JOE ALWYN FOR GQ GERMANY – THE 2025 MEN OF THE YEAR ISSUE
“Hollywood star Joe Alwyn is making classic values cool again. He seeks out challenges in his work with the greatest directions.”
Joe Alwyn is not looking for great fame, but for the perfect roles for him.
Eloquent demeanor, a reserved nature, impeccable manners – these are the qualities that define the gold standard of a worldly gentleman. But in the age of social media, these attributes have become rare. Joe Alwyn is an exception. He embodies these classic values. Observing his public persona, he stands out from the vanity fair that is Hollywood with his decency, depth, and inner peace. The fact that he comes from an educated, culturally rich London family and also wears impeccably tailored suits completes the picture.
Joe Alwyn wins GQ Man of the Year
When “The Brutalist” emerged as one of the top Oscar contenders earlier this year, it was also a banner moment for the 34-year-old Briton. With the epic film about immigrants to the US, in which he played one of the leading roles alongside Adrien Brody, he solidified his reputation as a master of complex characters – and also boosted his chances of becoming the next James Bond. Alwyn could well be a guest at the next Academy Awards ceremony. His new film, the Shakespearean drama “Hamnet”, is already generating considerable buzz. Most recently, he appeared on stage at London’s Bridge Theatre alongside Alicia Vikander in Henrik Ibsen’s “The Lady from the Sea.” This year, he's also one of our GQ Men of the Year. A perfect opportunity to talk to him about his work.
GQ: Congratulations on the GQ Men of the Year Award!
Joe Alwyn: Thank you, it’s a great honor. I’m specially looking forward to coming back to Berlin.
Do you know the city?
I hadn’t been back since I stopped there with some friends on an Interrail trip when I was 21. I’ve forgotten the details, but we were kicked out of the hostel where we were staying and forced to leave the city abruptly. I loved it there, so I’m even more excited to be going back.
Joe Alwyn’s first major role in the theatre
You’re currently performing in London for three hours almost every night. How are you doing?
I’m a bit tired, but I’m okay. We have Sundays off, but that’s not quite enough time to fully recover. It’s enough to wake up next Monday with something like jet lag and have to start all over again. It’s fun, but we’re all pretty exhausted.
This is your first time on a big stage, right?
Yeah, I haven’t been on stage since drama school. You usually only do two or three shows for agents, friends, and family.
Where did the desire to go into theatre come from?
I’d want to do this for a long time, but I didn’t know how, with whom, or what the right project might be. Then I came across Simon Stone, an Australian-Swiss director and writer. I’d read a lot about him and seen a film about his hit play “Yerma,” for which I’d tried for ages to get tickets. But the screenings were always sold out. So I was familiar with his work, and when he asked me if I wanted to work with him on Ibsen, I was fascinated. I’m very glad I said yes.
You studied literature and drama, so you're a theatre expert. Why did you choose Ibsen in particular?
That's very kind of you, but I'm definitely no expert. You know, I haven't even read the original text. Simon asked me not to. It was really his working method that interested me. I knew he takes old texts and reinterprets them in strange ways to highlight their contemporary relevance. This means that at the start of rehearsals, there's no play. He hasn't written anything. You don't even really know who you're going to play. So he said not to read the original, even if your character is based on a role in it. I said, "Okay, I'll just trust you. You're going to give me something fun." And then you come to rehearsal and you kind of sit around, chatting throughout the day, but not even necessarily about the play. Every couple of days, he might come in with a few new pages, and you just sit together and read them.
How did you experience this way of working?
You're not standing on your own two feet. It's a very strange, slow, peculiar process because the finished piece is only ready for its premiere very shortly before. We only rehearsed the play in front of an audience on the day of the premiere. So you just sort of keep going and go a little crazy.
“It’s in the nature of this job to always have to start over.”
The play has been running since mid-September and is receiving high praise from critics. Are you still nervous before you go on stage?
