BILLY BARRATT IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT INDUSTRY PRESSURE; HE JUST WANTS TO DELIVER A GOOD PERFORMANCE. AFTER WINNING AN INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARD IN 2020 BY THE AGE OF 13, BARRATT NOW SHARES THE SCREEN WITH SALLY HAWKINS IN A24’S LATEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, BRING HER BACK, WELCOMING A NEW CHAPTER OF HIS CELEBRATED, YET PROMISING CAREER. FROM HIS LONDON FLAT, HE SPOKE WITH US ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON OF INVASION, BEING THE OLDER BROTHER, HIS CURRENT OBSESSION, AND THE FEELING OF GETTING A FIRST TATTOO.

Shirt, jeans, belt & shoes **MM6**, gloves **Emporio Armani**

Hi Billy! Are you at home today?
Yes, I just walked through the door. I’ve been rushing around, all over the place. We’ve been doing rehearsals for this show that is coming up.

Congratulations on Bring Her Back. How was the process until you got the role of Andy, as Danny and Michael [Philippou] approached you to work with them in Talk to Me, but that didn’t happen?

Once I found out I couldn’t do Talk to Me, I thought it was kind of the end of it. They called me back ages later, I think it was a whole year after the release, and they sent over scripts. For Talk to Me I didn’t have to audition, but for Bring Her Back, as it’s a bigger part, I had to. I did one or two scenes, and they were quite emotional, heavy scenes, with [the character of] Piper. They knew what they wanted to see, and I must have brought whatever that was. Two months later, I was in Australia shooting with everyone.

Left Coat, T-shirt, pants, boxer & belt **Miu Miu**, necklace & rings **Cartier**
Right Full look Fendi

How did you prepare to play Andy, considering how complex his journey is in the film?

I am always listening to music, and it can really sway how I feel about things. Before some scenes, I’d listen to certain songs, which was quite a big thing for me. Another thing is that the relationship between my brother and me was so important for Andy and Piper. Just because I know what it’s like to have a sibling, and I know what it’s like to care for them and also to have that sort of ‘love-hate relationship’. Those were the only ways I prepared for it, and the rest was, “Let’s see what happens.” There was a lot of pre-production, so we got to rehearse bits and bobs, but that was kind of it for Andy.

As you mentioned music, were there any specific artists or songs that you were listening to that allowed you to put yourself into that headspace?
Sonic Youth was a big one. They just put me in this mood, and one of the only ways I can get into that is by taking a minute and listening to Kool Thing or Tunic. And then Nirvana, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age, but also things that I thought Andy would listen to. I’ve got the playlist somewhere.

How was starring next to Sally Hawkins [who plays Laura in the film]? What did you learn from her on set that you believe will stick with you?

Sally is someone who fully immerses herself in a character, and I mean even when she goes home for the weekend. I am not great at that if I’m honest. I can do it very well on set, and then it’s quite important for me to step out of the character, go home as me, and just prep for the next day. But Sally is so good at it, and that’s how she works. I just like learning about other people, not necessarily to use [their methods], but to understand them.

In the film, you and Sora Wong [who portrays Piper] deliver a stunning depiction of a sibling relationship. How else did your own sibling experiences influence your performance in this role?
My little brother is the same age as Piper’s character in the story. I don’t know how it fully affected me, but I know that when I watched the film, that’s what I took away from it: that you need to be your brother’s brother. It’s so hard to explain, but I think that’s the only way I can do it. Mid-shooting, it was so tough to do those scenes, and I used to call my brother to tell him that I love him.

Top & pants **Fendi**, bracelets & rings **Cartier**

How big an impact did Bring Her Back have on you? I saw you even got a tattoo about it.

I was on set the other day, and it was the first time that they put a tattoo cover on my arm; this is my first tattoo. I thought, you know, even if the movie flops, I still had a good time, and I love the movie, so I had to get it. It was mostly the sibling thing for me, and I just felt a real appreciation for my brother. Without spoiling anything, I think the film can also affect you as a parent.

The film explores the theme of obsession in a very interesting way. What are you currently obsessed with?

