William Moseley

Plucked from obscurity as a teen, British actor William Moseley's first role of substance had him leading a cast of talented newcomers in a major feature film. Able to list little more than a pair of uncredited appearances in the U.K. made-for-TV films "Cider with Rosie" (PBS, 1998) and "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (PBS, 2002), Moseley's early résumé was unimpressive, to say the least. Everything changed, however, when the handsome young actor won one of the lead roles in the blockbuster film adaptation of children's author C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy-adventure "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005). Moseley instantly endeared himself to audiences as the sturdy, older brother Peter in a box office hit that ensured return journeys to the land of Narnia. As expected, he and his cinematic siblings returned to help a young nobleman for the more action-oriented sequel "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008). After making only a brief cameo appearance in the follow-up "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (2010), the promising young performer turned up with guest spots on U.S. television endeavors like the mystery series "Perception" (TNT, 2012-15). Still at the dawn of his acting career, Moseley's adventures in film and TV were surely just beginning.

William Peter Moseley was born on April 27, 1987, in the countryside of Gloucestershire, England. The oldest of three children, he was raised by his parents, Peter Moseley and Julie Fleming, in a 400-year-old house nestled at the edge of the idyllic British town. Because the Sheepscombe Primary School he attended did not have any sort of drama program, the entertaining Moseley had no official outlet for his performing tendencies until he was 10 years old, when his classroom was visited by a casting agent scouring local schools for young talent. Other than a bit of work as an extra on the television biopic "Cider with Rosie" (PBS, 1998), a near miss on being cast in the sleeper hit "Billy Elliot" (2000) and another stint as an extra in a production of "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (PBS, 2002), not much came the aspiring young actor's way. When his agent got wind that a major studio was auditioning for roles in an adaptation of one of the most beloved children's book series of all time, the well-meaning representative nearly kept it from Moseley for fear that another rejection would crush his high hopes. She need not have worried, for after 18 months of nerve-wracking readings and grueling screen tests, Moseley at last won the role that would make him a rising star.

Moseley's first significant role was as one of the young stars of Walden Media and Walt Disney's big-budget adaptation of author C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005). The young actor enjoyed months of training to play his heroic character - Peter Pevensie, the eldest of four siblings who discover a fantasy world of good and evil miraculously reached through the back of a wardrobe closet. Eschewing a stunt double, the adventure-seeking teen gladly learned the trick riding, swordplay and kickboxing skills necessary to portray the courageous elder brother, who, along with his siblings, fights the forces of the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), an evil enchantress holding Narnia under a perpetual grip of winter. The film - co-starring the likes of James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent and the voice of Liam Neeson - was a runaway hit, resulting in Moseley's calendar booking up for the next few years as Disney rolled out deals for first of two planned sequels.

After helping to defeat the evil White Witch and being crowned King of Narnia, Moseley returned to the fabled land once again in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008). Along with his siblings (Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley), Peter comes to the aid of a young prince (Ben Barnes) from the Narnian country of Telmar whose life is threatened by an unscrupulous relative looking to usurp the throne. Noticeably darker in tone and more action-packed than its predecessor," "Prince Caspian," while not as strong a box office performer, was still a substantial hit for Disney and Walden. Having "aged-out" of the proceedings at the end of the last film - Peter and his sister are told they are too old to return to the mystical land of Narnia - Moseley's contribution was limited to a cameo appearance in the third installment of the franchise, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (2010). After a bit of time away from screen, the British actor appeared as a guest star in an episode of the crime drama "Perception" (TNT, 2012-15), which starred Eric McCormack as a brilliant - and schizophrenic - neuropsychiatrist enlisted by the F.B.I. to help solve their most unusual cases. Moseley returned to television as Prince Liam on the campy soap opera "The Royals" (E! 2015- ), starring Elizabeth Hurley as the monarch of an oversexed British royal family.

By Bryce Coleman