Anthony Boyle isn't exactly new to acting. The 29-year-old native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been in the business for ten years now. In fact, if you look closely enough, you'll see him in Season 6, Episode 4 of Game of Thrones, "The Law of Gods and Men," as a Bolton guard in his television debut. Since then, he has been steadily working in television and film, with appearances in notable series like HBO's The Plot Against America and Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.

However, this year, Boyle is taking the television medium by storm, already appearing in two of Apple TV+'s most successful period pieces: Masters of the Air and Manhunt. His roles in both shows have been memorable turns that require Boyle to be versatile and dynamic through the different characters he plays. He's been so good, in fact, that 2024 has become Boyle's breakout of sorts for audiences who may not have seen his work before.He's even currently stealing scenes in the new Hulu drama Shardlake, and there is still more than half the year left.

Who Does Anthony Boyle Play in 'Masters of the Air' and 'Manhunt'?

Interestingly, Boyle portrayed two real-life characters for his television breakout in 2024. In Masters of the Air, he plays flight navigator Major Harry Crosby, a real member of the legendary World War II bombardier group dubbed The Bloody Hundredth. As the narrator of the series, Boyle also illustrates the harrowing tale of the American pilots who flew dangerous missions into Germany to pave the way for the ground troops to reach and topple Hitler and the Nazi regime.

In Manhunt, however, Boyle plays the unforgettable actor-turned-assassin John Wilkes Booth, the man responsible for murdering President Abraham Lincoln(Hamish Linklater) just days after the Confederate surrender that saw the end of the Civil War. The limited series follows a wounded Booth as he goes on the run after the assassination, trying to elude his pursuers, one of whom is the terrific Tobias Menzies as U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

Anthony Boyle Explores Crosby's Layers in 'Masters of the Air'

By his own admission, Masters of the Air's Harry Crosby is a "washout" as a B-17 pilot. He's a skilled navigator but loses his nerve in the air, often vomiting during missions. So, it could be seen as a demotion when he is grounded and placed in charge of all flight navigation at Thorpe-Abbott base camp in England — but Boyle doesn't play Crosby that way. He may not be the most dashing or physically imposing member of the Bloody Hundredth, but he has an earnestness and intelligence that make him an important member of the storied flight crew.

However, Boyle's Crosby is also a flawed man, with those aspects rearing their head through his overseas affair with a dynamic British officer and possible spy, Sandra Westgate (Bel Powley). When he discovers that his wife back in the States is pregnant, he's uncertain whether he will be a good father. Boyle portrays a young man hardened by the vicissitudes of war with genuine aplomb. He accentuates Crosby's strengths without being afraid to show his personality's vulnerable and less idealized aspects. Skilled pilots like Gale "Buck" Cleven (Austin Butler) and John "Bucky" Egan (Callum Turner) may be more charismatic, but Doyle's Crosby maintains a quiet dignity and doesn't always take a backseat to his peers, especially because he serves as the literal voice of the series.

Anthony Boyle Paints a Uniquely Ugly Picture of John Wilkes Booth in 'Manhunt'

Before Manhunt, there had never been a television show that explored the events before and after Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater. Boyle gets to play the infamous killer as a charming malcontent who was one of the most well-known actors of the time before he decided to be the triggerman that fateful night. His Booth is a man who has an inflated opinion of his worth with an incredible lack of self-awareness — and his strong pro-slavery and pro-Confederacy opinions are alarmingly careless, bordering on delusional.

Boyle is fantastic as the crass and irreverent Booth, who seems to be the only one who doesn't realize how pathetic he is, flashing around an egotistical bravado while desperately seeking something more important than his current profession. Ultimately, his misguided sense of purpose makes him the most wanted man in the country. Having to play Booth with a broken leg for most of Manhunt, Boyle captures a desperate man in terrible pain — but the pain seems to only bring Booth's true ugliness to the surface. Te actor deftly balances a character seeking historical relevance while knowing that he is incapable of being much more than an actor born into his station.
Where Can You Watch Anthony Boyle Next?

You can see more of Boyle currently in the Hulu period crime drama Shardlake. Based on the novels by C.J. Samson and set in the 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII, Boyle plays Jack Barak, a man who teams up with barrister Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) to investigate a murder at the behest of Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean). Boyle is also currently filming the Disney+ series Say Nothing, directed by Brendan Hughes. The historical drama will be based on Patrick Radden Keefe's novel Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland and revolve around the lives of those who grew up in Belfast during the Northern Ireland conflict known as "the Troubles."

Masters of the Air and Manhunt are available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.