Do you relate to your character?
I do, actually. I don’t come from a privilege background. I live in a neighborhood that is very working class and kind of traditional. I relate to the fact that he lives in an area where self-growth and exploration isn’t really an option. He’s kind of trapped in this mediocracy and expectations of masculinity, and obviously I’m an actor but nobody in my family is an actor. So yeah, I relate to that. And also, we’ve all had questions of identity. I went through that more than anyone as an actor — that feeling of being lost and searching for something. There’s a certain amount of insecurity and loneliness that comes with trying to do something that no one else in your family has done. Or no one else is aware of.
What was your first acting experience?
I was quite an early bloomer. I used to get parts in the primary school plays. But my first real experience was a play I did at theater school when I was 13. I played this awful racist and when I came off stage, no one said, “Well done.” No one would speak to me. I thought I’d done a really terrible job. But someone came up to me and said: “You were really horrible.” I made them feel hate for my character — that was my first taste of it and I loved it. I was just this chubby little kid at the time.
Did you ever had a normal job?
Of course. I had many. I was a runner — like a PA — on music videos when I was sixteen.
That’s not a normal job.
Wait for it: I also used to pick up litter — like a trashman — and then I worked as a bartender and waiter for two years. My favorite? I used to teach drama to 5- to 10-year-olds.
What have you heard about the Sundance scene?
I’ve been told that you need to get a flu injection. And to pack some warm fucking clothes.
What would be the Sundance selfie of your dreams?
Me and my mate, Rob [Redford], skiing down the slope with a couple of beers.
What do you think of your pal Robert Redford?
My dad introduced me to him when I was younger.
Really?
No, I mean he told me about him. We watched one of his first movies with Jane Fonda. When my film got into Sundance, my dad kind of gave me the “See, there you go” look as if he had preconceived the whole thing, which is ridiculous.
Instagram: @harrisdickinson
