Josh O’Connor skilled the splendor of Cannes in 2023, when he was there with Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera. This 12 months, he’s again with two motion pictures in competition for the Palme d’Or: Kelly Reichardt’s artwork heist image The Mastermind and Oliver Hermanus’ The Historical past of Sound, by which O’Connor stars with Paul Mescal.
Whereas en path to the New York set of the untitled Steven Spielberg/Amblin/Common movie the place he’s been forged alongside Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson and Emily Blunt, O’Connor mentioned of Spielberg, “He’s nice. He’s the dream, one of the best on the earth,” however he admits being on set makes him miss dwelling and tending to his fig bushes and greens.
DEADLINE: What can you say concerning the Spielberg film?
JOSH O’CONNOR: I’ll let you know what I’ll say. It’s like old-school Spielberg. I believe individuals will likely be excited.
DEADLINE: Once you say old-school Spielberg, what does that imply?
O’CONNOR: Shut Encounters, E.T.; that world.
DEADLINE: And do you play an American?
O’CONNOR: I suppose I’m in my American interval in the intervening time.
DEADLINE: Which brings us neatly to Reichardt’s The Mastermind.
O’CONNOR: It’s the Nineteen Seventies. The Vietnam Conflict was happening. Kelly’s actually one in all my favourite filmmakers on the earth. Really. There’s a handful of administrators that I’ve dreamt of working with, and Kelly’s one in all them. So, I’ve had one of the best time working together with her. It’s within the conventional Kelly vogue. It’s wanting on the world via the folks that fall between the cracks and never essentially the individuals you’d anticipate. Typically, she’s taking a look at artists and stuff like that, and it’s acquired that vibe. It’s nearly like she’s wanting on the Vietnam Conflict, however averting her eyes.
Josh O’Connor in ‘The Mastermind’
2025 Mastermind Film Inc
DEADLINE: How so?
O’CONNOR: It’s within the background, actually. It’s about this man James Mooney who’s desperately attempting to assist his household and make a reputation for himself. He’s form of a failed artist. He works as a carpenter.
DEADLINE: Reichardt has spoken previously about taking a look at characters positioned within the perimeters of society. Is James in that class, do you assume?
O’CONNOR: I suppose in my head, after I hear “perimeters of society,” I might usually decide somebody ostracized indirectly or left behind. And in some ways, this character isn’t that. He’s middle-class, he’s from a superbly good household, however he’s within the outdoors of society insofar as he lives fairly a plain life, an unfulfilled life. That’s what’s pulling him to make a reputation for himself. It’s nearly extra tragic in that he simply feels forgotten. He simply looks like a daily Joe. And I suppose Kelly’s asking, “What’s worse than being common Joe?” For somebody who has a giant ego, that’s not nice.
DEADLINE: Does he have a household to boost?
O’CONNOR: He’s acquired two children, two boys and a spouse. Alana Haim performs my spouse in it.
DEADLINE: The place does Reichardt set the story?
O’CONNOR: Outdoors of Boston, within the Cambridge space, however we shot in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is architecturally very attention-grabbing for the interval we’re in, the ’70s. Once more, it’s that middletown, quiet suburbia.
DEADLINE: He sounds just like the forgotten white man who in modern phrases may need voted for Donald Trump.
O’CONNOR: When you’re wanting in the intervening time in time, that’s the relevance. An attention-grabbing angle on it, is that capturing someplace like Ohio because the election was simply happening was a really attention-grabbing place to be, and that’s the place J.D. Vance is from.
I believe, politically, that interval within the ’70s for America and the Vietnam Conflict was actually attention-grabbing. Kelly is diverting her eyes to the politics all the time in each movie. It’s there within the background and she or he is speaking about it, however she isn’t. It’s like, she’s by no means crude about it. It’s not apparent like in so many scripts I learn, and in lots of motion pictures, and I perceive why. They’re motion pictures which are constructed to, “How can we get these items awards?” [With Kelly] a tear could be welling up in a scene and she or he’d be like, “Minimize! What are you doing? We don’t cry in these motion pictures.” She’s the antithesis of that. She needs to maintain it actual. She doesn’t wish to get too earnest about issues. There’s a lightness to it. There’s comedy, however there’s depth.
