David Jonsson has been a romcom lead struggling to get over a messy break-up (in the utterly perfect and forever watchable Rye Lane), solved murders in the 1950s in Murder Is Easy, power played with bankers in Industry and battled aliens as a robot in the blockbuster Alien: Romulus. And that’s just in the last couple of years. 

Now the actor is heading to the Baftas and ready to be recognised. He’s been nominated for the EE Rising Star award, now in its 20th year, alongside Marisa Abela, Jharrel Jerome, Mikey Madison and Nabhaan Rizwan. And he’s in excellent company; some of the previous winners are now among the biggest in the industry today, including Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart, John Boyega, Tom Holland, Lashana Lynch, Emma Mackey and Mia McKenna-Bruce. 

And he’s still wrapping his head around the nomination from the UK’s biggest awards show. “It’s crazy. I used to watch the Baftas as a kid, sitting there with my mum in our tiny two-up two-down house,” he says. “I do the work that I really love and enjoy, and I honestly don’t think anyone’s watching. To get noticed is such a big – and welcome – surprise.”

He shouldn’t be too surprised, as his star is well and truly racing through the cosmos. His upcoming projects alone attest to his talent, with roles in two directorial debuts: Colman Domingo’s Scandalous (with Sydney Sweeney) and music legend Frank Ocean’s currently untitled project. 

Ahead of the big ceremony on 16 February, we took the chance to chat with Jonsson about the popular culture moments that have shaped him (and continue to do so).  

The TV series I always put on when I don’t know what to watch…

The Office, the British one! I must have first watched it when I was five or six. It was on at about 9pm, when I definitely shouldn’t have been up. It was all the rude jokes you weren’t allowed to say. It’s a hug, even though it’s so inappropriate. 

The book I always tell people to read…

I’m a big reader, and if I had to pick one, it would have to be The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I’ve read it about five times. It’s an amazing book and not just because it’s brilliantly written. It’s spiritual, and it really grounds me. It reminds me of the things that are in your control and the things that are totally not. And I think in this industry that I’m in, it’s extremely applicable.

The film I wish I’d starred in…

The Social Network. 

The podcast I auto download… 

There’s one I love called Make Art Not Content. Have you heard of it? It’s about an artist’s journey and how great artists like Basquiat or Jeff Koons started out. In this day and age, people make art with the intention of selling it, and this gets away from that. It sounds a bit pretentious, but it’s really brilliant. 

When I want to feel cultured …

If I’m going on a date, I always go to the Tate. You can’t get better, especially when you go down to the Turbine Hall. 

The best meal I’ve eaten recently …

It has to be in Japan. For one meal, I was made this chicken and rice dish, which sounds so uncultured, but it was so so good. 

The best thing about London …

This is going to sound like a really annoying answer, but 100% it’s the people. And this becomes more prevalent the more I travel. This year alone, I’ve been to four countries, and there’s no knit of people who are more well-wounded than London. We’re not perfect, but I love being a Londoner. I’m proud of it.

I’m usually listening to…

I have playlists for all my characters, so I’m always listening to something for them. Once that role is done they’re archived [laughs]. But when I’m when I’m thinking about myself. I’m always listening to some form of jazz. Recently, I’ve been really into Billy Strayhorn. 

Before the Baftas, I need to watch…

The Brutalist. I’ve been away so much, but can’t wait to see it. I loved Anora – and shout out to Mikey Madison, a fellow nominee. It’s provocative and funny and twisted – all the things I love in cinema. And I thought Sing Sing with Colman Domingo was remarkable. 

I’d love to see the entertainment industry…

Representation is a big thing. The people who have come before have made it possible for me to have this career, and that humbles me. But something that’s becoming more and more important to me is the kind of movies that we finance. I think we’re taking fewer risks, and that can be damaging. 

The EE Rising Star award is the only award at the EE Bafta Film Awards to be voted for by the public, you can vote online here.

Portrait photographer: David Reiss
Stylist: David Nolan
Grooming: Courtney Reece Scott
Stills: Disney