Where are the child stars in John Lewis Christmas adverts now – roles in Hollywood films and hit BBC shows
The launch of John Lewis’ long-awaited Christmas advert means one thing – the festive season has officially begun. Whether it’s the department store showcasing strange or misunderstood monsters, or entertaining cuddly penguins and moonmen, John Lewis always manages to wow its viewers every year.
Today is no exception, as their 2023 campaign celebrates the joy of traditions old and new. This ad, the first by Saatchi & Saatchi, aims to capture the spirit of Christmas inspired by the unique ways in which celebrating the season has changed.
The story will show how the unusual and unexpected, at the expense of the conventional “ideal”, can also lead to a good time together for everyone. At the heart of the campaign is the lively and mischievous Venus Flytrap, a Christmas tree wannabe named Snapper, who brings an unexpected twist and radiates joy to Christmas celebrations.
It focuses on a young boy who lovingly nurtures a plant from seed, believing he is growing the perfect Christmas tree. After a moment of crying, the snapper grows too big to fit in the living room and is thrown out into the cold. But he returns to family life and brings gifts that the family finds new joy in gathering around the unconventional “Christmas tree.” Amid the new release, let’s go back and take a look at some of the previous John Lewis adverts and the kids involved…
The Long Wait – 2011
Who can forget the adorable little boy who put John Lewis firmly at the top of the tree when it comes to sentimental Christmas adverts. Millie covered the slow motion Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths for the ad, as the young boy anxiously waits for the Christmas countdown to end.
And while you might think it’s so he can get those goodies from Santa, it’s actually so he can give his mom and dad his carefully chosen gift. We were all struggling not to cry when watching the 2011 John Lewis show, but what happened to its child star? Lewis McGowan, from Hamilton, near Glasgow, was chosen from among 250 other children to star in the John Lewis advert, which was filmed over five days in London.
At the time, the young man reportedly said: “I had a lot of fun but it was hard work.” The young actor has been very busy with small roles in a number of TV shows, including Doctor Who and Houdini and Doyle.
Two years ago, he had his biggest role yet, appearing alongside Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film Dead Men Tell No Tales. The schoolboy played a 12-year-old version of Henry Turner, the son of Bloom’s character, in 2017. He also appeared in the TV series The Alienist and the short film In The Fall in 2018.
Monty the Penguin – 2014
Everyone remembers Monty the Penguin, but there was another star in the 2014 ad. Following the animal theme of that year, John Lewis focused on Monty the Penguin and his adorable relationship with a little boy.
Although Monty had a strong friend in the young man, all he dreamed of was finding love. In a surprise ending, it turns out that Monty is an imaginary friend and a stuffed toy but under the Christmas tree is a female penguin, destined to be his perfect companion.
The theme tune for the ad was Tom Odell’s cover of John Lennon’s Real Love. Rhys Edwards was paid £2,500 for the commercial, but clashed with his parents over how to spend his winnings. The young actor wanted to buy a £369 drone, but his parents wanted him to save money when he got older. Mum Lucy said: “We had to be strict about it. All the money is in the bank when he grows up.”
Man on the Moon – 2015
One of John Lewis’s most memorable adverts, Man On The Moon, saw a young girl come into contact with a man living on the moon. Every night, the schoolgirl watched the lonely old man through her telescope while Aurora sang a cover of the Oasis song Half The World Away.
Desperate to get the man’s attention, the little girl eventually sends him a special shipment of a telescope along with a handy hot air balloon so he can see Earth for the first time. The main slogan for the ad was ‘Show someone you love them this Christmas’ and the shoot is rumored to have cost £7 million. Frenchman Jean Massini, who played the role of the resident of the moon, became a big star in his native country.
While Orly Star child actress Neil Goldstein had starred in a big-budget movie — Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children — she got to visit director Tim Burton’s home. Father Trevor Goldstein, an actor and former Dreamboys star, said: “The ad put her in a position where she got some big auditions – huge things.
“She loved it. She was never bothered by the attention. Kids at her school would come up and say, ‘Were you in the ad?’ and she would say, ‘Yes,’ and leave. She doesn’t watch the ad. She likes to shoot and that’s it. She doesn’t seem interested in being a Famous.”
Banana Monster – 2017
In 2017, we met a young boy who was terrified of the dark. Elbow performed the Beatles’ song Golden Slumbers for that year’s show, which tells the story of a frightened boy who finds a monster living under his bed.
But this was no terrifying monster, as the young man soon became friends with the gentle giant Moz. They had spent the whole night playing and having fun, so the little boy was noticeably exhausted during the day.
We all thought that just one child was the star of the show, but the role was actually given to a set of twins. Only one of them auditioned for the big role, but when his bosses heard he had an identical twin, they cast them both. Ethan and Tobias have landed their first on-screen project together – and are looking forward to a bright future in acting.
Unexpected guest – 2021
In this ad filmed two years ago, a boy named Nathan sees an object falling from the sky while on the bus. He then got off the bus and ran towards the object in the forest where he saw a spaceship and an alien named Skye.
The pair bond and hang out together, but Nathan then runs away before showing her a Christmas sweater that lights up. Then he goes to display Christmas supplies. Christmas trees, mince pies, and light shows. He notices an electromagnetic pulse and quickly returns to the forest where Skye is about to leave.
Skye is thrilled when Nathen gives her his jacket and she kisses him goodbye before returning to the spaceship. The ad features a cover of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder’s song “Together in Electric Dreams” by London pub singer Lola Young.
Raffaella Chapman played Skye, and at just 15 years old, Raffaella has already appeared on the big screen. She played Claire Densmore in Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, as well as roles in BBC Film’s Homebound and BBC/HBO’s His Dark Materials. She worked with stars Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor on Infinite, and recently completed filming her lead role of Vesper in Vesper Seeds.
Nathan is played by Jordan Nash, 15, best known for his lead role as Peter Pan in the fantasy drama Come Away. Here he starred opposite Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo. He also played the lead role of Terry in the hit BBC/Netflix drama, Call the Midwife, and made a guest appearance in the comedy Breeders with Martin Freeman.
Rookie – 2022
In last year’s ad, viewers saw a man learning to skateboard for the first time, but he always trips and falls. Then his wife called to tell him that they had something to look forward to, which was that they were going to adopt a little girl named Ellie.
Ellie has been in the foster care system and has a passion for skiing which she uses to bond with her father. The campaign was run in partnership with Action for Children and Who Cares Scotland? To raise awareness among children in care. The ad features a cover of the Blink-182 song, “All The Small Things” performed by Postmodern Jukebox featuring Mike Gere (under the stage name Puddles Pity Party).
John Paul Hurley plays the father and one of the main actors in the John Lewis advert. The actor, who is from South Yorkshire, has starred in films such as The Reckoning, The Lost King and Peaky Blinders.
In 2007, he won Best Actor at the European Independent Film Awards in Paris for his role in the short film Laid Off, which was filmed in Glasgow. In addition to appearing in several popular TV dramas, he also wrote the comedy Ecclesiastical Supplies, which screened in Glasgow in 2015.
Eli is played by rising actor Brock Hart, who has played a number of film, commercial and stage roles. In 2017, she starred in the NSPCC Say Something campaign and also played Paige in a production of Love at the National Theatre.
John Lewis Christmas advert 2023
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