Actor Jack O' Connell: 'If you're afraid, take a step forward, not back'

"He never acts. He simply is," says Ralph Fiennes, the protagonist in the fourth film in the 28 Days Later series, this time directed by Nia DaCosta. "He seems absolutely alive, totally present in every moment. You never get the impression that he arrives with anything prepared. He just seems to let the part he finds inside himself flow".

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Born in 1990, O'Connell did not come to acting by following the traditional training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; his mother worked in the refund department of British Midland Airways and his father, an Irish railway worker, died when he was only 18. Growing up in Derby, O'Connell attended a free acting workshop twice a week, eventually landing the role that launched him in 2006, an ill-tempered skinhead in This Is England by Shane Meadows.

"As a Derby boy, I already had a story to tell, I think," he explains. "I didn't go to university, I didn't go to drama school. A lot of what I learned I owe to my wandering the streets as a kid." That is why he has often been cast in roles full of misadventure and violence or in libertine characters. But he always responds by transforming them, almost imperceptibly, into something more complex and sensitive.

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This strength is particularly evident in O'Connell's portrayal of Jimmy Crystal in The Temple of Bones, the most vicious and insane to date - but even here he manages to give him humanity and compassion. "Jack is precise and meticulous, but also moody and enigmatic," says DaCosta. "These traits together create a really good actor - one capable of surprising, of doing unexpected things."

On the set, O'Connell helped all the other actors in the cast - some only 14 years old - and adapted his performance according to their needs. "He's attentive in such a subtle way that, at first glance, you don't notice," says DaCosta. "Then, all of a sudden you find yourself thinking, 'Jack knows exactly what's going on and is only too happy to help make things better'."

At screenings of The Temple of Bones O'Connell was deeply moved - almost to tears. Despite the fact that it is a splatter film, one can still sense the vulnerability of his character. He had a similar reaction with The Sinners, in which he had to sing and dance. Dancing was easy enough - he had taken Irish dancing lessons as a child - but singing was a real challenge. Did he feel silly? 'Yes,' he replies, then pauses to reflect. 'But difficulties you have to go through. If you feel out of your role, or scared, if you're afraid of things, it's important to be able to step up to meet them." For the actor, this gothic horror story about vampires, which takes place in the southern United States, was also a way to delve into his past. "It was a role that allowed me to really connect with my Irish roots. Staging the irishness of that narrative was like telling a fascinating part of American history that is still poorly documented."

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Coogler, who discovered O'Connell in 2014, in the prison-set film The Rebel by David Mackenzie, describes him as a selfless collaborator. "He has the unique ability to internalise the themes and emotions of the story and breathe life into the character by making unexpected acting choices."

O'Connell is now receiving proposals for increasingly important and ambitious roles, but his priority is still to remain 'full of raw vitality'. After Unbroken, he attended a number of award ceremonies, modelled for Prada and won the Bafta EE Rising Star Award. He openly declares that his desire has always been to be a professional actor. And when the film industry tried to turn him into a phenomenon, he always felt the need to move in the opposite direction. "I'm not particularly interested in wearing dinner jackets, toasting and chatting at big events," he confesses. "I'll put it simply: I don't feel like someone who shows off willingly."

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The desire to be out of the limelight has become more acute with age, especially now that he has an equally rich private life in North London. In his 20-year career, he has hardly stopped to take a breather, scoring almost 50 awards. Only recently has he considered the fact that it would be nice to take a short break. "I have a great group of friends, a wonderful daughter, a wonderful relationship," he says. "There's a lot to take stock of, now and in the future: it's really great, I'm happy with the way things are going, getting here, but also being able to stay at home."

His next role will be in Ink, by David Boyle, an adaptation of the play of the same name written by James Graham about the rivalry between British tabloids in 1969. O'Connell will play Larry Lamb, the Yorkshire-born editor of The Sun who introduced models to the pages of the paper. In the role of Rupert Murdoch will be Guy Pearce.

For now he is reading The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell to better understand the enormous difficulties of the working class in northern England. 'Train your imagination - and the more you read, the better you get,' he says. Well-written texts, he adds, 'are a good ally for an actor'. Suddenly he looks very uncomfortable. He closes his eyes and brings his clenched fist to his forehead. 'There's a cliché I'm very reluctant to use,' he explains about his reading habits. There follows a drawl in which he wonders if he will sound silly saying this, and then quickly admits: 'The best cinema in the world is the one inside your head. He looks up, and again that wicked laugh appears.

Dall’alto in senso orario, O’Connell (a destra) in “Skins” (2009); “Unbroken” (2014); “L’amante di Lady Chatterley” (2022); “I peccatori” (2025).

Getting back to serious business, O'Connell clearly wants his career to continue growing. "Of course, it's a very tempting prospect," he replies almost solemnly. "But it's a strange game and many variables can get out of hand. If in five years I'm still here supporting myself by being an actor and I believe that the roles I play are consistent with what we've talked about so far, then I can count myself lucky."

“28 anni dopo – Il tempio delle ossa” (2026)

IN THE FUTURE His next role Jack O' Connel will play Larry Lamb, editor of 'The Sun' in Danny Boyle's film 'Ink' starring Guy Pearce (Rupert Murdoch) and Claire Foy. It will arrive in cinemas in the autumn.