Good question. In the first few weeks, you're full of adrenaline. The way Simon works, he's constantly changing the play. He cuts scenes, rewrites them, and you get notes about what's new. So I'm kind of on my feet all the time because I have to have internalized all the changes right up until the last minute before the performance. I now share a dressing room with my colleague John Macmillan; he's wonderful. We sit there together in the hour before the show and do a few superstitious rituals. We talk. We listen to music. And we drink a cup of tea.
That's very British of you. What do you drink after the performance?
Definitely something stronger (laughs)!
Does a kind of routine actually develop when you play the same piece six days a week?
What you're describing is something that kept me from acting in the theater for a long time. Because you have to perform every night, I thought I'd just be repeating myself. But in reality, there's a great deal of freedom because I can do it differently every night. A film is self-contained. The moment a scene is shot, it stays that way forever. In the theater, you can be inspired by the audience every night. The Bridge Theatre seats 1,100 people. That's quite large, but it still feels intimate. You can sense whether they've come for Ibsen or to laugh, whether they're focused or not. That influences the way I act. That's why it always feels alive and always different, never boring or stagnant. It's fulfilling to be out there, and that's something I've never experienced to this extent before. It's completely different from film, where you sit in a trailer all day, waiting to shoot a ten-minute fragment that doesn't fit with the next scene. Yes, our stage collapsed once, and things can get chaotic at times. But it's all great.
As an actor, you're constantly part of a new, ad-hoc family where you have to completely open up and be vulnerable, and which then falls apart again after a certain time. How do you deal with that?
Yes, it's strange. It's wonderful because for a short time you feel very, very closely connected in a very special way. As you say, you're vulnerable with each other. You talk about things you might not tell other people—and then it's over, and you say goodbye. It's in the nature of this job to constantly start over. There's something truly beautiful about that because you're always searching and having these hopefully wonderful experiences. But it's also exhausting.
Joe Alwyn on a life in constant motion
Do you sometimes wish for something other than this constant artistic wandering?
There are times when I think about what it would be like to always have the same workplace with the same people around me. But when you're freelance, that anchor of stability simply doesn't exist, and that has many advantages, but also brings with it a certain amount of strangeness. But yes, when we're finished with the play, I'm really going to miss the people I've been seeing every day for the past three months.
You are friends with your colleagues Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott. So it seems possible to maintain close relationships even after filming has ended.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with so many lovely, funny, and kind people, many of whom are still a part of my life. I see some of them regularly, others only occasionally. But because of the projects we've shared, it feels like we were just together yesterday. My closest friends are mostly still the people I went to school with when I was twelve. None of them do the same job as me. I like that we've all known each other since we were little. I enjoy that balance between people who work in the same industry and people who have known me forever. But I feel really lucky with my jobs—I'm thinking of Chloé, with whom I filmed "Hamnet," and Aneil, with whom I worked on "Hamlet." I've been friends with both of them for a long time.
His role in “Hamnet”
With "Hamlet" by Aneil Karia and "Hamnet" by Chloé Zhao, you now star in two Shakespeare films.
Both jobs came about primarily because I knew these people. I met Chloé in 2017. We became friends and talked about wanting to collaborate someday. We kept seeing each other over the years, and when she finally said, "I'm working on this project. Would you like to be involved?", of course I was. I've known Aneil since drama school. So yes, I've been lucky enough to have people around me whom I admire creatively, but who I also simply get along with well. I love them as friends.
"Hamnet" tells the story of William Shakespeare's more or less forbidden love for a woman named Agnes and how this relationship is said to have inspired the play "Hamlet." You play Bartholomew, Agnes's brother, who, in a way, legitimizes the marriage. What did you see in this role?
When I read the script, I felt that Bartholomew stood beside Agnes like a tree—calm, almost stoic. He's like her guardian angel, always by her side, at her wedding, at births, and at deaths. I also liked that the two of them grew up together in the forest, as outsiders and separated from everyone else, so there's this deep connection between them. I felt that he's someone who resists change and is afraid to let Agnes go—both for good reason. He's quite suspicious of William and doesn't understand why she wants to take the leap to somewhere else. I felt that he sees a certain selfishness in it. In Bartholomew's life, everyone is leaving—starting with his deceased parents. He wants to keep Agnes close and has reservations about William, but he still has enough magnanimity to trust Agnes's love for William and let her go. All of this makes Bartholomew a truly complex, yet gentle and good person.
