It is easy to miss a star in the making. You are watching a big-budget Netflix show, or maybe a gritty BBC police drama, and there is this one guy. He isn't the lead—at least, he wasn't until recently—but he basically vibrates with this strange, nervous energy that makes it impossible to look away.
That is the Josh Finan effect.
If you have been keeping an eye on josh finan movies and tv shows, you’ve probably noticed he doesn't really do "normal" characters. He does the chaotic ones. The guys who are one bad decision away from a total meltdown. Most people first caught him as Marco in The Responder, playing a Scouse "scally" who was more of a lost soul than a criminal.
Honestly, it's pretty rare to see an actor jump from a supporting role in a Liverpool cop show to playing one of the most controversial political figures in Irish history, yet that is exactly what he did.
The Breakthrough: From The Responder to Global Streaming
The 2022 debut of The Responder changed everything for him. He was cast alongside Martin Freeman, which is a terrifying prospect for any young actor. But Finan didn’t just hold his own; he earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Marco was a "chaos magnet."
He played the character with a mix of vulnerability and stupidity that felt painfully real. It wasn't just a caricature of a street kid. It was a portrait of someone who had never been responsible for anything until he suddenly had a daughter to think about.
🔗 Read more: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
Then came the Netflix explosion.
In 2024, he popped up in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen as Jethro. If you blinked, you might have missed him, but he played the "money man" for a crime family with a panicked sincerity that worked perfectly against the show’s stylized violence. He also had a brief, memorable turn in the massive hit Baby Reindeer as Diggsy.
It’s a specific career path. Small parts in massive things, slowly building a reputation as a "chameleon" who can handle high-intensity scripts.
Why Say Nothing Is a Massive Career Pivot
If Marco was his introduction, Gerry Adams in Say Nothing was his statement of intent.
Playing a living, controversial figure like Adams is a minefield. Most actors would overthink the politics or the voice. Finan focused on the "brogue" (specifically the "har" and "nye" sounds for "how" and "now") but kept the performance grounded in the script’s fictionalized reality.
He didn't try to be a documentary version of Adams. He played the man pulling the strings in West Belfast during the height of The Troubles.
💡 You might also like: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
The critics loved it.
The show, based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s book, required a level of gravitas that was a far cry from the bumbling energy of his earlier roles. It proved he could lead. It showed he could carry the weight of a heavy, historical narrative without being crushed by it.
Josh Finan Movies and TV Shows: The Complete List (So Far)
His filmography is growing fast. While he started in theatre—training at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School—his screen credits are where the mainstream momentum is.
- Waiting for the Out (2026): This is his big leading role. He plays Dan, a philosophy teacher who starts working in a men's prison. It’s based on Andy West’s memoir The Life Inside and was adapted by Dennis Kelly (the guy who wrote Utopia).
- How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026): He joined the cast of Lisa McGee’s (creator of Derry Girls) new Netflix series.
- Black Mirror (2025): He appeared in the episode "Plaything" as a character named Lump.
- Say Nothing (2024): Played the younger Gerry Adams in the FX/Disney+ historical drama.
- The Gentlemen (2024): Portrayed Jethro in the Netflix series.
- Baby Reindeer (2024): Appeared as Diggsy.
- The Responder (2022–2024): His breakout role as Marco.
- Shook (2021): A filmed version of the stage play where he played Cain.
- Surge (2020): A film starring Ben Whishaw where Finan played Jermaine.
- Hellboy (2019): A small role as "Novice."
- The Current War (2017): Played Peter in this historical drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Stage Origins You Didn't Know About
Before the cameras were rolling, Finan was a stage beast. He’s worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in Romeo and Juliet (as Benvolio) and Macbeth.
He also did The Southbury Child at the Bridge Theatre.
Theatre is where he learned to be "alive and alert," as he’s said in interviews. You can see that training in his TV work. He treats every take like a rehearsal, trying to find something fresh rather than just hitting a mark.
📖 Related: Cuba Gooding Jr OJ: Why the Performance Everyone Hated Was Actually Genius
He grew up in the Wirral.
He wasn't some "nepo baby" born into the industry. His parents worked at a job centre. He was a shy kid who used drama clubs as a way to cover it up. That background—the "working-class area" where acting wasn't seen as a "proper job"—gives his performances a grounded, unpretentious quality.
What is Next for Josh Finan in 2026?
Right now, he is everywhere.
Waiting for the Out just hit the BBC, and it is a massive step up in responsibility. He isn't just a guest star anymore; he's the face on the poster.
The buzz for How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is also huge. Lisa McGee has a Midas touch with Northern Irish stories, and Finan’s experience with the accent from Say Nothing clearly made him a top choice for her new project.
He is also attached to a "cool indie film," though the details are still under wraps while funding locks in.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, start watching his back catalog now. Most people will discover him this year through his lead roles, but the real magic is in those early, frantic performances where he was just a kid from the Wirral trying to make a scene his own.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch The Responder on BBC iPlayer or BritBox to see the role that started it all.
- Check out Say Nothing on Disney+ (or Hulu) for his most intense dramatic work to date.
- Keep an eye on Netflix for How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, which is set to be one of the biggest releases of early 2026.