Gerran Howell ( GHE-rən, born 25 February 1991) is a Welsh actor. He began his career starring as the titular character of the CBBC series Young Dracula (2006–2014). He is known for his roles in the Hulu miniseries Catch-22 (2019) as Kid Sampson and the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt (2025–present) as Dennis Whitaker, a performance which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2026.
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Early life
Howell grew up in Barry Island, Wales. His mother was the head teacher of High Street Primary School, while his father also worked as a teacher in Barry. Howell attended Barry Comprehensive School.
Howell became interested in acting because he enjoyed watching films. He began acting when Karen Walters (the head of the drama department at Barry Comprehensive and a friend of his mother's) cast him in school plays. He first performed in a production of Blood Brothers. His passion for acting further developed by participating in an after-school improvisation class called Actsly in Cardiff Bay, and later went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Career
Film and television
From 2006 until 2014, Howell starred in the CBBC children's horror-comedy show Young Dracula. He played Vladimir Dracula, a reluctant young vampire who moves with his family from Transylvania to Wales. He secured the role after the casting director visited the after-school improvisation class that Howell attended in Cardiff. Reflecting in 2026, Howell stated that working on Young Dracula taught him about the etiquette of being on a filming set. Howell also appeared as Ernesto in the CBBC drama The Sparticle Mystery (2011–2015) and as Jacob Seaton in the comedy series This Country (2017–2020).
In 2019, Howell appeared in the miniseries Catch-22 as Kid Sampson. One of the first actors to be cast in the series, director George Clooney personally selected Howell for the role after watching his audition tape. Later that year, Howell appeared as Private Parry in the 2019 film 1917. In 2022, Howell starred in Freedom's Path as William, a Union soldier who befriends a runaway slave, played by RJ Cyler. His performance received a positive critical reception. In 2024, he appeared as DC Simon Evans in the television series Ludwig.
In July 2024, it was announced that Howell was joining the cast of the upcoming HBO Max medical procedural drama The Pitt. After being invited to submit a self-tape audition, he had been unsure if he would receive the role because he was not based in Los Angeles. It has been reported that he was recommended for the role by George Clooney, with whom he had worked on Catch-22. To prepare for the role of medical student Dennis Whitaker, Howell engaged in a "boot camp" training period alongside castmates Isa Briones and Shabana Azeez, in which he was taught about medical procedures. He likened it to "medical school crammed into two weeks". Season one of The Pitt began airing on 9 January 2025, and Howell returned for season two, which premiered on 8 January 2026. On 16 April 2026, it was confirmed by R. Scott Gemmill that Howell will be returning for the show's third season, with filming to commence in mid-June.
Howell's performance as Dennis Whitaker received praise for its authenticity and for providing comic relief. His American accent was also commended. Collectively with his costars, Howell won the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for 2025. On 8 July 2026, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, alongside his co-stars Patrick Ball and Shawn Hatosy.
Other work
In addition to his work on-screen, he has also recorded voice-overs for radio adverts and video games: in the Xenoblade series, he voiced the supporting characters Milton and Joran.
Personal life
Howell resides dually in both Los Angeles and east London, with his cat Skinny. He returns to Barry often, particularly during Christmas.
He has described experiencing imposter syndrome, particularly while filming The Pitt.
