Jude Powell (born 4 July 2003) is an English actor and filmmaker. He is a British Sign Language (BSL) user and is known for his roles as Jake Green in the Acorn TV crime drama The Chelsea Detective (2025) and Lord Allison in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2026).
Jude Powell | |
|---|---|
 Powell in 2023 | |
| Born | 4 July 2003 London, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2024–present |
Early life and education
editJude Powell was born in Lewisham, London. At 18 months old, Powell contracted meningitis, resulting in profound hearing loss.[1] He grew up in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and attended Highworth Combined School and Nursery, Heathlands School in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and Berkshire College of Agriculture in Maidenhead, Berkshire, where he achieved distinctions in Creative Media at secondary school and college level.[2][3]
From 2019 to 2024, Powell trained in acting at Deafinitely Youth Theatre[4] in London, earning Bronze, Silver, and Gold Arts Awards qualifications. He completed the BSL Acting Intensive course at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2024.[5] In 2025, he became an alumnus of Vamos Theatre[6] and was accepted into the National Youth Theatre, becoming the first deaf actor to complete its Digital Membership Course.[7]
Career
editPowell began his acting career in 2024, appearing in the short film Ava's Story and a SignHealth charity project, both of which premiered at the Deaffest film festival.[8] Later that year, he signed with Aston Management, a talent agency based in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. He made his television debut as Jake Green in the third season of The Chelsea Detective on Acorn TV. During production, lead actor Adrian Scarborough described Powell as a "huge talent" in an interview with BBC News.[9] Powell also appeared in the television movie The Chris Baker Show on Lumo TV in 2025.
In January 2026, Powell appeared as Lord Allison in the fourth season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, performing a scene in British Sign Language.[10][11] In April 2026, Powell featured in a UK television advertising campaign for Macmillan Cancer Support titled Fair Cancer Care.[12]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ava’s Story | Adrian | Short film; premiered at Deaffest 2024 |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Chris Baker Show | The Client | Television movie |
| The Chelsea Detective | Jake Green | Episode 3: "Myths & Legends" | |
| 2026 | Bridgerton | Lord Allison | Episode 3: "The Field Next to the Other Road" |
References
edit- ↑ Withey, Rebecca (11 August 2025). "Jude Powell tells us about his experience training as an actor and landing a TV role on The Chelsea Detective". The Limping Chicken. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ↑ Richards, Huw (2 June 2025). "Deaf actor praises St Albans education after landing role in hit series". The Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
- ↑ Nair, Anaka (3 June 2025). "Former BCA student makes TV debut as deaf and non-verbal actor". Slough Express. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ↑ "About Deafinitely Youth Theatre". Deafinitely Theatre. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "Celebrating Summer 2024 at Central". Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ↑ "Nurturing confidence, creativity, and community". Vamos Theatre. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ Withey, Rebecca (14 April 2026). "Jude Powell: My acting experience so far and appearance in Bridgerton". The Limping Chicken. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ "Premiere of Ava's Story and Director Q&A". Deaffest. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ↑ Perry, Louise (29 June 2025). "Deaf actor Jude Powell is "huge talent" says Adrian Scarborough". BBC News. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ↑ Shewan Stevens, Hannah (7 February 2026). "Is Bridgerton Ready For A Disabled Romantic Lead?". Glamour. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Harris, Isabella (3 February 2026). "Wycombe actor, 22, Netflix debut in new Bridgerton season". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ↑ "Fair Cancer Care". Macmillan Cancer Support. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
External links
edit- Jude Powell at IMDb