Where Is Joe Alwyn From? Inside the Actor's Upbringing and Family

Joe Alwyn

Joe Alwyn has been making headlines of late despite the fact that he keeps a famously low profile. The British actor, who split from Taylor Swift in the spring of 2023 after more than six years together, is believed to be a central focus of her upcoming eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department. Alwyn himself has never commented either on his relationship with Swift or their breakup, but that won’t stop the fervent speculation that will inevitably come with the April 19 release of the album, whose track list includes a number of seemingly Alwyn-coded song titles including “So Long, London”.

Here’s a guide to Alwyn’s London roots, his family and the backstory behind his pseudonym "William Bowery."

Related: What to Know About Taylor Swift's New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department

Where is Joe Alwyn from?

Although he was immortalized as the subject of Taylor Swift’s 2019 track “London Boy,” Alwyn was actually born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, a town in the county of Kent which lies just south-east of London. However, he was raised in the North London neighborhoods of Tufnell Park and Crouch End, and attended the City of London School which sits on the bank of the River Thames. He attended the University of Bristol for his undergraduate studies, and then went on to study acting at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.

Alwyn has stayed connected to his roots over the years. As evidenced by the lyrics of “London Boy,” he and Swift spent most of their time in north London close to where he grew up, spending date nights at beloved local pubs like The Spaniards Inn, and taking walks on Hampstead Heath.

Who are Joe Alwyn's parents?

Joe Alwyn’s mother Elizabeth is a psychotherapist. “I never felt like I was lying down on the couch and being analyzed every evening, which is probably a good thing,” he told The Guardian. “I managed to escape that. But she’s great with people and great to talk to… It’s an amazing job. I actually think if I didn’t do this, I would be interested in doing something like that.”

Alwyn’s father, Richard, is a documentary filmmaker. “When I was growing up my dad was away a lot,” Alwyn told The Evening Standard. “He did a lot of work in crisis zones, places like Uganda or Rwanda. When your dad comes back from a faraway land with bows and arrows and spears wrapped up in a carpet... that’s cool.”

Related: Your Complete Guide to Taylor Swift's Relationships and Dating History

Does Joe Alwyn have brothers?

Joe Alwyn has two younger brothers, Patrick Alwyn and Thomas Alwyn.

Does Joe Alwyn come from family money?

Joe Alwyn doesn’t appear to come from significant family money. In an interview with The Evening Standard in 2017, he acknowledged that he had attended a fee-paying private school (the City of London School), but was quick to clarify that he had been able to do this thanks to “a combination of scholarship and bursary.” Because the school offered such funding opportunities, he added, “you had people from all over. I liked that.”

Today, Alwyn is estimated to have a net worth of around $4 million, but this is believed to be from his acting work and royalties from his songwriting credits on Taylor Swift’s albums. For what it's worth, an unnamed source recently told Life & Style that “Joe is making so much on royalties and returns from [Taylor's] Eras tour that he doesn't ever need to worry about money again.”

Why is Joe Alwyn called William Bowery?

When Taylor Swift released her acclaimed 2020 album Folklore, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice a new name credited on several tracks: William Bowery. He wasn’t the only new addition on the album—Folklore marked Swift’s first collaboration with The National’s Aaron Dessner—but he was certainly the most mysterious. It wasn’t until the fall of 2021 that Swift confirmed that “William Bowery” was a pseudonym for Joe Alwyn, who was then her boyfriend of five years.

"There's been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity 'cause it's not a real person," she said in the Disney+ film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. "William Bowery is Joe, as we know.”

Many fans had already guessed the true identity of William Bowery, since Swift had previously confirmed that she’d worked with Alwyn on several tracks from both Folklore and its follow-up album, Evermore. During an interview with Zane Lowe in late 2020, Swift reflected on the co-writing process, explaining that it felt like a natural progression since she and Alwyn “have always bonded over music and had the same musical tastes.”

Is Joe Alwyn related to William Alwyn?

Joe Alwyn is the great grandson of William Alwyn, a prolific composer. William Alwyn helped to found the Composers' Guild of Great Britain, taught at London’s Royal Academy of Music for more than 30 years and wrote the score for more than 70 films between 1941 and 1962. In 1978, he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire), in recognition of his services to music.

Who was Joe Alwyn's great uncle Bruce Kent?

Joe Alwyn’s great uncle, Bruce Kent, was an activist for peace and pacifism. Born in London during the 1930s, Kent grew up to become a Catholic priest, and was also a spokesman for a number of causes over the years, including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

At the time of his death, according to The Daily Mail, he was vice-president of the British Christian peace organization Pax Christi, and emeritus president of the Movement for the Abolition of War.

Whose funeral did Taylor Swift attend with Joe Alwyn's family?

In July of 2022, Taylor Swift accompanied Joe Alwyn to the funeral of his great uncle, Bruce Kent, who died on June 8 of that year at the age of 92. Per a report in The Daily Mail, Swift was seated alongside Joe, his mother Elizabeth Meakins, and his grandmother Rosemary Meakins, in the front pew of the church in North London.

According to the Mail, Swift “appeared to blend in seamlessly with the crowd of mourners, listening attentively and following along with the funeral program and church hymns throughout the mass,” and she and Alwyn held hands throughout much of the service.

Which one of Joe Alwyn's brothers dated Sadie Sink?

Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink was linked to Joe’s brother, Patrick Alwyn, after the pair were pictured together in New York in September of 2021. However, there was nothing overtly romantic about the images, which showed Sink and Alwyn strolling along a Manhattan street together and chatting. That didn’t stop fans from wildly speculating, especially since Sink was about to star in the music video for Taylor Swift’s buzzy “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” But it has never been confirmed that the pair actually dated.

Next, Taylor Swift's Net Worth In 2024 and How Swifties Keep It Growing