TikTok Is Thirsting Over ‘Forsytes’ Hunk Danny Griffin: Get to Know the Breakout Star
What To Know
- Danny Griffin stars as Jolyon Forsyte Jr. in the upcoming period drama The Forsytes, which will premiere in the U.S. in 2026.
- The series is currently airing in the United Kingdom, and Griffin has become an internet sensation.
- Griffin previously starred in the Netflix series Fate: The Winx Saga.
Watch out, Benedict Bridgerton. There’s a new sheriff in town. And by “sheriff,” we actually mean “artsy period drama hunk.”
Admittedly, it’s a bit too soon for most viewers to decide if Danny Griffin‘s Jolyon Forsyte Jr. rivals Benedict, since Masterpiece’s The Forsytes doesn’t drop in the United States until next year, but based on the information and clips of the character we’ve seen so far, we’re already preparing to make room in our hearts for both of them.
Plus, the network describes the prequel series, which is based on John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga novels, as something “fans of Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age, and Bridgerton will love,” so you already know we’ll be tuning in. A viral video of Griffin in action as Jo, courtesy of United Kingdom-based viewers, helped nudge us in that direction, too.
We can’t be the only ones who started researching the actor as soon as that video came up on our social media feed. So, who is Danny Griffin? What character does he play in the prequel adaptation? What else has he been in? Keep reading for the full rundown.
Who does Danny Griffin play in The Forsytes?
First of all, what ground does The Forsytes cover? Poldark‘s Debbie Horsfield has imagined the events that took place before Galsworthy’s books, following “the lives, loves, trials and triumphs of a wealthy Victorian era stockbroking family, whose generations find themselves torn between tradition and self-sacrifice versus personal happiness and the pursuit of love.”
Sean Gleason / Mammoth Screen & MASTERPIECE
As you already know by now, Griffin plays Joylon, whose father inherited the stockbroking business. “With the Forsyte name comes a lot of responsibility,” Griffin told TV Choice about his character.
He continued, “Jolyon wants to make sure that his clients are respected and looked after, which clashes with his cousin Soames’ way of doing business. In his past, Jolyon was a big painter and loved to paint, but it’s something he’s had to give up to do the job that he was born to do, which is working at the firm.” (How can we not compare him to Benedict?)
Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson plays Louisa Byrne, a Soho dressmaker and Jo’s first love. Get ready to swoon!
What has Danny Griffin been in before?
The Forsytes is likely the 28-year-old actor’s biggest role to date, but his turn as Sky in Netflix’s Fate: The Winx Saga comes relatively close. He played the love interest to Abigail Cowen‘s Bloom until the series was canceled after two seasons.
Other than that, Griffin made appearances in Free Reign, So Awkward, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, and Get Even. He also starred in Hallmark’s Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers, so The Forsytes isn’t Griffin’s first period drama.
Who is Danny Griffin dating?
The British actor has hinted that he has a new love in his life on social media, but he hasn’t revealed his special someone’s name. The only other person the actor is known to have dated is his Winx Saga costar, Cowen. They celebrated their one-year anniversary in 2022 via Instagram. They haven’t appeared on each other’s social media profiles in a few years, but they do still follow each other.
In fact, fans got quite a few details about Griffin’s personal life when Cowen interviewed him in 2022. He was about 15 when he realized that he wanted to be an actor, citing Matt Smith in Doctor Who as one of his then-inspirations. The Cornwall native also described growing up on a farm “in the middle of nowhere” with four younger sisters.
Beyond acting, he’s also interested in gaming — he noted that he got into Apex Legends over lockdown and ranked number 442 in the world at one point. Griffin is also experienced in horseback riding, which he began at 10 years old. (We wonder if it came in handy for the Victorian-set The Forsytes.) “For [the] time being, I thought I was going to go into being a stunt man on a horse and that was what I wanted to do,” he told Cowen for Square Mile.
Are you looking forward to Griffin’s performance in The Forsytes? Let us know in the comments below!
The Forsytes, Series Premiere, 2026, PBS
