Netflix has just released its latest romantic drama and there are a few familiar faces in the cast.
The Life List stars Sofia Carson (Purple Hearts) as Alex Rose, a young woman who sets out to complete a life-changing bucket list at the request of her late mother. Carson is joined by British actor Sebastian de Souza, who plays one of Alex’s friends Garrett.
But who is the 31-year-old Englishman and where have you seen him before? Here’s the lowdown.
Born in April 1993, De Souza is the second son of opera producer, composer and broadcaster Chris de Souza. His father has presented for the BBC on Radio 3, Radio 4 and the World Service.
Although De Souza chose a career in acting, his dad’s musical bone is a key influence to the film star.
De Souza has previously opened up about how growing up with a musician parent has influenced his creativity.
Speaking to entertainment magazine Brief Take in 2020, he said: “My dad is a composer and my family are all musicians, much more accomplished musicians than I.
“So it’s always been around me and I’ve always wanted to do it and have always loved doing it, but it’s never been my job.”
But his ‘day job’ has not stopped the actor from writing and producing music.
At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, De Souza routinely shared clips of his songs with fans on Instagram, often with explanations of what inspired him to write them.
In the same chat with Brief Take, he went on to explain his songwriting process.
“I think they come from, very often I feel like a lot of music comes out of times of anxiety and perhaps sometimes heartache.”
He continued: “But what I try to do with the songs is find a way out of the negative place, do you know what I mean? Instead of it just languishing in there.”
The 31-year-old actor went on to reveal his comical theory about actors and musicians. “I feel like also, I have this theory, that all actors want to be rock stars. So deep down I think I just want to be Elton John,” he said.
In 2011, De Souza kicked off his career in Channel 4’s cult classic drama Skins, playing the role of Matty Levan.
He later gained mainstream recognition for playing Rafa in the crime caper film, Plastic, starring alongside Will Poulter and Ed Speleers.
More recently, the Oxford-born performer featured in BBC’s hit drama Normal People, where he portrayed Marianne’s (Daisy Edgar Jones) pretentious love interest Gareth.
The Netflix star is also known for playing the role of Leo in historical drama The Great, alongside Elle Fanning and Nichols Hoult.
The Life List will mark De Souza’s second Netflix production, having starred in the streamer’s romantic thriller Fair Play, in 2023
The Life List is streaming on Netflix
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