Josha Stradowski is a Dutch actor known for portraying Rand al'Thor in the Amazon Prime Video series The Wheel of Time and Nicholas Capa in the 2023 film Gran Turismo.

Career

Stradowski was born on January 1, 1995 and is of Dutch and Polish descent. He began acting in 2006 in local theater productions of Kuifje: De Zonnetempel, Ciske de Rat, and The Sound of Music. He made his screen debut as the lead in a youth series titled Naranjina en de Kadekapers. Beginning in 2011 he began a recurring role in the Dutch youth series SpangaS, then in 2013 he appeared in the television series Dokter Tinus, and the film Verborgen Verhalen. He also appeared in the series Gender and Bromance with the Oostpool Theater Group, and in Oedipus at the International Theater Amsterdam.

In 2018, he graduated from the AHK Theatre School in Amsterdam with a bachelor's degree in acting. That same year he starred in the Dutch-language film Just Friends as Joris. The film won the 2018 People's Choice Award at the Perth International Queer Film Festival and the 2018 Audience Choice Award at the OUT at the Movies International LGBT film fest.

In August 2019, Stradowski was cast as Rand al'Thor in the Amazon Prime Video series The Wheel of Time based on the fantasy book series of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. The show has received critical acclaim, with a critics score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Owen Danoff of Screen Rant wrote that Stradowski was able to "blend smart acting choices with a firsthand knowledge of Robert Jordan’s source material to give the character the layers and depth he requires.

In 2020 Stradowski appeared as one of three main characters in the Dutch-language series High Flyers, which was billed as the "Dutch Top Gun". The following year he was signed to the talent management agency Range Media Partners.

In 2023, Stradowski appeared in Gran Turismo, a film based on the Playstation racing simulation video game series of the same name, as antagonist Nicholas Capa. S.K. Sapiano of Collider wrote that "Capa is an effective villain, brought to life by Stradowski's intensity and steely gaze.