Joe Alwyn's connection to Shakespeare
The film reaches its greatest strength right at the end. In a performance of "Hamlet," Shakespeare appears in the role of the ghost, and the immense power of Shakespeare's dramas becomes palpable. Do you recall an early encounter with one of his plays?
As a child, I was once on holiday in Wales with my family and saw an amateur theatre performance of "Hamlet" in the ruins of a castle. I didn't really know what was going on, but the mere fact that it was a castle and people were fighting with swords was enough for me. I remember sneaking into the film adaptation of "Hamlet" with Ethan Hawke on tiptoe. I was maybe ten years old; the film was rated for ages 12 and up. I even had a mouse named Hamlet once. Later, when I saw Ben Whishaw play the role on stage, it really made an impression on me. So I feel like this play has been with me my whole life, as is the case for many people who love Shakespeare.
You named a mouse Hamlet?
Embarrassingly, yes, I did. So you can imagine what Hamlet means to me.
Which Shakespearean character would you most like to play?
I could name many, but let's be honest: Hamlet is at the top. It's simply so well-written and universal. We can all find ways to identify with him.
In your career so far, you've acted in many historical films, some of which required you to ride a horse. Now, on the cover of GQ, you're once again seen with a horse .
Poor horse. I was sitting on him in leather trousers. I hadn't ridden in a long time, so I enjoyed the shoot.
The actor's biggest challenges
Were you already familiar with horses, or did you have to learn for your roles?
As a child, I went riding a couple of times. Once, my father was supposed to watch me, but he didn't, and then I fell off the horse. So my experiences weren't exactly great. But for the roles in "The Favourite," "Mary Queen of Scots," "Harriet," and others, I received riding lessons, which I really enjoyed. That's why I was so happy to be sitting on the GQ horse.
For "The Favourite" they also had to learn some extraordinary, very funny-looking dances.
That was a lot of fun, too. Partly because my co-star Rachel Weisz and Yorgos Lanthimos, the film's director, were there. You don't usually see that kind of dance in historical films. It was crazy, strange, modern, and silly.
What was the biggest challenge a role has ever presented you with?
I once learned to play the clarinet, but never got the part. My first film, in which I played a soldier…
"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" directed by Ang Lee...
That's right. The role required the most physical changes and the most new skills from me. I went to the US and spent two weeks at a Navy SEALs boot camp learning how to use weapons and things like that. It was really exciting. Because it was my first job, everything was incredibly intense. Looking back, I feel like the boot camp almost killed me. But it was a fantastic experience.
“I have always been quite selective in choosing my roles. When it comes to who I want to work with, I can rely on my gut feeling.”
Joe Alwyn on Yorgos Lanthimos
That was almost exactly ten years ago, and you've had a remarkable career since then. What has been your biggest motivation during this time?
I've always been quite selective when choosing my roles. When it comes to who I want to work with, I can rely on my gut feeling. From the beginning, I've tried to find people with their own voice, people who do something special. If I meet people who are creative and with whom I get along well, then I want to learn from them. It's always been about finding something that I myself would like to see or be. That meant saying no to a lot of things and perhaps waiting a little longer here and there.
"Whatever Lanthimos asks of me, I'm there and I trust that he will create something unique and special – whether it pleases just one person or a million people."
By "selective," you probably mean that you've chosen truly complex, challenging characters. I imagine that directors like Ang Lee, Chloé Zhao, or Yorgos Lanthimos greatly appreciate this quality. The latter is considered one of the most influential directors of our time; besides "The Favourite," you also collaborated with him on "Kinds of Kindness." What did you learn from Lanthimos?
Trust. I loved his films even before I met him. He often has actors do strange things, but he makes sure they feel comfortable and safe. I think he's unique, and I like his artistic sensibility. I trust him. Whatever Lanthimos asks of me, I'm there, trusting that he'll create something unique and special—whether it appeals to just one person or a million.
