He got everyone's attention with his breakout role in God's Own Country, bagging a British Independent Film Award for his powerful performance, as well as a nomination as a BAFTA rising star. But even before that, Josh O'Connor was already one of the most prolific stars on British TV. From wowing us in Peaky Blinders to starring alongside Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins, Josh has already starred in some of the most talked-about British TV shows and films of recent times, including The Durrells and Les Miserables. And now we can settle back and prepare for a total Joshfest in the coming months, as he's set to play Prince Charles in Netflix's The Crown.
With all this to come, isn't it about time you got to know him a little better?
He Recognised the Importance of His Breakout Film
Image Source: Getty/ Jeff Vespa
The decision to cast Josh in his breakout role as Johnny in God's Own Country led to fierce debate over whether a straight actor was the right choice for a gay role. Josh has nothing but praise for director Francis Lee, who masterminded the award-winning movie. He described the sex scenes between his character and Gheorghe, played by Alec Secareanu, as safe and well choreographed. Their performances led to some critics labelling the film as the sexiest of the year, while Josh said afterward that he hoped it would lead to more films focused on LGBTQ characters.
His big brother chose the artist's path instead, and it's something that runs in the family: one of their grandfathers was a sculptor, while one of their grandmothers was a ceramicist. Josh loves sharing art on his Instagram, and he's been spotted at major exhibitions before.
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He Credits His Ears For Helping Him Land a Dream Role
Image Source: Getty/ Dave J Hogan
Josh has made no secret of his excitement around taking on the role of the Prince of Wales in Seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown on Netflix. His time as Charles will see him tackle some of the biggest moments in the future king's life including his romance with Camilla Parker Bowles and his wedding to Princess Diana. But the actor is taking it all in stride, joking that he "has the ears" for the part. He kept his future screen mum happy recently by celebrating with Olivia Colman as she was named Best Actress at the British Independent Film Awards, for her work playing another monarch, Queen Anne.
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He's Now Basically a Double Act With Olivia Colman
Josh O'Connor and Olivia Colman are two of the hottest stars of UK TV and film right now, and they clearly love working together. As well as playing mother and son in The Crown, they both took major roles in the BBC production of Les Miserables. But, while Olivia gets down and dowdy as Madame Thénardier, Josh is giving us another take on a romantic hero as he portrays Marius Pontmercy, who has one eye on justice and the other on love.
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He'd Like to Be a Superhero
Image Source: Getty/ Daniel Leal-Olivas
Josh admits that starring in God's Own Country, for which he won a British Independent Film Award and a BAFTA Rising Star nod, opened more doors for him than he could ever have imagined. "People are interested, simply because we have had such a success story with this film," he told The Guardian. While Josh says he's not sure he's ready for an action movie just yet, he's more than happy to consider a part as a superhero in the future.
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He's Not Scared by Darker Roles
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Many of his best-known roles have been gritty and part of stories with more serious undercurrents. As well as wowing audience in God's Own Country, he tackled the difficult subject of suicide and loss in Bridgend, where he played Jamie, while his TV work includes dark dramas like Peaky Blinders and Ripper Street.
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He's a Huge Daniel Day-Lewis Fan
Image Source: Getty/ Mike Marsland
Josh really immerses himself in preparation for his roles, working with voice coaches to perfect difficult accents and going to live in some of the locations his films are set in to get a feel for life there. It's an attitude his idol, famed method actor Daniel Day-Lewis, would probably admire. Josh has spoken before of his admiration for Day-Lewis, telling Anthem, "I could watch him do anything". Given his already impressive tally of trophies for his acting work, Josh might well one day match his idol, who has a record number of Best Actor Oscars on his mantelpiece.
Josh has four seasons of the hugely popular ITV show The Durrells under his belt, and he's earned himself quite the reputation for laughs with his co-stars on the programme. Daisy Waterstone and Callum Woodhouse, who played his siblings, Margo and Leslie, say he's the funniest person on set, always making people laugh.
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He Swapped Black Tie For Wellies to Prepare For God's Own Country
Josh spent plenty of time celebrating at glitzy galas following the success of God's Own Country but the beginning of his time on the film was very different. The star spent two weeks working on a farm in Yorkshire to get ready for his role as disillusioned Johnny. He was up at 6 a.m. every morning before a long day of back-breaking work, where he did everything from herding sheep to mending fences. But, he credits it with giving him a real sense of perspective for his role, and he's stayed friends with the farmer who showed him the rural ropes, visiting him several times since filming ended.
