Nathan Braniff

Nathan Braniff is a stage and television actor from Belfast. He is known for his role in the BBC One series Blue Lights (2023).

Early life
Braniff grew up living in Belfast, where his parents run a fish and chip shop. He wanted to be an actor since he was ten years-old. He was educated at Campbell College, Belfast.

Career
He played the titular role of Bugsy Malone in a stage production at the Grand Opera House, Belfast in July 2011. He later had a role in a production of Honk! at the same venue.

Braniff relocated to south London at 18 where he attended Italia Conti school of performing arts. He attained is degree in Acting before graduating.

Braniff had his first screen role playing rookie cop Tommy Foster in BBC police drama Blue Lights. For the role, he researched "body language of how police handle themselves in certain scenarios". He has described his attempts on the show "the human side" of the police "with their good bits and bad bits”. His mentor/pupil relationship with the actor Richard Dormer's character Gerry was explored in the series. Speaking of his relationship with Dormer, Braniff said he will "speak to him regularly… [the way our characters were] that maybe spilled over into real life". The series was renewed for a second series, airing April 2024. Ahead of the second series, Braniff described attending a "police boot camp", and during filming on location in Belfast he was met with "positive" reactions from local people who had seen the first series. Blue Lights was renewed for a third and fourth series in 2024.

Personal life
Braniff trains in kick boxing.

He has competed in both Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and continues to actively compete. Braniffs younger brothers are champion kick-boxers which is how he fell into the sport. The Brothers made history being the first 4 brothers to compete on the same fight card.