Jack Lowden is a Scottish actor best known for playing disgraced MI5 agent River Cartwright in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. Born on 2 June 1990 in Chelmsford, Essex, and raised in the Scottish Borders, he built his reputation on stage — winning a Laurence Olivier Award for Ghosts in 2014 — before breaking through on screen in War & Peace (2016) and Dunkirk (2017). In October 2026 he became the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond, after reports that he was among the finalists screen-testing for the role in London. No casting has been officially announced.
Quick facts
- Full name: Jack Andrew Lowden
- Born: 2 June 1990, Chelmsford, Essex, England
- Nationality: Scottish
- Occupation: Actor, producer
- Known for: Slow Horses (River Cartwright), Dunkirk, War & Peace, Calibre, Benediction
- Spouse: Saoirse Ronan (married 2024)
Early life and background
Jack Andrew Lowden was born on 2 June 1990 in Chelmsford, Essex, to Scottish parents, and grew up in Oxton, a village in the Scottish Borders. He has a younger brother, Calum, who became a ballet dancer. As a child he took ballet classes in Edinburgh before his parents enrolled him in the Scottish Youth Theatre at the age of 10. At Earlston High School he performed in concerts and school productions, playing Buddy Holly in a staging of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. He spent summers studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and graduated in acting from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow in 2011.
Stage breakthrough: Ghosts and the Olivier Award
Lowden’s early stage work included the National Theatre of Scotland’s Black Watch and the role of Olympic runner Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire in London in 2012. His breakthrough came as Oswald in Richard Eyre’s 2013 adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2014, along with the Ian Charleson Award. The win, at 23, marked him as one of British theatre’s most serious young talents.
Screen career: War & Peace, Dunkirk and Calibre
After early television work in The Tunnel (2013) and The Passing Bells (2014), Lowden’s first major international screen success was as Nikolai Rostov in the BBC’s 2016 adaptation of War & Peace. Film roles followed in quick succession: the title role in Tommy’s Honour (2016), Morrissey in England Is Mine (2017), and RAF fighter pilot Collins in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017). In 2018 he played Lord Darnley opposite Saoirse Ronan in Mary Queen of Scots and won the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Film Actor for the Highland thriller Calibre, in which he played Vaughn. He won the same award again for playing poet Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction (2021), and was nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award in 2020.
Slow Horses: River Cartwright
Since 2022 Lowden has starred as River Cartwright in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, the spy drama based on Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, alongside Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. River, a disgraced MI5 officer exiled to the dumping ground of Slough House after a botched training exercise, became Lowden’s signature television role. The performance brought him BAFTA Television Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in 2023 and 2024, a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2024, a Golden Globe nomination in 2025, and a further Emmy nomination for the 2025–26 season.
Producing and recent work
Alongside acting, Lowden has built a producing career, including on Kindred and on The Outrun (2024), the addiction drama starring his wife Saoirse Ronan, which was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 2025 BAFTAs. His later screen credits include Tornado and Ella McCay, both released in 2025. In December 2026 he stars as Mr Darcy opposite Emma Corrin’s Elizabeth Bennet in Netflix’s six-part adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, premiering on 3 December 2026.
The James Bond screen tests
In October 2026, Deadline reported that Amazon MGM’s search for Daniel Craig’s successor had narrowed to four finalists, with Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor named as three of them and a fourth unidentified, and that screen tests in London were set to begin on 23 October 2026. Bookmakers installed Lowden as favourite — William Hill priced him at 8/13 on the morning of the tests, and prediction market Kalshi put him at 58% days later. His Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman had said in September 2026 that he believed a choice had been made and that his fingers were crossed for Lowden. None of this is a casting announcement: Amazon MGM has neither confirmed nor denied any name, and as of late October 2026 the role remained officially unfilled. Asked about the rumours in early October, Ronan told the Associated Press it was “not really a subject that’s coming up in our house.”
Personal life
Lowden married actress Saoirse Ronan in 2024; the Irish Independent reported in July 2024 that the couple had married. The pair, who first worked together on Mary Queen of Scots and later on The Outrun, keep their private life largely out of public view, and this article makes no claims about their family beyond the marriage itself.
Net worth snapshot
Jack Lowden’s net worth is estimated at $4–5 million as of October 2026, anchored by Celebrity Net Worth’s $4 million figure, with other aggregators putting him at $5 million. No Forbes or Bloomberg estimate exists, and no salary figure for Slow Horses or his films has been publicly disclosed. Read the full breakdown in Jack Lowden’s net worth.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jack Lowden?
Jack Lowden is a Scottish actor born on 2 June 1990 in Chelmsford, Essex, and raised in the Scottish Borders. He is best known for playing River Cartwright in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, won a Laurence Olivier Award for Ghosts in 2014, and in October 2026 was reported to be screen-testing as a finalist for the next James Bond.
Is Jack Lowden the next James Bond?
Not officially. In October 2026 Deadline reported that Lowden was one of the finalists screen-testing for the role, and bookmakers made him favourite, but Amazon MGM has made no announcement and has neither confirmed nor denied any candidate’s name.
What is Jack Lowden best known for?
His signature role is River Cartwright in Slow Horses (2022–present), for which he has received Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. Earlier career highlights include War & Peace (2016), Dunkirk (2017), Calibre (2018) and Benediction (2021).
Is Jack Lowden married?
Yes. Lowden married actress Saoirse Ronan in 2024, as reported by the Irish Independent in July 2024.
What is Jack Lowden’s net worth?
Jack Lowden’s net worth is estimated at $4–5 million as of October 2026, based on Celebrity Net Worth’s $4 million figure and other aggregators’ $5 million estimates. No Forbes or Bloomberg estimate exists.
Sources
- Jack Lowden — Wikipedia (birth, education, career, awards)
- Hunt for next James Bond reaches final stages — Malay Mail / PA Media, 24 October 2026
- Pride and Prejudice Netflix poster sets trailer date — ComingSoon, 27 October 2026
- Jack Lowden Net Worth — Celebrity Net Worth