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John Heffernan

John Heffernan

Actor · Born June 30, 1981 (45) · Billericay, Essex, England, UK

John Heffernan is a British actor. He has worked with the the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), the National Theatre, and the English Touring Theatre. He has appeared in films and television shows.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 30, 1981 (45)
From
Billericay, Essex, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 45% in 30 days

What are John Heffernan's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
30%
Power
29%
Morality
17%
Bonds
15%
Survival
5%
Ideas
4%
Power3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Ally
1 of 3
Threshold guardian
1 of 3
Mentor
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Contemplative
4
Melancholic
3
Joyful
2
Dread
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Heffernan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Heffernan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • This Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · as Commander Bentley

  • A Gentleman in Moscow(2024)

    Show as Bishop

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as The Friend

  • National Theatre Live: Much Ado About Nothing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Benedick

  • Becoming Elizabeth(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Duke of Somerset

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • The Duke(2020)

    as Neddie Cussen

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Banishing(2020)

    as Linus

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Pursuit of Love(2021)

    Show as Davey

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Misbehaviour(2020)

    as Gareth

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dracula(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · as Jonathan Harker

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Forget Me Not (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Jack

  • Official Secrets(2019)

    as James Welch

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Brexit(2019)

    as Matthew Elliott

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Crooked House(2017)

    as Laurence Brown

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Loch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · as Dr. Simon Marr

  • Cern and the Sense of Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Lord Altrincham

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Eye in the Sky(2015)

    as Major Harold Webb

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell(2015)

    Show 7 episodes · as Lascelles

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Beyond the Pale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Captain Charles Shore

  • Outlander(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Brigadier General Lord Thomas

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Murder on the Home Front (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Zeigler

  • All This Can Happen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Narrator

  • Ripper Street(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · as Ronald Capshaw

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Hollow Crown(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Francis

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Luther(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · as Steven Rose

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as George

  • King Lear(2008)

    as Oswald

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Foyle's War(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as James Griffin

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Red Alert: Hockeytown 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Narrator

  • A Ghost Story for Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as The Friend

  • Tomb Raider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as David

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 30 titles, 29 of them dated from 1971 to 2024; peak year 2020.

Biggest box office

Official Secrets (2019)

$10M worldwide

Highest rated

Official Secrets (2019)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Dracula (2020)

Film career

19712024

Peak 2020 · at the high point of their film career. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 30: 30 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score87th

By decade

1970s1 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s17 · acting2020s8 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do John Heffernan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 8; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 19 titles divides audiences: 10 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Mixed3

Most loved · actor

Official Secrets (2019)

Midcredits 90th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Heffernan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles7–81 · median 23 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles16–51 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles23–63 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles19–39 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles28–83 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John Heffernan work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Heffernan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dolly Wells shares the most, 2.

Actors

Cinematographers