How did you two meet?
After "Billy Lynn," I received many offers, and as I mentioned, some of them were larger roles. But none of them interested me as much as the supporting role in "The Favourite." So I auditioned for it. However, the initial focus was on casting the female roles, and that took a while. In the meantime, Yorgos and I chatted for an hour on Zoom. We talked about all sorts of things; we didn't even discuss the film. We discovered we clicked, and he offered me the role.
Will Joe Alwyn be the next James Bond?
Now, you might soon be offered a completely different role: You're on the list of potential new James Bond actors. Do you like 007?
Like most people, I grew up with the James Bond films and still watch them today. I really love them.
The discussion about the next Bond has been going on for years. You know some of those on your list very well. There's your friend Paul Mescal, for example, with whom you also made "Hamnet." Do you laugh together about the constant rumors?
To be honest: I know just as much as you do. I'm a big fan and just as curious about what happens next as everyone else.
Since the beginning of 2025, creative control over the Bond films has rested with Amazon's film studios, ultimately with Jeff Bezos, and not with the British studio Eon Productions. As a Briton, does this feel to you in a similar way to how the theft of the crown jewels from the Louvre felt to the French?
That was me, by the way, haha. As for James Bond: Well, I don't know. I haven't really thought about his English origins. The upcoming films will also involve great writers and great directors – and they'll make something fantastic out of them.
Joe Alwyn also consults with his mother about roles.
What is your process when you receive a script and try to understand the character you are supposed to play? Do you work on the role alone, or is there someone you discuss it with?
It varies from project to project. I start by developing my own thoughts, questions, ideas, and references. Communication with the director is also crucial. Sometimes, right from the beginning, it's a really nice exchange about ideas, about what we've heard and seen. Sometimes scenes are even rewritten. But there have also been times when I've asked friends or family members to read something and give me their opinion. You know, I really value my father's opinion. Sometimes I even ask my mother to read a script. They're simply wise, and I trust them.
Her mother is a psychotherapist. I imagine she's a good person to talk to when it comes to understanding characters .
That's why I enjoy talking to her about my work. She's spent her life listening to people and understanding why they are the way they are. She really has a knack for it. So, yes, that's very helpful.
Cinema can be understood as a school of empathy. A good film almost always explores how we should treat one another and how we can overcome ourselves. "Hamnet," for example, is a film about how people grapple with the terrible pain of loss through theater and writing.
I completely agree. It's probably easier and safer to market a film as a romance between two people, but that's not really the case here. It's more about a kind of metamorphosis. About how, in order to move forward, you have to grieve and process what has happened. Yes, "Hamnet" is about the power of art to enable change, processing, and healing.
If we were to look at the world we live in from Shakespeare's perspective, would it be more of a comedy or a tragedy?
Perhaps it's both. Perhaps it's the same thing! I mean, you have to find the comic in tragedy and vice versa. Life is both, and they're probably quite closely related.
Joe Alwyn's greatest gift is being able to preserve the joy of playing.
What would you describe as your biggest personal challenge of the past ten years?
Probably the ability to trust myself. In fact, I'm only playing this piece now to return to what it's really all about.
You need to explain that.
When the lead actor, Andrew Lincoln, and I meet in the evenings, he always says how lucky he is to be able to tell this story with this group of people again and again. That he gets to play around, make mistakes, and try things out. That was a really important lesson for me, because otherwise I sometimes would have forgotten that I was supposed to be having fun. If you get too preoccupied with how something will turn out, what other people will think, or where it will lead professionally, then you destroy the joy, which is really the whole point. That joy was the reason why I loved jumping into the dress-up box as a child. So I held onto the idea that we are truly lucky to be able to tell stories. I get to enjoy it and trust myself.
What is the greatest gift your career has ever given you?
These are some of the people she brought with her. The ability to retain a childlike quality and never stop playing. Yes, playing.
Watch the German trailer for “Hamnet” here:
“Hamnet”, in cinemas from January 15, 2026
