How English public schoolboy Louis Partridge won the heart of one of the world’s most famous popstars and became the nation’s go-to period drama lead – as he takes on his biggest role to date in House of Guinness

With nine million followers on Instagram alone and having worked with two Academy Award-winning directors, at 22 years old, Louis Partridge has already achieved more than most actors could in a lifetime. 

The London-born actor first burst onto the global stage aged just 17 in 2020 when he starred as the loveable Lord Viscount Tewkesbury alongside Millie Bobby Brown in Netflix‘s Enola Holmes – a breakout role that’s left him thoroughly in demand ever since. 

Since then, Partridge has starred in the Disney+ television series Pistol and Apple TV’s thriller miniseries Disclaimer – and is even said to be in the running for the next James Bond.   

Partridge told GQ last year he was keen to prove himself as ‘something other than just a love interest in a thing’ [referring to Enola Holmes] – and, with a leading role lined up as Mr Wickham in Netflix’s new Pride and Prejudice adaptation, he seems to be well on his way to becoming Britain’s go-to period drama hero. 

Now, he’s taking on his biggest role to date, starring as Edward Guinness in Netflix’s new House Of Guinness series about the brewing dynasty, which releases on Thursday. 

The English public schoolboy, who attended the £31,000-a-year Alleyn’s School in Dulwich, has also won the heart of American popstar Olivia Rodrigo, and previously admitted he receives daily marriage proposals from his millions of adoring fans. 

But despite his soaring fame in an age of social media, Partridge credits himself with managing to stay grounded and still manages to lead a relatively normal life. 

As he told GQ Magazine in November last year: ‘I guess living at home kind of helps: I’m hardly living the high life. You can sort of entertain it for a little bit, but I think it’s important to drop it as soon as possible.’

He explained that he still drives a dusty VW Golf, listens to podcasts, and enjoys playing frisbee in his free time. 

‘I dunno what it is, but I love Frisbee. There’s something about it. Simple things,’ the actor explained.

And comparing himself to his even more famous girlfriend, he told British Vogue, he ‘can be a bit of a normal person’, while she ‘has tons of eyes on her case’.  

Before fame, Louis attended Dulwich Preparatory School – where fees cost £9,745 a term for pupils between years five and nine. 

He then moved to Alleyn’s School, also in Dulwich in south London, which has a price tag of £31,014 per year, including VAT, according to their website. There, he studied for A-levels in English, Film Studies, and French. 

The aspiring actor clearly was keen to enter the industry from a young age, telling V Magazine: ‘I used to try on these ridiculous white leather boots that a friend’s mum had. I used to love trying them on for the laughs that it would get – purely that.’ 

His first acting roles came in the form of extras in Call The Midwife’s Christmas Special, Pan and Paddington 2, following his 2014 debut in the short film Beneath Water.

His breakthrough role came in 2020, when he was cast as Tewkesbury in the Millie Bobby Brown-led detective movie Enola Holmes when he was just 17. 

His other acting credits include the 2022 movie The Lost Girls, Enola Holmes 2, the British miniseries Pistol, and the 2024 thriller miniseries Disclaimer. 

Pistol – where he transformed into a punk rocker to play a young Sid Vicious – marked a significant change in role from what he was used to. 

The Danny Boyle Sex Pistols drama had ‘sex scene after sex scene’ – shown, to his embarrassment, at Venice Film Festival. 

Production even had to pause filming the sex and heroin scenes until Partridge celebrated his 18th birthday. 

He told British GQ: ‘Isn’t that funny? I guess they were avoiding some kind of lawsuit.’ 

Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, in which he played young English backpacker Jonathan, saw him star alongside Cate Blanchett, Lesley Manville and Kevin Kline. 

Keen to ensure his early success didn’t go to his head, and despite having numerous film titles already under his belt, Louis still managed to take part in his school play in his final year of education. 

Notably, when Partridge rose to fame in 2020, it was during the coronavirus lockdown – meaning there were no red carpets or premieres for Enola Holmes, and he even dialled into his Jimmy Kimmel Live appearance via Zoom. 

During a conversation with The Face in 2022, the actor, who has two sisters called Issie and Millie – gave fans a glimpse at his life at home, joking that his family keeps him humble: ‘There’s a lot of p***-taking at home, which is important.’

Indeed, it’s his family he credits with keeping him grounded, telling V Magazine that his success ‘did sort of warp my perception of what is important for a little while’. 