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DEADLINE: Yeah, I believe Reichardt would reasonably be educating movie class at Bard Faculty than chasing awards, proper?
O’CONNOR: That’s not the first goal. She’s not in search of that.
DEADLINE: So is James the chief of the artwork thieves? I see John Magaro, a Reichardt common, can be in it. Is he within the gang of thieves?
O’CONNOR: The vast majority of the movie is my character on the run. We come throughout John Magaro, who’s an outdated pal of mine from artwork college, and there are all kinds of characters I come into play with. Todd Haynes had this nice quote about Kelly, the place he mentioned, “The factor a few Kelly Reichardt film, is it’s like a street film that by no means fairly hits the street.” They by no means fairly get that pleasure.
DEADLINE: And how much paintings does he steal? Is it modern? Are they Outdated Masters…?
O’CONNOR: It’s somebody who’s the right reply for this, as a result of it’s somebody who will not be headline-grabbing in any respect. It’s somebody value a bit of cash, however not fairly value what they need to be value. It’s Arthur Dove [a pioneer of American abstraction]. His paintings is type of surreal, nevertheless it’s additionally, effectively, for my part, not that enticing. It’s humorous as a result of he’s sensible and he would promote for cash, nevertheless it’s not stealing a Picasso. Even in his grand thievery it’s form of underwhelming.
DEADLINE: Reichardt’s father was against the law scene investigator—do you assume his career influenced the movie indirectly?
O’CONNOR: I bear in mind pondering, “Oh, that is smart to me,” only for somebody who’s led by story to have grown up in that setting. However as soon as we set to work it wasn’t talked about an terrible lot. So, I believe it’s within the background. These aren’t tales that come from her father or something like that, however I think about it should’ve had an affect on her.
DEADLINE: Some have commented, “This doesn’t sound like a Kelly Reichardt film.”
O’CONNOR: I might say as a Kelly fan, I watched this film, and you’ll see Kelly Reichardt in it. You may see all the humor. You may see the messaging that’s not overt or crude. I believe individuals gained’t be disenchanted.
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DEADLINE: Reichardt as soon as commented that what actors do “stays very mysterious to me. I attempt to keep out of their approach. We’re collectively looking for a personality.”
O’CONNOR: That actually resonates with me. I believe that’s so true. Though, simply to counter it a little bit bit, I might say, the factor is that initially, she loves that thriller. She loves that she doesn’t perceive what we do, however I believe she understands greater than she makes out. I believe really she has a really clear concept of who the characters are. However, like every sensible director, and I’ve been lucky sufficient to witness this, there’s this actual reward you may have as a director the place you say you’ve got an concept. And reasonably than go to the actor and say, “That is my concept, OK? Do it.” You simply discover a approach of permitting the actor to find the identical concept you all the time had within the first place, as a result of we then really feel like we’ve an possession over it. And that’s to not downplay what actors do in any approach. She’s labored with a number of the greats, like Michelle [Williams]. It’s simply that I believe Kelly undervalues her expertise and she or he does have these concepts. What you’re doing is becoming right into a Kelly Reichardt imaginative and prescient, and it’s a negotiation, in fact, however she is one way or the other imprinting these concepts in us. That’s my perception anyway.
DEADLINE: How does she infuse her movies with the disparate stripes of her life: educating, what she views in artwork galleries, her longtime friendship with Todd Haynes?
O’CONNOR: To begin with, she’s an artwork lover. She loves movie so very a lot. She’s a kind of filmmakers that has an encyclopedic information of films, significantly outdated motion pictures. We’ve usually forgotten with Kelly, she does educate at Bard. She’s an awesome trainer. Once more, that’s an analogous factor to being an awesome director. She labored with Todd Haynes in the beginning. She’s labored in movie for years in several roles and capacities. She went to artwork college, she’s acquired all that historical past there, and it simply comes via in all of her motion pictures. It’s simply Kelly. It’s so clearly her.
