He realised then what would support him throughout his career: casting crews want to buy a real life version of the character. To win was to be yourself. And so, he does as little acting as possible. Which is true – in front of me, Joe is Woody, he’s also Vinnie, his Brassic character, and all the others he’s been. He could always rely on that agent, who believed in him during a fractious time and changed the course of his life. “I always wanted to be successful but I didn’t want to do the stuff to get there – like turning up and being vulnerable.” ⠀ The trouble with turning up and being vulnerable is that there’s nowhere to hide. Around this point in the interview, Joe becomes convinced that his depression has made him sound overly negative. He’s not seemed cynical at all, rather, realistic on miserable subjects – famous actors, social media, modern life – and when I assure him of this, he seems genuinely unburdened, tiny weights lifted off both shoulders. “Aww, cheers, mate,” he says, fist-bumping me. Back at the car he swings around and says, “Right. We’ll go to my mum’s caff, have a brew and a bloody chat.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B9EYPlVI_CQ/?igshid=1u2rszov6qlza