Joe Alwyn and his long walk to fame

The film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk introduces English actor Joe Alwyn to the world.

The film tells the tale of a 19-year-old Texan who comes home after fighting the war in Iraq and is then sent on a victory tour around the United States. The young man, however, does not want any part in celebrating what is the worst time of his life.

This notion of being thrown into a heightened experience is something Alwyn has in common with the character he plays. The Londoner arrives in a new country, goes into a new working environment, gets a new accent and, needless to say, shoulders a big movie co-starring bigwigs like Steve Martin, Vin Diesel and Kristen Stewart and directed by Oscar winner Ang Lee.

In a transcript provided by Sony Pictures, Alwyn said: “There’s an echo there. So I could use and play with that feeling of pressure and deep water. I could personally draw on what I was going through, and then twist it and mould it, and put in new bits and pieces when thinking about how I might try and apply things to Billy.”

Interestingly enough, this particular interview was one of many Alwyn had to do to promote the film, marking the newbie’s first press junket too. So what is it like to talk about Billy Lynn over and over again?

“It’s a little strange,” admitted Alwyn with a laugh. “It feels a little surreal. But it’s also interesting and I like talking about it.”