JOSH DYLAN IS STRADDLING TWO WORLDS: THERE’S THE ACTOR WHO CAN CROSS GENRES, ACCELERATING AT EACH TURN, DELIVERING INTUITIVE PERFORMANCES THAT REVERBERATE FAR BEYOND THE SCREEN; AND THEN THERE’S THE BUDDING FILMMAKER WHO WANTS TO SWERVE BEHIND THE CAMERA AND DELIVER STORIES HE’S BEEN DREAMING UP IN HIS HEAD FOR YEARS.
IT’S QUITE THE BALANCING ACT, BUT ONE THE THIRTY-YEAR-OLD LONDON-BORN TALENT IS EXCITED TO NAVIGATE, HAVING ALREADY EXPLORED HIS ABILITY TO DIVERSIFY IN THE CHARACTERS HE’S PLAYED. HIS CREDITS INCLUDE TURNS AS DREAMY YOUNG BILL IN THE MOVIE MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, LOVE INTEREST TODD IN THE DARK COMEDY SERIES THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD AND AS ANGSTY JUDE IN THE BBC DRAMA NOUGHTS + CROSSSES. HIS SENSITIVE PORTRAYAL OF THE QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH GENT LORD RICHARD MARABLE IN THE PERIOD DRAMA THE BUCCANEERS, HAS ALSO EARNED HIM A FANBASE EAGER TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT. HERE HE TALKS TO US ABOUT HAVING DAME JUDI DENCH AS A MENTOR, HIS ROCK-STAR AMBITIONS AND WHY YOU’LL MOST PROBABLY FIND HIM IN A SAUNA.
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So aside from your obvious talent, you also have Dame Judi Dench to thank for your career right, because without her, you wouldn’t have auditioned for drama school?
Yes, that’s true, she was really influential when I was 16 years old, as she had come to my school to see a play which I was in, and afterwards wrote a lovely letter to the school about me. So, we met up and she said that I should be an actor and encouraged me to audition for drama school, and she’s been my mentor ever since, and a very important person in my life; that was a very formative moment for me.
Imagine if she put your name in the hat to play the next Bond having played the character of M in eight films - would you be like, hell yeah, thanks Jude!
I mean, you would have to ask her [laughs], that would be amazing! I might give her a nudge after this call!
Well, you’ve now done theatre, film and TV – which of your roles has been the most interesting or exciting to explore and play?
That’s a good question… I think every single job I’ve done has been a learning experience. I think there’s a great difference between doing longform TV, and films, but I would say the one I enjoyed most and felt I learned the most from, was The End of the Fucking World. I just absolutely loved it and the writing on the show was great and I had such a good time doing it.
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You’ve also been very popular as the sensitive Lord Richard Marable in The Buccaneers; How was it working on a period drama?
It was a process of trying to research what life would’ve been like in the 1870s and then just trying to embody that in a modern way, which was the intention of the creative team, for the show to feel relatable and contemporary. It was an interesting challenge and rewarding too. I think the men at that time had a real formality, strength, and structure to them, whereas with modern men, although this might be a sweeping generalisation; some of those walls have come down a bit, and masculinity has changed.
And then you jumped into WW2 drama, Masters of the Air, and you’re playing Lt. George Fred Niethammer. Were you familiar with Band of Brothers before signing on?
Yes, I was a huge fan, it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever seen. I play a very small part in Masters of the Air, I’m in and out in the last episode! I knew one of the producers, Gary Goetzman, through Mamma Mia Here I Go Again, and from that relationship with him, I came on board to this series quite late, but with a lovely small role. I was just happy to be there in that capacity, and I listened to the audio book of the original source material and it’s just extremely poignant and I think, very stirring.
Do you want to keep doing different stuff; because as you diversify you see different things as an actor, and it can change the way you nurture your craft?
One hundred percent. I feel compelled to do that and explore different roles. Being an actor, sometimes there’s this idea that you bring yourself into roles, and the lines between yourself and a part can get blurred. So, to play someone who’s very different to you is where the fun is at, to try and transform and become someone entirely different. I love that sense of creativity and play, and you get to learn about how others think, and find out more about yourself in the process too.
‘To play someone who’s very different to you is where the fun is at, to try and transform and become someone entirely different.’