He reflected: ‘I feel like in any other profession, you work 10, 15, 20, however many years for a shot at that feeling of congratulations and renown. And so there was I, age 16, thinking, “Wow, I’ve completed it, essentially”.’ 

Now, as he stars in Netflix’s House Of Guinness, by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Louis appears to be well on his way to becoming Britain’s next leading man – and certainly the nation’s most adored heartthrob. 

On Tuesday evening, Partridge attended the show’s premiere at London’s Picturehouse Central alongside co-star James Norton and real-life members of the dynasty, including Lady Mary Charteris, Daphne Guinness, Lord Ned Iveagh, Ivana Lowell, Jasmine Guinness and Celeste Guinness. 

In the eight-part series, Louis plays the major role of Edward Guinness, boss of the brewing giant and the youngest son in the family.

In his interview with Variety earlier this month, Partridge described his character as ‘quite a straight, sober character, trying to keep everything in check – and usually I’m a bit more irresponsible in the roles I play and throw caution to the wind. So it did feel like something quite new to me’.

He also told V Mag that his character goes through some ‘real turmoil’, and faces ‘trials and tribulations’.

In a promotional video for the role, he said: ‘Guinness is my drink of choice. It became a bit of a lucky charm for me. I was drinking a pint of Guinness when I got the call from my agent to tell me I got the part.’

The story of their ancestors’ curse-filled lives is about to hit the small screen courtesy of Netflix’s anticipated period drama, set against the backdrop of 19th-century Dublin and New York.

The role is expected to thrust Partridge, who has admitted he keeps a list of directors he wants to work with on his phone, to new heights of fame. 

This will no doubt be boosted by his starring as Mr Wickham in Netflix’s all-star adaptation of Pride and Prejudice alongside Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden, currently in production. 

He will also return as Bobby Brown’s love interest, Tewkesbury, in Enola Holmes 3, filmed earlier this year. 

Much of the attention surrounding Partridge in recent years has focused on his romance with Drivers License singer Rodrigo, whom he first began dating in October 2023, meaning some have tended to overlook his stellar acting work. 

The couple has largely chosen to keep their romance private, with Olivia only posting Louis to Instagram for the first time in July; however, they have made several high-profile appearances together, including Wimbledon this summer and their red carpet debut at Venice Film Festival in August 2024.  

With the focus shifting on many occasions to his girlfriend – he was backstage at her Glastonbury set this summer – Partridge has even accepted the nickname ‘Mr Olivia Rodrigo’, thanks to her overwhelming popularity among young fans.  

When he was asked by Variety how he felt about being called Mr Olivia Rodrigo, he said he’s had the title for ‘a while now. I’m very happy, and I think she is too, so all is good in our world.’

For her part, during her Glastonbury set, Olivia gave a shoutout to her ‘boy from London‘ – while Louis is even said to be the inspiration behind her hit, So American. 

Louis was previously romantically linked to actress Sydney Chandler, whom he met on the set of the FX series Pistol.

Meanwhile girlfriend Olivia has previously dated record producer, Zack Bia, and actors Ethan Wacker and Ethan Wacker.

Despite being two of the biggest young stars in the world, Rodrigo and Partridge seem to have found the perfect balance between fame and privacy. 

When she headlined Glastonbury with a speech all about the things she loves in the UK – such as a ‘pint at noon’ and ‘sticky toffee pudding’ – Louis credited her comments as ‘my work’. 

Louis has taken the American star to watch the football, for example, attending a Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea in November last year, and the pair have been spotted riding Lime bikes around London together. They’ve also allegedly been on date nights to the Isle of Wight with Louis’s parents. 

Speaking to Esquire UK, the British actor said: ‘I just have no doubt that we’re both in a relationship for the right reason, for example. I’m sure that’s something you have to think about when you reach a certain level of success. 

‘It’s nice to know that we can go to things together, and it’s not the maddest thing in the world that you’re sitting opposite who knows what. You’ve got a friend in those times.’

In April 2024, he spoke again on the relationship, this time to British Vogue.

‘I think she’s got it a lot worse than I have,’ he said. ‘I can be a bit of a normal person. She’s got tons and tons of eyes on her case.

‘Dating probably shouldn’t be done in the public eye. There’s enough going on between two people. You don’t need the voices of thousands of others in your head.’

Netflix’s House of Guinness is available to stream from Thursday, September 25.