- David McKenna, breakout star of Netflix and the BBC's Lord of the Flies, has signed with CAA for US theatrical film/TV representation.
- He landed the role of Piggy after a search that considered roughly 7,000 hopefuls, earning a Gotham Television Award nomination as the youngest actor ever up for the category.
- He's next set to play Digory Kirke in Greta Gerwig's Netflix adaptation Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.
- He continues with Susannah Norris Agency for UK representation and Tapestry London for publicity.
David McKenna has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for U.S. theatrical film and TV representation. The Belfast-born actor landed the pivotal role of Piggy after a lengthy search that considered around 7,000 young hopefuls.
The part, in Jack Thorne’s adaptation of William Golding’s novel for Netflix and the BBC, marked his acting debut and earned him a Gotham Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, making him the youngest actor ever nominated in that category.
He’s next set to appear in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Netflix feature Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, stepping into the role of Digory Kirke, the character Jim Broadbent played as an adult professor in 2005’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The signing lands amid a run of CAA moves this year. The agency recently reeled in Leo Woodall’s leap into franchise and prestige film work, while also expanding its digital roster through Sam Thompson’s UK creator signing.
On the younger-talent side, CAA also added fellow British actor Billy Barratt off his praised A24 horror breakout, and Milo Manheim after he landed the lead in Disney’s live-action Tangled.
McKenna continues to be represented by Susannah Norris Agency for UK representation and Tapestry London for publicity.
Takeaways
This is CAA betting early. McKenna is 13, has one professional credit, and he’s already collected a major nomination and a role in one of 2026’s most-watched franchise launches. That’s not a routine signing; that’s an agency locking in a name before the price goes up.
It also shows how young actors are now building layered, transatlantic teams from day one: U.S. representation at CAA, UK representation via Susannah Norris Agency, dedicated publicity at Tapestry London, infrastructure once reserved for established stars.
Will CAA package McKenna into major studio franchises the way it has with young stars like Milo Manheim? Is CAA building a deliberate pipeline for rising British and Irish talent, given this signing alongside Leo Woodall and Billy Barratt?
