English actor Nicholas Hoult made his acting debut as a child in the film Intimate Relations (1996). He gained wider recognition at age 11 for his starring role in the comedy-drama film About a Boy (2002). At the age of 17, he played the character Tony Stonem in the British series Skins (2007–2008), a role that helped him transition to mature roles. At the Trafalgar Theatre in London, he starred in the play New Boy in 2009.