That’s such an interesting way of looking at it. I’m obsessed with my records, man. I just got given a bunch of vinyl for my 18th birthday, so I’ve just stacked them up, and now I’ve got so many different genres and artists. Spotify is accessible and easy, but you only listen to one song, whereas with records, you have to listen to a whole album until you get to that song. I am loving it because I am learning a lot more about music.

The third season of Invasion is also coming out soon. You’ve been involved with it for such a long time that it might give you the feeling of growing up on set. What are the main differences between when you first started on the show to now?

My height? I don’t know! [Laughs] I started that when I was maybe twelve or thirteen. We went through lockdown for ages, and we couldn’t film for a while. So, when we came back, we were all much taller and looking like different people. It has sort of been part of my career and life for the past five, six years. It’s crazy. I’ve grown up with that cast, and I am still friends with them. I love the whole crew.

Left Full look **Dior Men**
Right Shirt, jeans, belt & shoes **MM6**, gloves **Emporio Armani**

In a lot of interviews, you talk about Leonardo DiCaprio being one of your favourite actors. Where does that admiration come from?
I think because he has just picked good films, he has such an eye for a good story. And also, somehow, every character that he plays seems to just fit him; no one else could play that character. Every time I watch him, I am entertained, and every time I hear his name, I think, “Maybe I will watch a Leo film tonight.”

Top three favourite Leo DiCaprio films?
That’s a hard question. I loved The Basketball Diaries. And Shutter Island is incredible, I love the twist in the film, I’m still thinking about that ending. I mean, even in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, he was incredible in that; he smashed that character. I just love Leonardo DiCaprio, man! [Laughs]

You talk a lot about your love for music, and you have a band as well. How did The Hunger materialise?
So, Cody Molko, the guitarist, and I went to school together, and he was already in a band. And I was like, “Do you want to start one?” I asked him again, a month later, and I think I asked him four times [in total]. On the fourth time, he accepted, because his previous band was not going anywhere. We started the band, we were swapping instruments and whatnot, and we found out that our bassist, who was in our school the whole time, was very good at playing every instrument, so he joined. Cody met our drummer over a FaceTime call, and since then, we’ve been writing and playing as much as possible. This was six, seven years ago.

How do you balance your acting with your musical career?
I don’t. [Laughs] It’s pretty tough, but I’m still doing it. I make sure that dates can be pushed, and there are also a lot of sacrifices that the band has to make, so I appreciate them for that.

Does being a musician play a part in your acting career and vice versa?
I think film and music complement each other so much. We managed to get a snippet of one of our songs in Bring Her Back. At the beginning, you’ve got Andy trying to fix this wing mirror, and as he’s doing it, the radio is on, playing our song, which was so nice of Dan and Michael to do. Film is something I love to do, and music is something I can create by myself or collaboratively. It’s just different.

Coat, T-shirt, pants, boxer & belt **Miu Miu**, shoes **Kenzo**, necklace & rings **Cartier**

You’ve been acting since an early age, and you’ve been awarded very early on as well [Barratt is the youngest recipient of an Emmy, for his role in Responsible Child in 2020]. Do you feel any weight from that?
I think I did for a while, but not so much anymore. The real pressure is that you’ve got to impress [others], or at least that’s how I think. I just want to do a good job, and I want people to tell me, “That was good, man.” That’s where my anxiety comes from, I want to get it right, and that’s in every audition, every show that we play, every take we do.

What kind of genre would you like to explore in the future?
I would like to do a Western film someday, and I’m also really into romantic dramas. I think a coming-of-age romantic drama could be cool. I’m writing one at the moment, but it’s very early stages.

Why should people go and watch Bring Her Back?
Because I’ve got it tattooed, and you’d basically be slagging off my tattoo by not seeing the film, which is not cool. [Laughs]

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Discover the full story in our FW25 Issue - out next Fall25

Interview by Ketlyn Araujo

Photography by Elliott Morgan

Fashion by Steven Huang

EIC Michael Marson

Casting Imagemachine CS

Grooming by Stefan Bertin at A-Frame Agency

Stylist’s assistant by Lewis Stratton