Gabriel Thomson, born Gabriel Francis Marshall Thomson on October 27, 1986, in Hammersmith, London, is a former English actor who captured the hearts of audiences as Michael Harper in the beloved BBC sitcom My Family.
From a young age, Thomson displayed a natural talent for performance, beginning his acting career at just four years old with the Goliards theatre company during family holidays in Devon.
His early foray into the entertainment world set the stage for a career that spanned television, film, and theatre, before he pivoted to pursue a path in philosophy and human rights law.
Now in his late thirties, Thomson’s journey reflects a blend of artistic achievement and a commitment to making a tangible difference in the world.
Siblings
Gabriel has one sibling, an older brother named Alex Thompson.
However, information about Alex is relatively limited in the public domain, as he has maintained a private personal life.
Details about Alex’s life, profession, or their sibling relationship are scarce, as Gabriel has largely kept his family out of the spotlight.
Career
Thomson’s acting career began with small but memorable roles, including a Frosties commercial at age five that he later described as something he’d “rather forget.”
By 1995, at just nine years old, he appeared as Ephraim in the television miniseries Joseph, followed by a role in Painted Lady in 1997.
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His breakout came in 1999 when he played Young Pip in the BBC’s BAFTA-winning adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, a role secured through his Painted Lady casting director’s recommendation.
That same year, Thomson made his big-screen debut as Pinocchio in The New Adventures of Pinocchio.
His most iconic role, however, was Michael Harper in My Family, where he starred from 2000 to 2011 alongside Robert Lindsay and Zoë Wanamaker.
As the geeky yet clever youngest child, Thomson’s performance resonated with audiences, particularly through Michael’s emotional coming-out storyline.
Beyond sitcom fame, Thomson showcased his versatility in theatre, performing with the British Shakespeare Company in 2009 as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, touring the UK, Ireland, Norway, and the Czech Republic.
In 2010, he joined the GB Theatre Company, playing Orlando in As You Like It and Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
His film credits include Enemy at the Gates (2001), Night Wolf (2010), The Lost Choices (2015), and A Little More Flesh (2020).
Notably, Thomson was once a frontrunner to play Harry Potter before Daniel Radcliffe secured the role, a testament to his early promise.
In 2015, Thomson announced a significant career shift, leaving acting to study philosophy at King’s College London with the goal of becoming a human rights lawyer.
He expressed a desire to “do something useful” and transfer his performance skills to the courtroom.
While he has largely stepped back from acting, Thomson returned briefly to produce and star in the 2024 film Hungry Like the Wolf.
Alongside his studies, he has embraced philanthropy, running marathons to raise funds for charities like Mind and the Red Cross, including a 550-mile run across Spain’s Camino de Santiago in 2023 to support mental health causes in memory of a friend.
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