James Nelson-Joyce – Bare Knuckle Talent
With his knack for bringing tough, intense characters to life, James Nelson-Joyce’s talent doesn’t go unnoticed in films like Bird and TV series such as Shameless and Time. In our exclusive interview he opens up about his latest project, A Thousand Blows, the challenges faced by working-class actors, and why being lucky isn’t enough.
Interview Brenda Otero Photography JC Verona Styling Ella-Louise Gaskell Grooming Richard Wynne-EllisIt’s early morning, and James Nelson-Joyce arrives at Zero Nine’s studio, relaxed and chatty in his green Adidas tracksuit bottoms. He’s travelled from his home in Liverpool to East London ahead of the release of A Thousand Blows, a TV drama by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Set in the world of illegal boxing in Victorian London, the series is brimming with fascinating, real-life characters. Nelson-Joyce, 35, plays Treacle Goodson, a role steeped in violence, a recurring theme in many of his characters. “I tend not to play nice guys and sometimes people think I’m scary. But when you get to know me, you realise I’m a big softie,” he says with a big smile. We couldn’t agree more.
Jumper: JJ Lindbergh. Rings: Sam Ozanne. Trousers: Bound.
What was the experience of shooting A Thousand Blows like? Were there any moments on set that particularly resonated with you?
There was a particular moment in the audition with Stephen Graham, between the two brothers. He was questioning me and I didn't reply, did not follow the text. I knew me and Stephen had this chemistry, I wanted to show them that we can do it without saying a word.
You’ve worked with Stephen Graham before. How has your dynamic evolved over the years?
I just left drama school, so where I'm from in Liverpool, it was very rough and I didn't know a single person who was an actor. But when I saw Stephen in This is England, a scouse and he’s a great actor. Then I watched everything he did: Gangs of New York, The Street… And then I was in London one day and saw Stephen and his wife Hannah in Nando’s. I approached them to say that he was my favourite actor. I went back to my table and sat back down, and a bit later Hannah, his wife, came to my table and gave me her email. She said that if I ever needed anything let me know. I've never sent them a message, thinking that they won’t want to know me. When I got a part in Little Boy Blue, we were reading at the table and I felt Stephen’s eye in my head. He went: ‘Are you that lad from Nando’s?’ Over time he looked after me, mentored me and helped me out massively. He's now like a big brother now and I can speak to him about everything and anything, acting, family, relationship advice, everything.
There’s been growing conversation about acting becoming an increasingly privileged profession.
I was 21 when I went to Drama school. What I earned with my part time job was just to pay the rent, it didn’t cover any other expenses. There were times I was bunking the tube or robbing a sandwich from Tesco. I was hungry, and any money I got went straight to my headshots. You had to pay just to audition for drama schools, and the train, and a place to stay over sometimes, it can become really expensive and hard. While I was studying, I managed to get a couple of roles in TV shows but it was still difficult.
If we’re not careful we’re going to have an industry just full of middle-class kids.
Full look: Amiri. Shoes: Grenson.
Full look: Amiri
Do you think the stories being told today are reflecting this shift?
I just want to see a lot more opportunities for working-class actors to play any role, while I've never had an audition for Downton Abbey, The Crown or Bridgerton. That’s why Stephen (Graham) and Hannah (Walters) and their production house Matriarch are vital to the industry because they are making opportunities for working-class kids. At the same time, I think drama and music have taken off a lot of syllabuses in state schools.
The industry needs to create more opportunities for people from less privileged backgrounds, and maybe it has to do with holding more auditions up north or creating more opportunities there, I don’t know.
What kinds of narratives resonate more deeply with you?
I'm not bothered about playing the lead. Everyone wants that, but I like the complex characters. I always watched The Street and there was an episode about a guy who was a builder with a family and he was struggling with his sexuality. I find these characters very interesting, people who are not supposed to fit into the form. Like someone from a disadvantaged background who wants to play in an orchestra, or an upper-class background person who has a drug problem.
Do you feel that the complexity of contemporary life is being captured in what’s being written?
A lot of quality TV dramas which push the boundaries, like Baby Reindeer, are getting made less and less because it’s cheaper to make Love Island or some other shit, you know what I mean!
“I just want to see a lot more opportunities for working-class actors to play any role.”
Full look: Armani. Rings: Sam Ozanne. Shoes: Duke and Dexter.
“Any money I got went straight to my headshots.”
Full look: Armani. Rings: Sam Ozanne.
Working with Andrea Arnold on Bird must have been a unique experience.
The beauty with Andrea Arnold is, you don’t get the script. You audition and improvise. She then gives you the characters back story and your relationships and then she shoots chronologically, and then the night before the scene, she'll send you a skeleton script with minimal text, like you come back from a night out and then you play with it, improvise and find the scene. About my character I asked: How bad is he? They said, I had to imagine 10 is the worst and he's 11. He was based on a guy that Andrea’s mum had a relationship with.
Can you share what it was like filming those emotionally charged scenes, especially the ones involving children?
You have to build trust with children before, making sure that they know it’s play and just pretend. You don’t want to traumatise the poor kids. I hate actors that keep (in character). Especially when there are kids involved it's a lot of bollocks.
What do you find most fulfilling about acting? Has that evolved since you first began your career?
Going to a different world and being somewhere else, I am a pretty boring person, but with acting I'd do things that I've never done as James. I like exploring vulnerabilities, and having curiosity, why someone would do something. As an actor, you can get into detail about why something happened. What brought someone to do something. Fights, violence – why does it have to come to that, why men can't communicate, and they become violent. That's the beauty of acting: why people do things.
Jacket: JJ Lindenberg. Top: Luca Lalon.
“You have to work your socks off. No one is going to give you anything in this industry, you cannot have distractions in your life.”
You’ve mentioned that you initially pursued acting to impress a teacher.
Yeah, I fancied a teacher, Miss Griffiths. Look, I was 15 and she was absolutely stunning and I wanted to grab her eye so I joked about and put on accents. I think she knew I had a crush on her. I should really go to the school and see if she's there!I think she is still there. She must be 10 years older than me. She was really cool because I was going through a hard time, I was a bit wild, and she saw that in me because I went from being a happy-go-lucky kid to the opposite and he guided me. After school I went to a community college for five years and I was distracted. I wanted to be an actor but also a Jack the Lad. At 21 I went to drama school and there I was laser focused.
Looking back now, what’s the most valuable lesson this profession has taught you?
You have to give it all. It’s not just luck. The harder you work the luckier you get.
You have to work your socks off. No one is going to give you anything in this industry, you cannot have distractions in your life. I learned that because I like to party and have fun, but you can't be doing that because there's always someone hungrier and better than you. My mentality when I got a rejection has been: I will prove you wrong, watch me you'll regret that. Maybe it's a bit of a chip on my shoulder but wait.
Jumper: JJ Lindbergh Rings: Sam Ozanne Trousers: Bound
A Thousand Blows is out on Disney+ on February 21st. Watch the trailer below.
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