Speaking of diversifying, you’ve also appeared in the comedy movie, The Licensed Fool about a travelling court jester. Tell me more?
I’m really proud of this short film, which I made with some close friends. It was so much fun to play this really disgusting, sweaty character with a highly dubious long straggly beard, and I think the world of medieval England with its jesters and castles is just so rich and ripe for a film. It’s always nice to make things with your friends, young filmmakers who really care about what they’re doing, it’s just a big laugh and also so freeing.
I read somewhere that you’ve also written a feature film which Gabrielle Tana is on board to produce?
Yes, she’s on board to produce and I’m directing a story that I’ve been thinking about and working on for years, and I’m excited to see what happens! I’m also directing a short documentary which I’m so excited about, as I’m really interested in filmmaking broadly; I love acting, but to step into that different lane, behind the camera, is very enriching and a totally different process.
What about doing more theatre, as you starred in Sheppey for which you scooped the 2017 Off West End Award for Best Supporting Actor.
I would absolutely love to get back on stage! My partner is in a play at the moment and having the most incredible time. The community you find, the freshness and the need to be present and just step up to it every night, is gold. I can’t wait to do another play.
I know that you were really into music before becoming an actor too. Does one come before the other? Are you continuing with it, or have you left it in favour of acting?
I used to be in bands when I was at school, famously in one called Eric’s First Love, with my best mates, which surprisingly didn’t go anywhere!
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Was one of them called Eric?
No! But that name has been ageing like a fine wine ever since, it’s a great band name!
I love playing music and I just love the idea of being a rock star [laughs]. When I was growing up, the lure of being a musician was stronger than being an actor, which I came to later. But music is something I can always pick up, I love listening to it, playing stuff and eventually one day I would like to record an album, that’s on my bucket list!
So, do you ever use music to get into character?
All the time. I think it’s a wonderful tool. I would be really interested to do a project where the actors listen to music live on set. I’m sure it’s already been done, but where you can act underscored, it would be really cool.
If you could play the lead in a biopic of a living or dead musician, who would it be?
Oh, another good question! I was talking about Jim Morrison the other day; I think I could pull that off!
Are The Doors on any of your ultimate feel-good playlists then?
Well, I have quite a few playlists on Spotify, most of which are private, but I used some of them when I was working on The Buccaneers, and I would also share playlists with Kristine Froseth, who was on the show. She got hold of my Spotify page and some playlists that I had just made for myself with silly names, which I forgot to make private, and she was like, ‘what’s this?!’ I was so embarrassed she found all these half-made playlists most of which were entirely Spice Girls based!
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You’ve now revealed you’re a Spice Girls fan to the world, ok?
I want everybody to know that I’m a fan! [laughs] Genuinely, one of the songs I’ve been listening to quite a bit lately, is Two Become One.
Ok, moving on, you told me when we first jumped on to Zoom, that you’re having new windows put in your home, is this a swanky new place then? Have you become obsessed with interior design yet?
Yes, we’ve just moved in and yes, I love all that, I’m a real nester and I’ve got my work cut out, but I love a project. The older I get, and maybe this is quite sad to admit, but the more I’m getting into DIY and the idea of making stuff really appeals to me! [laughs]
It comes to us all Josh, so it’s a shed you’ll be getting next right?
I do want to make a shed! It might instantly fall down though, but actually, I want to build a sauna, that’s my next plan. Have you ever had a sauna yourself?
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Funnily enough no, you know what, I haven’t, because the idea of sitting in a box sweating doesn’t appeal to me, I would rather go on holiday somewhere hot and sweat, and not be in a box, you know?
Haha! I hear you. I love going for a sauna, but I think there isn’t really a sauna culture here in the UK, like there is among young people in Japan or Scandi countries, but I like the social side of it, you know, meeting up with friends and doing something healthy for you.
Well, I guess the next time we speak, I’ll be interviewing you inside your hot box in the garden once you finish it?
Completely, we’ll do the interview once I’m 20mins deep into the sauna, in a cosmic meditative state!
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Discover the full story in our upcoming SS24 CRAZY LOVE Issue - mid March release.
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Matt Healy
Fashion by Steven Huang
EIC Michael Marson
Casting by Imagemachine Cs
Grooming by Michael Gray
Stylist’s assistant Damini Rehal
