I have to admit, I’m having a slight obsession with Dónal Finn. But it seems I’m not the only one. Judging by how often his name is popping up on social media lately, the internet is just as obsessed.
However, the 30-year-old theatre star has had to slowly work his way up in the industry. He has had some smaller screen roles in the past. But suddenly, with a run of major projects, Dónal Finn is everywhere.
Finn was raised in Dromina, County Cork, Ireland, alongside seven of his siblings.
He then attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, on a three-year scholarship.
He’s moved from stage productions and bit parts into leading roles in high-profile TV shows and films. Notably starring in Netflix’s The Witcher to playing a minor role in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The actor also starred in The Wheel of Time.
I’ve become impressed by Donal’s sheer talent and the range of roles he’s played over the years. If you want to know more about him, keep reading.
Donal Finn profile
Dónal Finn was born on 31 August 1995.
Before acting became a real possibility, Finn was working near his home, stacking shelves in a supermarket to save money for drama school applications.
He told The Irish Times: “I worked in a supermarket in Kanturk, which was the town I went to school in. I was there for a year. A lot of my friends had gone off to college in Cork, Limerick and Dublin. That was a year of working and saving money to fly over and back for auditions at drama schools.
“The fees for the applications and those things add up. I remember having a conversation with my parents that was essentially, ‘If you’re going to do all this work, you must really want it.’ Those things – saving, taking year-outs, making sacrifices – probably separate people who think they want it from those who actually do.”
He’s spoken about not even fully understanding what a professional acting career looked like until he moved to London.
He earned a scholarship to LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), graduating in 2018 with formal training that grounded him in classical performance.
Like many stage-trained actors, he started out in theatre, building credibility before transitioning onto screen.
Roles
Hadestown
Before television fame, Finn made a significant mark in theatre with Hadestown, where he originated the role of Orpheus in the West End production.
Hadestown is about the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The Wheel of Time
Finn’s real breakout on screen came with The Wheel of Time, where he took over the role of Mat Cauthon from another actor starting in season two.
The show itself is a large-scale fantasy series based on Robert Jordan’s novels, centred on a prophecy about the “Dragon Reborn”—a figure who could either save or destroy the world.
Mat is one of the core characters in this story: a witty, rebellious gambler whose humour masks deeper internal conflict.
Young Sherlock
Young Sherlock landed on Amazon Prime Video in March 2026 as an eight-part British mystery series.
The show stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes, a rebellious Oxford student pulled into his first murder case, alongside Dónal Finn as James Moriarty.
Their friendship is a key part of the storyline long before Sherlock becomes the legendary detective, and showcases Moriarty not as a fully-formed villain but as a young man.
It also features Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes, plus Colin Firth and Joseph Fiennes in supporting roles within Sherlock’s family and Oxford world. The show is created by Matthew Parkhill and developed with Guy Ritchie.
The Other Bennet Sister
In the BBC adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister, Finn plays Mr Hayward, a key figure in Mary Bennet’s story.
The series builds on Pride and Prejudice by focusing on Mary, the often-overlooked Bennet sister, as she’s given a romantic storyline of her own.
Finn’s character is part of that journey, playing the handsome and kind-hearted Mr Hayward..
This series is very enjoyable for those who love period dramas.
The chemistry between Mary and Mr Hayward is natural and entertaining to watch as they grow from being shy around each other to passionate lovers.
In this series, Dónal Finn hides his Irish accent so well.