James Nelson-Joyce Breaks Down His Roles in A Thousand Blows, This City is Ours, and Bird
INTERVIEW
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INTERVIEW ✦
James Nelson-Joyce is swiftly becoming an accomplished actor, recognized for his impressive range. In fact, whether it's through his chilling debut in Little Boy Blue or his powerful performance in Bird alongside Barry Keoghan and Jason Buda, he consistently has proven that he has what it takes to deliver comprehensive and detailed portrayals.
Now, Nelson-Joyce's unique ability to embody complex characters, showcasing both vulnerability and a hint of menace, will be on full display in 2025. Because, in the coming months, Nelson-Joyce will star in an array of high-profile projects, including the intense boxing drama A Thousand Blows, the gripping Liverpool-based series This City Is Ours, and an episode of the thought-provoking, acclaimed anthology series Black Mirror.
With these diverse roles, Nelson-Joyce is once again poised to captivate audiences and further solidify his place as a versatile and compelling actor. And Nelson-Joyce isn't just an actor to watch; he's an actor to experience.
Photographer: David Reiss
Congratulations on A Thousand Blows, which sees you playing Stephen Graham's brother in a bare-knuckle boxing drama. Can you talk about the training regimen you underwent, and how you prepared mentally for the intensity of the bare-knuckle boxing world?
James Nelson-Joyce: To be honest, it was different to anything I had ever done before. Whenever I’m home in Liverpool I train at the Rotunda ABC which is packed with professional boxers, but boxing is very different these days to the period we were working in, with the types of diet and the introduction of sports science etc. So what I really focussed on was how to get the look for the period correct in the first instance. We were really lucky to get gym built on set and also a trainer in to help us with the boxing stance and how differently punches were thrown back then etc. It was so interesting to see how much boxing has developed from back then to the boxing we see today.
You've actually worked with Stephen Graham on several projects now, including Little Boy Blue, Time and now A Thousand Blows. Can you talk about the dynamic you two have on set, and what you've learned from working with him?
James Nelson-Joyce: First of all, I wanna say that Stephen is the most generous person I’ve ever met! He would always be available for anyone on any job I’ve ever worked on with him. He genuinely leads by example. We’ve known each other for years now and in real life he is like a big brother to me, always there for me in any capacity, so when it came to having chemistry on set it was naturally already there. The only work we really had to do was build our back story together about how we grew up in the work house for instance and how our upbringing affected who we are as men and brothers today.
Your other series This City Is Ours brings you back to Liverpool, this time in a leading role in a gangland drama. Given your own connection to Liverpool, how did that inform your approach to this character and the story itself?
James Nelson-Joyce: For me, when I first read the script I knew I had to play Michael! He’s a man conflicted and at a point in his life where he has to choose what he’s going to do next… and whichever road he chooses comes with various consequences. My approach to playing Michael was about finding relationships with every other character because for everyone in the series, Michael has a different mask he wears specifically for them. I think Michael is only just starting to discover who and what he wants to be.
Photographer: David Reiss
There’s a lot of hype surrounding This City Is Ours. What specifically excites you most about this series, and what do you hope audiences take away from it?
James Nelson-Joyce: I hope audiences enjoy the characters and the story first, and that they get to really understand the conflicting and complex world This City Is Ours is set in.
With so many exciting projects coming out in 2025, what are the key factors you consider when choosing a role—is it the script, the character, the director, or the ensemble cast?
James Nelson-Joyce: I’m very fortunate that I have the best agents in the world. They don’t send me rubbish, so when a script does come through I already know that it’s going to be of a certain level. Then, if I’m reading something and it’s a proper page-turner, I’ll go away and really do some research on the director, writer, teams involved, etc. After that, I’ll start to think ok, what can I relate to within this character and the themes of the story and build my work from there.
Black Mirror is known for its thought-provoking and often unsettling storylines. Without giving too much away, can you tease what your episode is about and how your character compares to some of your other roles?
James Nelson-Joyce: Obviously I can’t give anything away AT ALL, but as you can imagine with Black Mirror, it’s as thought-provoking and as brilliant as previous episodes. The writing is absolutely on-point and the cast in the episode I’m in is very exciting. You’ll have to wait and see!
In closing, your recent film Bird received extremely positive reactions at Cannes. What was your biggest takeaway from working alongside a visionary director like Andrea Arnold and a cast that includes Barry Keoghan and Jasmine Jobson?
James Nelson-Joyce: I’ve always wanted to work with Andrea, so when I eventually got the part I was buzzing. Andrea works in such a free way that you can really play and explore the different ways in which you can play the scenes. I was lucky enough to be working with Jasmine who is proper sound and easy to get along with, so it made doing all the intense work so much easier. I think working with Andrea has definitely made me want to do more improvisation work in the future.
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