Brian Vernel
Actor · Since 2005
Known for
Brian Vernel is a top-billed British actor whose face is familiar even to people who have not seen the films. He appears in 'Dunkirk' too. The filmography opens in 2012. He has worked in adventure more often than in any other register. Film and television both figure in the career, rather than one alone. Playing Bala-Tik in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' took the name well past his home market.
Brian Vernel
Actor · Since 2005
8 Movies · 8 Series
Brian Vernel is a top-billed British actor whose face is familiar even to people who have not seen the films. He appears in 'Dunkirk' too. The filmography opens in 2012. He has worked in adventure more often than in any other register. Film and television both figure in the career, rather than one alone. Playing Bala-Tik in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' took the name well past his home market.
TV Shows
Plays Billy Wallace
Gangs of London
2020
Plays Odda the Younger
The Last Kingdom
2015
Plays Curly
Slow Horses
2022
Plays Brother Mortimus
Shardlake
2024
Plays Stuart 'Fats' Wall
The Casual Vacancy
2015
Plays Darren Naismith
The Field of Blood
2011
Plays Tam
Grantchester
2014
Plays Lucius
Doctor Who
2005
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Odyssey
Full Filmography 16
The Odyssey
Irus
2026
Kill
John
2024
Shardlake
Brother Mortimus · 4 episodes
2024–
Slow Horses
Curly
2022–
Gangs of London
Billy Wallace
2020–
An English Tale
Callum
2019
Papillon
Guittou
2017
Dunkirk
Highlander 1
2017
Doctor Who
Lucius
2017Season 10
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Brian Vernel and where are they from?
Brian Vernel is 35 years old, born on December 29, 1990 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
What are the most famous roles of Brian Vernel?
Brian Vernel is best known for roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dunkirk, The Odyssey.
How many movies has Brian Vernel been in?
Over a 14-year career (since 2012), Brian Vernel has appeared in 8 movies and 8 TV shows.
What was Brian Vernel's first movie?
The career of Brian Vernel began with Offender (2012).
What is Brian Vernel's most recent movie or series?
Brian Vernel's most recent release is The Odyssey, which premiered on July 15, 2026.
What TV shows has Brian Vernel appeared in?
On television, Brian Vernel has appeared in Doctor Who, The Last Kingdom, Slow Horses, Gangs of London.
Brian Vernel
1990-12-29 · Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Brian Vernel is a Scottish actor best known for his film role as Bala-Tik in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), as Odda the Younger in the TV series The Last Kingdom (2015), and Billy Wallace in British gangster series Gangs of London (2020-).
A native of Glasgow, Vernel attended St Mungo's Academy in Gallowgate before training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) after a one-year general arts foundation course at Glasgow University.
He played the role of Bala-Tik in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Vernel's character spoke in a Glaswegian accent.
Vernel played the main role of Billy Wallace, junkie brother of London drug cartel boss Sean Wallace, played by Joe Cole, and working alongside Michelle Fairley, who played his mother, in Gangs of London, between 2020-2022. Vernal also played the role of Irus in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'.