Alex Lawther (born 4 May 1995) is an English actor best known for portraying James in the Channel 4/Netflix series The End of the F***ing World and the young Alan Turing in the film The Imitation Game (2014). This won him the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Young British Performer of the Year, and has received acclaim as Kenny in the series three episode "Shut Up and Dance" in the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.
Lawther was born in Petersfield, Hampshire. The youngest of three, he has said that his aspiration to be an actor came from having to make up his own games to entertain himself as a child. His parents both work in law, while his older brother, Cameron Lawther, is a film producer, and his older sister Ellie Lawther works in public policy. In 2010, the brothers worked together on The Fear.
In 2009, Lawther wrote and put together a play as part of his drama club involvement at Churcher's College. Lawther played Ratty in The Wind in the Willows at school. Lawther did not study drama at GCSE or A level. He trained with the National Youth Theatre.