Joe Alwyn begins his career in cinema with the lead role in an Ang Lee movie, which is certainly one way to introduce yourself. Taking on the title role in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, he speaks about his surprise, and joy, when being asked to take on this part, when we spoke to the actor in London to mark the release of the movie.
Telling the story of a young soldier who returns to the US a war hero, despite feeling like anything but, we examine the inner mechanics of soldiers risking their lives in the Middle East, and Alwyn tells us what research he did to help get into that mindset.
He speaks about how unique an experience it is making a movie, and what it was like working opposite the likes of Steve Martin and Kristen Stewart, with the latter playing his on-screen sister, determined to persuade him to stay at home. Finally, Alwyn, who hails from Britain, talks about his next project Keepers, where he stars alongside Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan.
Synopsis
The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn, who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, has been hailed as a hero and brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the Iraq conflict with America’s celebration back home.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is released on February 10th
