Sixth Commandment's Ben actor's life off-screen from childhood fame to romance
Ever since landing a lead role in the The Sixth Commandment, Éanna Hardwicke has quickly gained a reputation a rising star in the world of TV.
The Irish actor plays convicted killer Ben Field in the new BBC One four-part series, which explores the terrifying true story of a young student who was jailed for murdering retired lecturer Paul Farquhar (Timothy Spall) in 2015. The challenging part marks the 26-year-old's debut main role on screen, and if the reviews are anything to go by, it could be the first of many.
Éanna's performance in The Sixth Commandment has already received strong praise, with one critic hailing it as "grimly authentic" and a "masterclass in creepy understatement." This positive feedback has been echoed over on Twitter, where one viewer called the Irishman's portrayal of Field "exceptional" and another saying it was "sensationally chilling."
Éanna Hardwicke playing Ben Field in The Sixth Commandment (BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)Éanna is no stranger to showbiz, having entered the entertainment industry at the tender age of 12.
After taking up drama in primary school, he landed his first screen role as Thomas Farr in the 2009 Irish supernatural film, The Eclipse.
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He would go on to take an extended break from professional acting to focus on his schoolwork, before enrolling in an acting degree at prestigious The Lir Academy in Dublin. After graduating, he appeared in the 2019 international sci-fi film, Vivarium, alongside US actor Jesse Eisenberg and British actress Imogen Poots.
Éanna bagged his first major role as an adult in 2020, after being cast in Normal People as Connell's best friend, Rob Hegarty. Speaking about his participation in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney's bestselling novel, the talented actor said, "I felt a great responsibility doing it."
Rob, who was introduced to viewers as a joker student with misogynistic beliefs at the beginning of the series, would go on to die by suicide in a later episode. "Male mental health and suicide was something that was so much in our consciousness growing up," Éanna told the Irish Times. "I certainly knew people growing up who took their own lives."
Originally from Cork, Éanna has since moved to London to expand his job prospects.
"A lot of my friends have gone over," he said. "There has been a migration again in the last two or three years. And I felt like I wanted to see a new place. I wanted to experience that. It is great for work – you just have access to an amazing theatre culture."
As for his love life, it appears that Éanna is currently off the market. The handsome actor is understood to be dating fellow Cork native Alison Oliver, who is best known for her role as Francis in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's Conversation With Friends.
While he has not publicly confirmed their relationship, his social media is littered with gushing tributes to the 26-year-old actress.
Eanna and rumoured girlfriend Alison enjoying a festival (Instagram)"I'm so proud and just in awe really of @alisonoliver333 making her debut alongside an excellent team, in a really special part," Éanna wrote on his official Instagram after Alison cast in Conversations With Friends. "She puts such care craft and heart into all she does and there is years of dedication underneath all of this. Doing a self tape with her can sometimes feel like you're filming Citizen Kane, but clearly its paid off."
Elsewhere on his Instagram, he can be seen hugging Alison at a festival and wishing her a happy birthday.
Details about Eanna's family remain fairly minimal, but it's believed that he has a younger brother named Theodore. He has also previously revealed that his father is English, and that he used to make his parents watch him do dances as a child. He discovered his true flair for performance, however, after developing a love of impressions.
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"I used to rip off Gift Grub," he said. "I remember doing it at a christening once – and people were giving me cash to do more. I liked having an audience." He would later join a youth theatre club, where he began to truly hone his craft as an actor.
The actor had a role in BBC hit Normal People (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Nikki Beach Cannes)
He played main character Connell's best friend in the drama (BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu)In March 2023, Éanna was nominated for an IFTA (Irish Film and TV Awards) for his role in the Irish film, Lakelands, which sees him play a GAA footballer named Cian who suffers a career-ending injury after being attacked on a night out.
"Taken aback and pinching myself to be included in such great company," the up-and-coming star wrote on Instagram in response to the exciting news.
As for his plans for the future, Éanna is open to a wide variety of projects – as long as he can continue to express himself artistically.
"Acting, storytelling, writing...I always think of them as in the same ballpark," he said. "When I’m between jobs, I have always used writing as a way of telling stories, and a way to be creative."
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