Despite being a relatively new actor,Marcus Rutherfordhas appeared in several high-quality movies and TV showsover the past couple of years. Since his debut in the 2017 short film,County Lines, the British actor’s career has been picking up steam. Just one year later, he broke out in his native England when he starred inObey(2018). Rutherford has continued to go from strength to strength, and 2024 has seen him star inAcademy Award hopeful,September 5.
However, across the pond in Hollywood, Rutherford is by far most famous for his role as blacksmith Perrin Aybara inThe Wheel of Timecast. The Amazon Prime Video fantasy series premiered in 2021 and has released two seasons, both featuring Rutherford. It was renewed for a third season, so even though Rutherford doesn’t have any upcoming credits listed on his IMDb page, he will likely return for moreWheel of Timeadventures. Until he does, however, fans can check out his other impressive acting credits.
9County Lines (2017)
Marcus Rutherford As Sadiq
Released in 2017,County Linesis an early-career short film for Marcus Rutherford, who plays the character Sadiq, a drug-dealer who influences the young protagonist, Tyler Hughes (Kai Francis Lewis). At only 22 minutes long, this short film deals with heavy themes that revolve around Tyler and how he gets caught up in the world of drug trafficking. It was written and directed by Henry Blake, who is a relatively new director in the British film industry.
County Lineswas further developed as a feature film that was released in 2019.
Despite the short runtime, Henry Blake is able to get the most out of his small cast of characters, including a terrific performance from Rutherford.According to IMDB, it is surprisingly Marcus Rutherford’s first acting credit, which is incredibly impressive given the level of talent he displays throughout, and a precursor to the stellar work he would go on to do.
Bulletproofis a British police procedural that ran for 17 episodes across three seasons from 2018-2021. The series focused on two NCA detectives and best friends who would investigate cases relating to trafficking, drugs, and armed robberies. It was created, written, and partially directed by Nick Love. The series was fairly well received, even if it mostly stuck to conventional beats, but was cancelled prior to the fourth season.
Marcus Rutherford was not considered a series regular forBulletproof, though, ashe was featured in four of the episodes as Drezzy, a young drug dealer who becomes involved with the main characters when they are working undercover. Although he isn’t a major player, Rutherford once again showed his talent as Drezzy, whose interactions with the undercover cops provided some of the best moments in the second season.
A Stitch in Timeis another short film that features Marcus Rutherford, following his first short,County Lines. Written and directed by Graham Atkins-Hughes,A Stitch in Timerevolves around a young man named Tony who has a significant choice to make despite being tired and anxious following the death of a young boy. At only 12 minutes long,A Stitch in Timecovers a lot of thematic ground while allowing its lead actor to show off his talents.
35 Best Short Films To Watch On Netflix
Netflix’s short films are vastly underappreciated, and there are some unmissable hidden treasures among the streaming service’s collection.
Marcus Rutherford plays Tony, and deftly captures the complex range of emotions that the character goes through during the course of the short film’s runtime. Rutherford is the only actor on the screen for significant portions of the film, but he works magic with the premise, and continues to show his growth in his projects since.
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigatorsis a well-received British drama that features an unlikely pair of private detectives, who investigate crime in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace ofWilliam Shakespeare. The series was created by Paul Matthew Thompson and Jude Tindall, running for four seasons and 40 episodes, with a fifth season currently in the works. Jo Joyner as Luella Shakespeare and Mark Benton as Frank Hathaway have crackling chemistry and are the biggest reason for the show’s continued success.
AsShakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigatorswas one of the earliest roles in Marcus Rutherford’s career,he was only featured in one episode of the show.He plays Lee Sandridge in season 1, episode 10, “Ill Met By Moonlight.” He didn’t even have a significant role in the episode either, playing a side character with just a few brief moments of screen time, but getting cast in such a popular show is a feather in the actor’s cap.
Funny Womanpremiered June 23, 2025, making it the most recent TV series that Marcus Rutherford has had a role in. The show is based on the novelFunny Girlwritten by Nick Hornby, joining other adaptations of his works includingFever Pitchandthe John Cusack-starringHigh Fidelity. Set in the ’60s,Funny Womanexplores the character Barbara Parker (Gemma Arterton), who becomes a huge London comedy star despite it being a heavily male-dominated industry.