DEADLINE: Did she display any outdated motion pictures for you?
O’CONNOR: She despatched me some documentary footage from the ’70s. I can’t bear in mind the identify of it, however that was extra simply to get this concept of how households are collectively. There’s a few scenes [in The Mastermind] the place it’s Invoice Camp, Hope Davis, me, Alana, and all of us sat across the desk.
DEADLINE: The place is Vietnam within the film?
O’CONNOR: It’s type of an undercurrent of the film. We don’t go to Vietnam. We don’t ever actually speak about it. There could be a quick second over the dinner desk the place Invoice Camp feedback on it. And the rationale it’s an undercurrent is like, here’s a man of age who isn’t at warfare.
DEADLINE: You’re additionally in The Historical past of Sound, which is predicated on a 2018 brief story by Ben Shattuck. You play David and Paul Mescal is Lionel, and so they meet in a Cambridge, Massachusetts bar in 1916 and bond over regional people songs.
O’CONNOR: Then they go on this journey. The movie follows Lionel who has this synesthesia, the place he can see coloration and see and really feel feelings when he listens to music. He additionally has an unbelievable singing voice. And David is like an archivist and has a fascination with amassing the outdated people songs of America. After which they go on this very stunning journey collectively. And I’m going lacking for a very long time.
DEADLINE: David performs the piano. Are you able to play it?
O’CONNOR: I couldn’t play the piano till I did this film. I nonetheless can’t, however I can play it higher than I may. I took a number of classes and I simply realized in the long run. I’d wish to assume the reality is I didn’t have an awfully very long time to prep for this film, and I jumped in between tasks. He’s a really stunning character that’s so significant to me and to the film, in fact, however I didn’t have an terrible lot of time, so I simply realized these songs on piano.
Josh O’Connor with Daniel Craig in ‘Wake Up Useless Man: A Knives Out Thriller’
John Wilson/Netflix
DEADLINE: The unique brief story is about time and reminiscence and the little issues that matter over time.
O’CONNOR: I believe it’s that factor of what the movie does extremely effectively is it performs into that feeling of nostalgia and remorse and loss. I got here in and so they shot all of my stuff, which is generally this touring via America which could be very stunning. In order that was actually simply beautiful. We did that for a few weeks, then I left. Then I used to be on Challengers, after which I used to be capturing Knives Out [Wake Up Dead Man]. So it was all type of busy and I felt like that film was over. However in fact they’d all the remainder of the film to shoot. And after I noticed it, seeing what they’d accomplished, what they created with out me was simply … I used to be so happy with them. It was such a pleasant feeling. However what’s so stunning about it’s this sense of music and of music. Once you take heed to a bit of music and it transports you to a sure place or a time, and if you happen to shut your eyes, you may really feel like you’re really there.
DEADLINE: Shattuck writes concerning the songs they gather being full of tales of individuals’s lives. Did you are feeling that connection to neighborhood?
O’CONNOR: David is a connector, he pulls individuals collectively, however his final goal is to gather these songs. Whereas Lionel, Paul’s character, begins to see that what they’re getting isn’t simply these songs. As you mentioned, it’s neighborhood.
DEADLINE: Did you and Paul Mescal go on any pub crawls in New England? After which, in fact, you labored on Rian Johnson’s newest Knives Out with James Bond [Daniel Craig] and Andrew Scott in precise England.
O’CONNOR: I want we did. I’m so boring these days. I’m in mattress by 9 o’clock. I don’t know what’s occurred to me. However no, I’m afraid I didn’t. However we had a good time. And on Knives Out, James Bond was in it, Andrew Scott, a few of my closest associates. It was beautiful. Regardless that I’m once more enjoying an American, we shot it in London. So, it was the primary time I could possibly be dwelling for ages.
DEADLINE: Photographs of you in clerical garb within the Knives Out film jogged my memory of Mr. Elton, the village vicar you performed within the Jane Austen movie Emma.
O’CONNOR: I mentioned to Rian Johnson, “My favourite function I believe I’ve ever performed was Mr. Elton.” I bear in mind after I noticed that film, pondering, there’s all these sensible actors, Johnny Flynn, Anya [Taylor-Joy], Mia Goth, Callum Turner, all these guys are doing one film after which me and Tanya Reynolds are doing, I don’t know what we’re doing, nevertheless it’s not the identical film. However I had the time of my life. Sadly, I’m not allowed to go fairly so excessive on this film.
Josh O’Connor as Mr. Elton in ‘Emma’
Focus Options/Everett Assortment
DEADLINE: Having starred in Guadagnino’s Challengers, are you continue to concerned in his display model of Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s novel Separate Rooms?
O’CONNOR: Sadly not. Luca’s working on a regular basis. He’s such a busy bee and rightly so. We’re continually speaking. He could effectively do it, however sadly it gained’t be with me.
DEADLINE: Are you aware what you’re doing subsequent?
O’CONNOR: I’m capturing this summer season in Europe with an American director, extra of which I can’t say. However then I’m going to go and do another stuff for a little bit bit. I really like my ceramics, I really like gardening. My poor backyard is struggling after I go away. And I’m undoubtedly wanting ahead to a while to simply strive another issues and perhaps get again on stage. It’s been too lengthy. There are conversations round varied locations. Possibly not completely in London as effectively.
DEADLINE: Is the thought to work with various administrators who aren’t right here within the UK? In fact, UK actors have all the time flown the coop and returned dwelling later.
O’CONNOR: I believe there’s a component of that. Like Alice Rohrwacher’s who for me is … the filmmakers I all the time beloved have been Pasolini, Rossellini, Bellocchio, to me she’s that. Luca’s a hero of mine. However one in all my first movies, with Francis Lee, was God’s Personal Nation within the UK. I believe he’s one in all our greats. And he’s extraordinarily considerate. And due to that, his movies come after they come. You need to wait. However I’ll all the time work with him once more. I believe we’ve additionally suffered a little bit bit within the British movie trade with arts funding being lower. And I believe that’s been troublesome for locations just like the BFI for supporting younger filmmakers. I don’t assume that’s the rationale individuals are doing extra movies in America. I believe that’s simply generally what occurs. However I’m all the time looking out to be at dwelling.
DEADLINE: How did Spielberg come-a-calling?
O’CONNOR: About this time final 12 months, I used to be in New York and on the evening of the Met Gala, I acquired a textual content from my agent saying, “Are you able to meet Steven Spielberg tomorrow for espresso?” And I used to be like, “Sure!” And I went to his workplace, Amblin. He informed me he didn’t have a script, however he informed me the story of the film and he mentioned, “Would you love to do it?” And I form of feigned, “Let me give it some thought.” However clearly…
DEADLINE: Good joke.
O’CONNOR: It was type of simple. He’s simply essentially the most particular particular person. He appears to have essentially the most unbelievable quantity of vitality I’ve ever witnessed. He comes as much as you, he whispers in your ear like an excited little one about an concept, a thought, and it’s really inspiring.
DEADLINE: Who’re the forged members you’re employed with essentially the most within the Spielberg?
O’CONNOR: Emily Blunt and myself are type of following that observe.
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DEADLINE: Are the pair of you associated indirectly?
O’CONNOR: Not directly.
DEADLINE: Husband and spouse? Siblings…?
O’CONNOR: I’ve acquired to sprint, I’ve acquired to go to make-up.
DEADLINE: Oh, you’re not an alien, are you?
O’CONNOR: Possibly. [laughing] I wouldn’t want any make-up for that!
DEADLINE: You co-wrote the movie Bonus Monitor. Are there additional ideas about screenplays and maybe directing, as a result of years in the past you informed me you’d wish to direct?
O’CONNOR: Hopefully. Possibly one thing down the road. I observed that Harris Dickinson’s acquired his film [Urchin] at Cannes, which I’m delighted about. I believe he’s actually impressed me really go and perhaps strive it. You understand what it’s like, it will get busy, however it’s undoubtedly a dream of mine.
