Dónal Finn

Dónal Finn
Born (1995-08-31) 31 August 1995
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active2019–present

Dónal Finn (born 31 August 1995) is an Irish actor. He is known for playing Mat Cauthon in the Amazon Prime Video fantasy series The Wheel of Time and for originating the role of Orpheus in the West End production of Hadestown. In 2026, he co-starred in the Prime Video series Young Sherlock as James Moriarty and in The Other Bennet Sister as Mr Tom Hayward.

Early life and education

Finn was born and raised in Dromina, County Cork. He is one of eight children, from a farming family in rural Ireland.[1]

Finn was awarded a three-year scholarship at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art through the Overstall Charitable Trust.[1] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in acting from LAMDA in 2018.[2]

Career

After graduating from LAMDA, Finn made his first notable appearance in an episode of the Netflix series The Witcher as a peasant named Nettly in 2019.[3]

Finn also had a small role as a baker named Albert in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.[4]

In 2022, Finn was cast in the role of soldier Eoin McGonigal in the first series of the BBC drama SAS: Rogue Heroes.[1] That same year, he was cast as Mat Cauthon in the second season of The Wheel of Time, succeeding Barney Harris in the role.[5]

In 2023, he was named one of the inaugural "Rising Stars of Ireland" by Screen International and Screen Ireland.[6]

In February 2024, Finn played the role of Orpheus in the West End production of Hadestown. Finn left the production on 25 August 2024.[7]

In July 2024, it was announced Finn would appear as James Moriarty alongside Hero Fiennes Tiffin's Sherlock Holmes in the 2026 Amazon Prime Video series Young Sherlock.[8]

In March 2026, Finn starred as Mr. Hayward in The Other Bennet Sister.[9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2019 How to Build a Girl Karl Boden
2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Albert
2025 Four Letters of Love Sean Gore
2025 The Uprising The Priest

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2019 The Witcher Nettly Episode: "Four Marks"
2020 Cursed Kurt Episode: "Cursed"
2022–2025 SAS: Rogue Heroes Eoin McGonigal 4 episodes
2023–2025 The Wheel of Time Mat Cauthon Main role
2026 Young Sherlock James Moriarty Main role
2026 The Other Bennet Sister Mr. Hayward Upcoming

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue
2018 Chasing Bono Ivan Soho Theatre, London
2020 Albion Gabriel Almeida Theatre, London
2022 Sing Street Brendan Lalor Huntington Theatre Company, Boston
2024 Hadestown Orpheus Lyric Theatre, London
2026 John Proctor is the Villain Carter Smith Royal Court Theatre, London

References

  1. ^ a b c McCarthy, Esther (2023-02-15). "Rising Stars Ireland 2023: Dónal Finn (actor)". Screen.
  2. ^ "2018 graduates | London academy of music & dramatic art". www.lamda.ac.uk.
  3. ^ "The Wheel of Time: See the new actor playing Mat Cauthon in The Witcher". Winter is Coming. September 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "Who Is Dónal Finn? Everything to Know About Young Sherlock's New Moriarty". startefact.com.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 20, 2021). "'The Wheel Of Time': Dónal Finn To Play Mat Cauthon In Recasting On Amazon Series As Barney Harris Not Returning For Season 2".
  6. ^ "Screen International and Screen Ireland unveil inaugural Rising Stars Ireland line-up". Screen Ireland. 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  7. ^ "Hadestown confirms Dónal Finn & Grace Hodgett-Young leaving date". www.westendtheatre.com. West End Theatre. July 23, 2024.
  8. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 30, 2024). "'Young Sherlock' Amazon Series Casts 'Wheel of Time' Actor Dónal Finn (EXCLUSIVE)".
  9. ^ https://www.televisual.com/news/the-other-bennet-sister-filming-starts-cast-revealed/