Adam Pearson

Adam Pearson (born 6 January 1985) is a British actor, television presenter and campaigner. He made his acting debut in the 2013 film Under the Skin. He has neurofibromatosis and has been involved in outreach programmes to combat bullying associated with visible differences. In 2024, Pearson's starring performance in the film A Different Man received wide critical acclaim, and he was nominated for awards including the Independent Spirit Award.

Early life Pearson was born in Croydon, London, on 6 January 1985, along with his identical twin brother, Neil. After he hit his head at the age of five, the resultant bump persisted instead of healing. He was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type I, which causes non-cancerous tumours to grow on nerve tissue. Both Adam and his brother Neil have the condition, which manifests in them differently.

Career Presenting

Pearson graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Business Management. He had various jobs in television production for the BBC and Channel 4 including the shows The Undateables and Beauty and the Beast. He worked as a researcher for the BBC and Channel 4 before becoming a strand presenter on the first series of Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice in 2015 on Channel 4. Pearson stated that he had faced violent confrontation because of his appearance. He was on the development team of Beauty and the Beast and consulted on the Dutch version of the series.

Pearson has worked on all five series of The Undateables for Channel 4 as the casting researcher. He has presented the BBC Three documentaries Adam Pearson: Freak Show and The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime, and appeared as a reporter in the Channel 4 series Tricks of the Restaurant Trade. He co-hosted the BBC Four documentary Eugenics: Science's Greatest Scandal with Angela Saini in 2019.

Pearson is a regular caller and occasional guest host to The Bedtime Babble On, a radio programme that airs on Spark Sunderland, weeknights from 9pm. Pearson was nominated as UK Documentary Presenter of the Year at the 2016 Grierson Awards. In August 2022, Pearson appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, becoming the first contestant to be eliminated. That year, he also appeared in Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. In 2024, he was the Brighton team captain on Christmas University Challenge.

Acting In 2013, Pearson was cast alongside Scarlett Johansson in Jonathan Glazer's film Under the Skin. He said that he hoped the role would challenge disfigurement stigma. It was in this film that Pearson discovered his enjoyment of acting.

In 2019, Pearson starred in the film Chained for Life (directed by Aaron Schimberg). In 2024, Pearson played a leading role in Schimberg's next movie, A Different Man, alongside Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2024, and was screened in Competition at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2024. Pearson said of the film, "In order to challenge stereotypes, they first need to establish they exist".

In May 2025, Pearson was announced to be starring as Joseph Merrick in an upcoming film adaptation of Bernard Pomerance's play The Elephant Man. Pearson will be the first disabled actor to play this role in a film. The following month, Pearson was invited to become a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Charity work In 2024 Pearson became a patron of Face Equality International, an alliance of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), charities and support groups which are working at national, regional or international levels to promote the campaign for ‘face equality’. Pearson is an ambassador for Changing Faces, having first become involved with them as a child. Personal life Pearson lives in the Addiscombe area of South London.

Filmography Acting roles + Year Title Role Notes 2013 Under the Skin The Deformed Man 2015 Oddity Andrew Galveston Short film Rodentia Hermes 2017 DRIB Himself 2019 Chained for Life Rosenthal 2022 Ruby Splinter Adam 2024 A Different Man Oswald

Presenting + Year Title Notes 2015 The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime BBC Three 2015–2018 Tricks of the Restaurant Trade Channel 4 2016 Adam Pearson: Freak Show BBC Three 2019 Eugenics: Science's Greatest Scandal BBC Four

Television appearances + Year Title Channel Notes 2016 Horizon: "My Amazing Twin" BBC Two Self 2017 Celebrity Eggheads BBC Two Contestant 2018 Pointless Celebrities BBC One Contestant 2019 Celebrity Mastermind BBC One Self 2022 Celebrity Masterchef BBC One Contestant Celebrity Antiques Road Trip BBC One Self 2024 Christmas University Challenge BBC Two Team captain

Awards and nominations