Joe Anderson, the British actor best known for his standout performance as the brooding vampire Alastair in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, didn’t rise to fame overnight. Before landing that pivotal role, Joe Anderson steadily built his career through a series of smaller but significant appearances. Early on, he made brief impressions in the U.K. horror flick Creep and had guest spots on popular British TV series like Afterlife and Midsomer Murders. Though his part in the direct-to-video thriller Silence Becomes You, opposite Alicia Silverstone, didn’t leave much of a mark, Joe Anderson was clearly honing his craft.
Things started looking up when he took on more compelling roles—first as the nephew of Ludwig van Beethoven in Copying Beethoven, sharing the screen with Ed Harris’s intense portrayal of the legendary composer. Then came a turn as Jane Austen’s brother in Becoming Jane, a film starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy. These performances helped establish Joe Anderson as a versatile talent.
But it was his portrayal of Joy Division bassist Peter Hook in the acclaimed biopic Control that truly caught critics’ attention. Around the same time, Joe Anderson delivered a mesmerizing performance as a young man headed to Vietnam in Julie Taymor’s visually stunning Beatles-inspired musical Across the Universe. From there, his momentum only grew. He led the cast in the chilling survival horror The Ruins as a German backpacker caught in a deadly jungle mystery. His haunting depiction of a deeply troubled, Cobain-like rock star in The 27 Club further showcased his emotional depth. And in the remake of George Romero’s classic The Crazies, Joe Anderson brought intensity and nuance to his role as a deputy sheriff trying to maintain order amid chaos.
Throughout his career, Joe Anderson has consistently chosen complex, often dark characters—each role adding another layer to his growing reputation as one of Britain’s most compelling character actors.
When it comes to Joe Anderson’s filmography, one name that consistently stands out is Control – Love Will Tear Us Apart (2007), which happens to be Joe Anderson’s highest rated movie. It’s clear that this particular project made a strong impression, both critically and among audiences alike. On the other end of the spectrum, Joe Anderson’s lowest rated film to date is Cold Blood (2019), a title that didn’t quite resonate the same way. While Joe Anderson has taken on a variety of roles over the years, these two films represent the high and low points in terms of critical reception. Still, Joe Anderson continues to be a compelling presence on screen, no matter the project.