Nicholas Hoult has built one of the most unconventional careers of his peer group. Rom-coms to superhero blockbusters, period satire to horror thrillers, he’s always proved there is no role too off-limits. Hoult doesn’t merely play parts—he lives them, whether blue-furred, cult-leader, or stumbling through Russian royalty. Either you knew him initially as the gangly young dolt in About a Boy or, more recently, as an unbending supervillain, but you can be sure of one thing: Hoult is absolutely captivating on screen. These 10 performances highlight the complete range of his talents.
10. Hank McCoy / Beast – X-Men Prequel Series
Hoult applied emotion to the genius mutant Hank McCoy in the X-Men prequels by keeping the character firmly rooted in brain power and vulnerability. His interpretation of Beast wasn’t one of CGI fur, but of a man fighting scientific brilliance and the burden of being very visibly different. His understated chemistry with James McAvoy’s Professor X and the vulnerable pain of love that would never be requited for Mystique added depth to the character. As the season struggled, Hoult’s Beast was the sole bright spot.
9. Tyler Ledford – The Menu
In The Menu, Hoult provides a sidesplittingly cringe-inducing performance as Tyler, the sanctimonious foodie who gives a toss for nothing but good grub. He is fantastic playing a blinkered toady, rendering Tyler hilarious and heartbreakingly real at once. Seeing him blow his top before Ralph Fiennes’ nightmarish chef is one of the film’s chief delights, and his meltdown is as gratifying as it is predictable.
8. Robert Montague Renfield – Renfield
Hoult gets to bask in the spotlight as frazzled sidekick to Dracula (played in outrageously cartoonish fashion by Nicolas Cage) in Renfield, walking the tightrope between ridiculous and very human. His own Renfield is trapped in a sick relationship with history’s greatest vampire, and Hoult plays it with deadpan and heartbreaking vulnerability in equal measures. From bug-eating to regaining his autonomy, Hoult brings the gothic dark comedy heartwarmingly sincere.
7. Marcus Brewer – About a Boy
Hoult’s big break came as the gangly, lonely boy who brings Hugh Grant’s shallow bachelor out of himself in About a Boy. Nowhere near a cookie-cutter kid role, Marcus is sensitive, bullied, and intelligent—and Hoult’s natural unforcedness made him indelible. His street-smart-for-his-age performance gave the film its emotional heart and foreshadowed the global superstar stardom that lay ahead. His street-smart-for-his-age acting imbued the movie with its emotional center and presaged the superstar career that awaited.
6. Justin Kemp – Juror #2
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 induces Hoult to play Justin Kemp, a recovering alcoholic journalist who is called in on a murder trial, where he finds himself f suspect, too. Hoult turns it up to tension, playing Justin with paranoid unease and ethical disorientation. He renders the character infuriating but sympathetic, perpetually poised on the verge of imploding. It’s a low-burn performance, but one that lingers.
5. Nux – Mad Max: Fury Road
In George Miller’s action epic, Hoult is riveting as Nux, a War Boy who starts as a fanatic seeking “glorious death” and evolves into one of the most human of the film’s characters. His development from brainwashed zealot to unlikely hero is quietly moving, courtesy of Hoult’s manic intensity and sensitivity. His signature scream—”What a lovely day!”—will be an awesome meme, but it’s his brief instances of doubt and sacrifice that make the greatest impact.
4. R – Warm Bodies
Hoult somehow manages to make a zombie love story succeed in Warm Bodies, making R one of his most lovable characters. With deadpan narration and discreet gestures, he expresses humor, yearning, and the gradual restoration of humanity. His chemistry with Teresa Palmer makes the romance credible, and his comedy timing provides the movie with a smart turn on the genre.
3. Lex Luthor – Superman
Hoult’s latest career high is as Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman. Ditch the over-the-top bad guy—Hoult’s Luthor is terrifying in his reserve. He directs jealousy, anger, and egomania into a performance that’s as unnerving as it is enthralling. Whether he’s fuming in solitude or masterminding public destroyings of Superman, Hoult exudes a villain who is uncomfortably real. Already in awards contention, his Luthor could be one of the most definitive interpretations of the character.
2. Bob Matthews – The Order
Justin Kurzel’s black thriller The Order sees Hoult become Bob Matthews, a white supremacist leader based on real-life individuals. It’s one of his most daring roles—a charismatic, magnetic, and absolutely monstrous character. Hoult doesn’t shy away from the horror, but rather reveals how ideology can seduce and corrupt. The end product is repellent and unforgettable, demonstrating his ability to go into the worst depths of man.
1. Emperor Peter III – The Great
Hoult’s breathtaking, side-splitting, and heart-wrenching performance as Peter III in The Great stands atop. In three seasons, he sculpted Peter into a character who’s both a clownish tyrant and a surprisingly tender family man. His timing is impeccable, his rapport with Elle Fanning’s Catherine zings, and his ability to move from ridiculous comedy to true pathos is unparalleled. Hoult reduces Peter to ridiculousness, lovability, and tragedy all at once—a tour-de-force performance that demonstrates just how expansively his range exists.
Nicholas Hoult is not just versatile, he’s also bold. Whether it’s courting zombies, fighting culty war boys, or dealing with an emperor who can’t seem to get out of his own head, he gives it his all and makes every role a memorable one. Few actors can shift so effortlessly between blockbusting franchises, satirical biting, and indie intensity, but Hoult delights in that diversity. If the trajectory of his career is any indication, his best is yet to come.