Alexander Molony Is the Perfect Blend of Charming and Naive in Disney+’s ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’

Apologies to Jude Law, who humanizes Captain Hook in a way you’ve never seen before, but the real stand-out of Disney+’s Peter Pan & Wendy cast is Alexander Molony. The role of Peter Pan is a right of passage for many a child actor, but rarely are the stakes as high as they are for Molony. Peter Pan & Wendy, which began streaming on Disney+ today, is Molony’s first feature film performance, and will no doubt be watched by thousands of viewers curious about Disney’s latest live-action remake. But there’s no need to close your eyes and think happy thoughts, because Molony absolutely knocks it out of the park.

Directed by The Green Knight‘s David Lowery, with a script written by Lowery and Toby Halbrooks, Peter Pan & Wendy is both a remake of the 1953 animated Disney film, and a retelling of the original 1904 play by  J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. You’ll notice quite a few changes from the ’50s cartoon—the 2023 movie doesn’t feature racist stereotypes of Native Americans, for one—but one thing that stays the same is the spirit of the boy who refuses to become an adult. And that’s thanks to Molony, who is the perfect Peter Pan.

As the leader of the Lost Boys, Peter Pan needs a certain swagger, a certain confidence, and a certain charm. At the same time, he’s the boy who never grows up—so he needs some naïveté; some immaturity; some ignorance. All of these traits shine through in Molony’s first scene in the film, when Peter flies through the window of Wendy (played by the very charming Ever Anderson) and her two younger brothers. He has a particularly endearing moment when Wendy—in a moment pulled straight from the 1904 play—gives him a thimble in lieu of a kiss. Molony examines the “kiss” very seriously, and then declares, “I like it very much!” It’s the perfect blend of cocky and childlike, and it’s impossible not to smile.

Molony brings this energy to the entirety of Peter Pan & Wendy, and will no doubt have viewers wondering, who, exactly this talented newcomer is.

Who is Alexander Molony from Peter Pan and Wendy?

Alexander Molony is a 16-year-old British actor who, before Peter Pan & Wendy, was best known as Charlie in the British comedy TV series, The Reluctant Landlord, which ran from 2018 to 2019. More recently, Molony can be seen acting alongside McKenna Grace in the 2022 Lifetime original movie, The Bad Seed Returns. Molony has also done some voice acting work, including the 2017 animated series Raa Raa the Noisy Lion and the 2017 animated film, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales. On stage, he’s worked alongside Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack in RSC’s production of Macbeth at the Barbican, where he played Young Macduff.

Peter Pan & Wendy is Molony’s first big live-action feature film, but we have a feeling we’ll be seeing him a lot more in the future. If you’re curious, you can follow Molony on Instagram, and then sit back and which this young actor become a star.