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Joe Cole

Joe Cole

Actor · Born November 28, 1988 (37) · Kingston upon Thames, London, England, UK

BAFTA Award nominee

Joseph Michael Cole (born 28 November 1988) is an English actor. Some of his most notable roles include Luke in Skins, John Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Marzin and Beckwith in Secret in Their Eyes, Billy Moore in A Prayer Before Dawn, Frank in the Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ", Sean Wallace in Gangs of London, and Iver Iversen in Against the Ice. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joe Cole (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 28, 1988 (37)
From
Kingston upon Thames, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 43 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 33% in 30 days

What are Joe Cole's films like?

Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
32%
Bonds
18%
Morality
17%
Self
16%
Power
8%
Ideas
5%
Society
3%
Survival8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 13

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 3

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

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 12

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 10 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

18 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 8 of 18 analyzed roles.

Hero
8 of 18
Ally
6 of 18
Shadow
2 of 18
Mentor
1 of 18
Trickster
1 of 18
Show the 18 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
15
Dread
10
Hopeful
7
Bittersweet
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Unsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet16
  • Ambiguous7

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 Joe Cole's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joe Cole'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

43 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

  • I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Rian

  • The Birthday Party(2025)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • He Bled Neon(2026)

    Executive Producer · as Ethan

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Actor(2025)

    as Nick / Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Damned(2024)

    as Daniel

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Nightsleeper(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Joe Roag

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • A Small Light(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · as Jan Gies

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Ipcress File(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · as Harry Palmer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Against the Ice(2022)

    as Iver Iversen

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • One of These Days(2020)

    as Kyle Parson

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Unsaid Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom

  • Gangs of London(2020)

    Show 20 episodes · as Sean Wallace

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Pure(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Happy New Year, Colin Burstead(2018)

    as Ed

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • A Prayer Before Dawn(2017)

    as Billy Moore

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Eye on Juliet(2017)

    as Gordon

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Thank You for Your Service(2017)

    as Billy Waller

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Woodshock(2017)

    as Nick

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Green Room(2015)

    as Reece

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Secret in Their Eyes(2015)

    as Marzin / Beckwith

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Pressure(2015)

    as Jones

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Falling(2014)

    as Kenneth Lamont

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Peterman(2014)

    as Johnny

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Slap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Connor

  • A Long Way Down(2014)

    as Chas Johnson

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Callow & Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Peaky Blinders(2013)

    Show 20 episodes · as John Shelby

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Now Is Good(2012)

    as Scott

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Offender(2012)

    as Tommy Nix

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Playhouse Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Stephen

  • Volume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Sam

  • Black Mirror(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Hour(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as Trevor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Injustice(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · as Alan Stewart

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Assessment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Michael

  • Skins(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as Luke

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Thick of It(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Holby City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Shaun Jackson

  • The Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Leo Cooper

  • Subversion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Override (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · as Ron Camp

  • The Queen of Fashion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Alexander McQueen

  • Untitled NAVY Seal Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 43 titles, 38 of them dated from 1984 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

$35M worldwide

Highest rated

A Small Light (2023)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Gangs of London (2020)

Film career

19842026

Peak 2017 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 11 MovieCove titles. 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
Acting43 of 43: 41 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stProducing2 of 43: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s2 · acting2010s23 · acting2020s11 · 11 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 21% of 14 roles
1217

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2018, Best Leading Actor.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Joe Cole's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor, producer

He Bled Neon (2026)

98th percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Peaky Blinders (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. 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 Joe Cole's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles35–94 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles11–67 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles43–90 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles21–85 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles50–91 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most 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 Joe Cole work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joe Cole's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Johnny Rayner shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers