
Jodie Comer's unusual ways he chooses new roles after eye-opening moment
Jodie Comer says she relies on her instincts when choosing new roles to play. The actor, 32, will be in a touring version of the play Prima Facie and stars in new post-apocalyptic horror sequel 28 Years Later.
Looking back on her work in Free Guy, a 2021 action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds, she says it gave her a moment of clarity about her career: 'It was my first film and I had the most amazing experience on that job – they were just the most gentle, inclusive, supportive people, and it was incredibly fun… But I realised, when I was coming home, Ah, there's something I'm not feeling. I feel like I'm not stretching. Or not discovering. And I realised that it was the emotional part of it. I wasn't exercising [that] part of myself.'
Speaking to GQ, she added: 'I realised that's actually where I get my fulfilment – trying to find those places. If the instincts aren't there, if I'm not excited by it, then I just don't want to go near it because then I'm pulling from an artificial place. It feels almost dishonest with myself.'
In 28 Days Later a virus called 'rage' has obliterated the country. But in real life she struggles to summon up her own rage and it often turns to another emotion.
Jodie said: 'I've realised my own [rage] just immediately goes to a very emotional place – my anger can so quickly go to tears. I think I swallow it as well,. I think, as women, we suppress it and that's probably why I have trouble accessing it – I've done that so much that it feels kind of foreign, like I'm not quite sure where to pull it from.'
The actor, who is best known for playing Villanelle in BBC spy series Killing Eve previously starred in a run of Prima Facie in London's West End in 2022. It follows the story of a barrister named Tessa, who specialises in defending men accused of sexual assault, and whose view of the legal system changes after she is sexually assaulted herself.
Speaking about the reaction to the play from men, she said: "I imagine it's quite confronting, I don't know. Maybe also, when they read what it's about, they think, 'well, that's not something that's directed at me'.
"I imagine, for a man, it will force them to look back at their own behaviour, which I imagine would be - or could be - potentially very uncomfortable. But (sexual assault) isn't 'a woman's issue', you know what I mean?"
She added that a male police officer who had visited the show wrote a letter to the production afterwards. Jodie said: "I don't think I've had a deep, meaningful conversation with many men about the play, actually.
"I do know there was a male police officer that came in one night, and he wrote in to the production.
"He was kind of saying, 'this is me - I see myself, and I recognise the kind of work that needs to be done as a police officer'."
The actor, who is best known for playing Villanelle in BBC spy series Killing Eve, said many women had contacted the production after seeing it to share their personal stories.
Speaking about the interactions, she explained: "It's so beautiful, and it's so rare, for someone to look you in the eyes and share something of themselves, and there's so much that isn't said, but even in just the briefest of moments, it's like, 'that was me, or, I feel that'."
* The Heroes Issue of British GQ is available via digital download and on newsstands on 10th June..
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jack Osbourne says his dad Ozzy's final months were filmed for a BBC documentary
's final months were filmed for a BBC documentary, his son Jack has revealed. Osbourne made his remarks in today's Weekend magazine in an interview conducted before Ozzy's death at the age of 76 this week. Ozzy's youngest son, 39, told the Mail at the time of the interview that cameras were there filming Ozzy and his wife Sharon in their Buckinghamshire mansion. The series Home To Roost originally promised to follow the couple as they returned to their home in Buckinghamshire after 20 years of living in the US, but is now likely to be more of a tribute to the late rock star. He also confirmed that his father had finished an autobiography titled Last Rites, which is due out in the autumn. Jack also spoke excitedly about his work as co-producer on the much-anticipated biopic on his father. He promised there would be lots of drugs, groupies and mayhem in the dramatic retelling, but also Ozzy and Sharon's love story. He said: 'Right now it'll take place over the Sabbath era and early 1980s. We're definitely going for a more adult rating for the film. 'This is by no means going to be a fluff piece.' Oppenheimer's Oscar and Bafta-nominated Florence Pugh has been touted as a prospective Sharon with Hollywood funnyman Bill Hader as a possible Ozzy. Lee Hall, who wrote the Elton John biopic Rocketman, has submitted a draft script. 'Right now we're going through a rewrite with Craig Borten, who wrote [Matthew McConaughey-starring] Dallas Buyers Club,' Jack said. Five days before the interview with Jack, Ozzy had played a farewell concert in front of 40,000 at Birmingham's Villa Park and around 5 million watching on the live stream to belt out their classics such as Iron Man and Paranoid as he reunited with his band Black Sabbath for the first time in eight years. The plaudits following the gig were incredible, as his son told him afterwards, urging him: 'Dad, you've got to see these reviews – they're all amazing. Everyone loved the show and your performance.' Jack said watching his dad on stage was 'very emotional. Just to see him up there doing his job was great. We were all tearing up.' His dad, however, remained nonplussed and replied with his typical blunt wit: 'Lot of f***ing good that does me. I'm retired now!' In the interview, Jack gave no clue that Ozzy's demise would be so soon. He said: 'Listen, everyone gets old, everyone slows down as you age – it's part of the journey. 'I just try and support him as much as I can. We all do.' In a statement issued by the Osbournes after his death, they remarked that during his final moments, 'he was with his family and surrounded by love'. Kelly Osbourne said she had lost her 'best friend' following the death of her father. In a heartfelt message posted to her Instagram stories on Thursday, Kelly shared lyrics from the Black Sabbath song Changes, a track she famously re-recorded with her father. 'I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,' she wrote next to an emoji of a broken heart. Released in 2003, their re-imagined duet hit number one on the UK singles chart. The duo became only the second father-daughter act to top the charts, following Nancy and Frank Sinatra's Somethin' Stupid in 1967.


Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Gregg Wallace: I'm not a groper, sex pest or flasher
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has pledged to clear his name following his sacking from the BBC and said: 'I'm not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher.' The 60-year-old defended himself and described being grouped with sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards as 'horrific'. In his first interview with The Sun at his home in Kent, he said his aim in speaking out was not 'to play the victim'. Wallace lost his job following complaints from a number of women over the years. 'There's so much that I want to say, and so much that I want to put right, if I can,' he said. 'I'm not saying I'm not guilty of stuff, but so much has been perceived incorrectly. Things that really hurt me and hurt my family.' The former TV star, who did not take a fee for the interview, added: 'I'm not a groper. 'People think I've been taking my trousers down and exposing myself – I am not a flasher. 'People think I'm a sex pest. 'I am not. 'I am not sexist or a misogynist, or any of it. 'There never were any accusations of sexual harassment. 'I have seen myself written about in the same sentence as Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards, paedophiles and sex offenders. 'That is just so, so horrific.' 'I don't expect any sympathy' Wallace, who is married to wife Anna and has a six-year-old son, Sid, said he was still learning about himself and had done so over the past eight months as he was diagnosed with autism back in January. 'I know I have said things that offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time,' he said. 'I understand that now – and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry. 'I don't expect anyone to have any sympathy with me but I don't think I am a wrong 'un.' A total of 45 of 83 complaints have been upheld in the wake of a report into Wallace's behaviour by law firm Lewis Silkin. The complaints were made by 41 people and during the course of his career he worked with 4,000 people, who were cast, crew and production; 0.5 per cent of people had criticised him. But he admitted the figure was too high. He also lent his support to former MasterChef co-host John Torode and said: 'He's not a racist.'


Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Netflix viewers rush to watch 'compelling' reboot of classic Scottish crime series
The recent reboot of the famous Rebus has been added to Netflix as viewers are just discovering the world of Detective Inspector John Rebus and they can't get enough A modern retelling of a legendary Scottish crime drama has quickly become a hit on Netflix, with viewers calling it "absorbing" and "compelling" as it climbs the streaming platform's top TV show charts. The revamped Rebus series originally premiered on the BBC last year and is inspired by Ian Rankin's long-running Inspector Rebus novels. The first book, Knots and Crosses, hit shelves in 1987 launching a franchise that has since grown to include 24 titles. With most of the stories set in Edinburgh, the series follows the investigations of the complex and gritty Detective Inspector John Rebus and has made a massive impact on the British crime fiction scene - accounting for around 10% of the UK's crime novel sales and consistently selling over 500,000 copies per release. Back in 2000 Rebus was first adapted for television, with John Hannah taking on the title role. The show continued until 2007, with Ken Stott leading the cast in later seasons. The new version introduces Richard Rankin, known for his roles in Outlander and Burnistoun, as a younger Rebus bringing a fresh energy to the character while maintaining the dark tone that fans love. The synopsis reads: "The story follows Detective John Rebus as he deals with an infamous Edinburgh gangster, at the same time dealing with the aftermath of his divorce and a changing workplace." Critics were quick to praise the reboot, branding it as "terrific" and describing Rankin's performance as "alluring." Similar fans have praised the reboot, with many taking to Rotten Tomatoes to review the series, with Rebus having an impressive 100% rating on the review site. One fan wrote: "This is a very good series. Richard Raskin is much different from Ken Stott, but he's great in the role. I also liked Rebus' partner and ex-wife, too. This series reminded me of Crime, starring Dougray Scott." Another viewer simply stated: "Very good series with a likable lead." While one viewer praised the casting, saying it had him hooked, as they said: "The casting was great. Rankin is a sympathetic and handsome lead. I like the fact that none of the main characters are without fault and all have their vices. I was sucked into the story and watched the whole season over a number of days." Speaking to the BBC about his role as Rebus, Raskin said: "Rebus is an iconic character in Scottish literature and television. It already has such a huge following. That aside, it was within the first ten pages of episode one that had me absolutely hooked." "I could tell Greggory Burke [the show's screenwriter] was doing something new and exciting with this. It felt real, it felt dark, and it felt charged." He added that the series was a "dark, cinematic and gritty character drama." The show's debut episode drew an impressive 6.3 million viewers across all BBC platforms and later went on to win three RTS Scotland Awards. Now that the series has landed on Netflix, a new wave of viewers are discovering (or rediscovering) the world of Rebus. Fans will be pleased to hear that a second season has already been confirmed. According to the BBC, the upcoming storyline will see the detective "uncover the links between the violent world of the Edinburgh drug trade and the city's law and finance sectors."