Marcus Rutherford didn’t appear until the second season, but was featured in four out of six episodes as Roger. It’s another small role for Rutherford, who still gave it his all as the character, butFunny Womanis definitely a star vehicle for Arterton, who steals every scene that she is in.Funny Womanhas moved beyond the scope of the novel, so if a third season was in the works, it would likely be incorporating original storylines throughout.
County Lines
Cast
County Lines is a gripping drama exploring the harrowing realities of a mother and her fourteen-year-old son ensnared in a national drug-selling operation. The film delves into the exploitation and trafficking of vulnerable children across Britain within the context of a “County Line.”
County Linesis the feature film adapted from the short film of the same name. Like the short film,County Lineswas written and directed by Henry Blake, and is his feature film directorial debut. It’s a fantastic movie that takes the already strong premise of the short, and expands it perfectly, crafting a contemporary drama that explores child exploitation in the drug trafficking world. Conrad Kohn as the main character, Tyler, is incredible in it.
Despite only coming out two years after the short film, his performance in this is better than ever.
Marcus Rutherford once again plays drug dealer Sadiq, but the feature-length film gives the story more room to explore his character. It alsoshows the growth of Marcus Rutherford as an actor. Despite only coming out two years after the short film, his performance in this is better than ever, creating a complex character that fits within the messy world that Henry Blake created withCounty Lines.
September 5
The 1972 Munich Olympics saw an American sports broadcasting crew unexpectedly tasked with covering a hostage situation involving Israeli athletes.
September 5is the most recent Marcus Rutherford movie to be released, and it’s also one of his best. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival on June 19, 2025, to rave reviews, with Oscar possibilities on the horizon.September 5depicts the 1972 Munich Olympic Hostage Crisis, with fantastic performances across the board, as the film navigates the intense political climate at the time.
Peter Sarsgaard is remarkable as protagonist Roone Arledge, but Marcus Rutherford holds his own as Carter Jeffrey. Like a lot of Rutherford’s filmography at this point in his career, his role inSeptember 5doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but he fits in nicely with the rest of the stellar cast. If anything,he shows that he is more than capable of acting alongside some of the best actors working today.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
The Wheel of Timeis easily the biggest and most popular project that Marcus Rutherford has been in. As a premiere Amazon Prime Video original series,The Wheel of Timeis an adaptation of the novel series of the same name, written by Robert Jordan and then finished by Brandon Sanderson. The series is highly influential in the fantasy genre, commonly thought of as one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.The Wheel of Timedoes an admirable enough job of adapting the behemoth source material, garnering positive reviews throughout its two seasons.
2 Subtle Differences Between The Wheel Of Time Books & Series Could Have 2 Big Impacts On The Show
The comings and goings of the Forsaken and changes to the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn mean the Amazon show could further diverge from the books.
Marcus Rutherford finally steps into a major role and a massive series, playing Perrin Aybara, who is a blacksmith of Emond’s field along with his wife Laila. Rutherford’s Perrin Aybara is featured heavily throughout the series' two seasons, finally allowing the actor to have more of the spotlight after a young career full of great side-character performances. Athird season ofThe Wheel of Timeis in the works.
Obey
Obey is a 2018 film following nineteen-year-old Leon as he navigates adulthood after foster care, caring for his alcoholic mother, and finding solace in boxing. Amidst rising tensions and riots in his neighborhood, he meets Twiggy, a rebellious squatter, forcing him to choose between conflict or a new future.
Released in 2018,Obeyis the best project that Marcus Rutherford has been involved with at this point in his career.Obeyfollows a young man named Leon, played wonderfully by Rutherford, who attempts to navigate life and love set against the backdrop of the 2011 London riots. The film’s handling of intense social issues and the depiction of a violent modern moment in London history is well-intentioned and features a number of fantastic performances.
Marcus Rutherfordis particularly incredible inObey, instilling a ton of humanity and depth into his character Leon, who just wants to figure out how to live life amidst turmoil and grief. It was the first true instance of Rutherford becoming a star, after appearing in only theCounty Linesshort film and an episode of Shakespeare and Hathaway before his leading role inObey.
