not long after. (The reason for the cancellation remains a mystery, but the loss of Hoult certainly couldn't have helped its case for renewal.)

If you know nothing about Nicholas Hoult's work, "The Great" must be your gateway drug. It perfectly summarizes his talent in balancing the dramatic and the absurd into one intoxicating performance.