When David Jonsson thinks back on his first cinematic loves, he breaks into a huge smile. “Oh, this is fun to talk about,” the 32-year-old London native says, before running through a list of his favorite childhood movies: “There was ‘Mahogany,’ ‘Lady Sings the Blues,’ ‘Coming to America.’ And my dad raised us on Robin Williams films.”
Now, the “Industry” alum is a big-screen standout himself. He’s made a habit of stealing scenes in films like Fede Álvarez’s sci-fi blockbuster “Alien: Romulus,” Raine Allen-Miller’s rom-com “Rye Lane,” and, recently, “The Long Walk,” Francis Lawrence’s harrowing adaptation of the 1979 dystopian novel written by Stephen King (under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). Jonsson plays Peter McVries, a young man from a broken home who takes part in a brutal annual competition. For the 50 young contestants, the rules are simple: Keep moving forward at a pace of at least three miles per hour or be executed on the spot.
What happens? No spoilers—only to say that thanks to his soulful performance, Jonsson has already won. Here, he talks about his acting journey and why he gravitates toward the dark side.
What appealed to you about “The Long Walk”?
I knew next to nothing about the story, other than it originally came from Stephen King. The script came across my desk, and I thought it was bleak. But I’m drawn to things that are bleak. It means there’s something in the narrative that needs revealing. Whenever we take from the light and put it to dark, it means we need more light to be shined on it.
How did you establish a bond with your costar Cooper Hoffman, who plays Raymond Garraty? You two have to act like best friends in a hurry.
This is why this movie will forever live in my heart. All the boys and I really defined and found each other—not just through walking [together], but through the feeling that we were making something special. Cooper is particularly adorable and fun and silly and stupid, just like me. And he really cares about the work. So we could go from, like, messing about to then knocking it out.
Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
You’re a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. How did your previous stage work prepare you for such a physically demanding role?
When you do theater, you have to make the best out of what you have. If you can’t give at least 60% of yourself in a performance for at least eight shows a week, you should just turn around and go home, because everyone will see that on the stage. There are no excuses. So for this film, it’s all about that same stamina and discipline. Sometimes we were walking in the middle of nowhere for 13 miles a day, minimum. And in one big scene, rain was pouring down, and I couldn’t hear anything because the rain machine was near the camera. It took hours to shoot. But I knew I wasn’t going to compromise my performance.
What’s your key to perfecting a flawless American accent?
Honestly, there are only two types of acting: believable and unbelievable. I just try to do the former, not the latter. So for an accent, I try to find the layers. The first layer is being specific, because you can’t just do “an American accent”—it’s insulting. I’m from East London, and I sound weird to people from West London. Then you want to realize how a character’s personality matches into the accent. Pete is a Georgia boy. But in my mind, he’s also traveled quite a bit and is half poet, half drifter—almost like he’s a salesman.
When did you feel like you could call yourself a professional actor?
I left drama school early because I got into a show at the Almeida Theatre in London. I was only getting paid about 400 quid a week, but I was like, I cannot believe I’m getting paid to act!
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the October 20 issue of Backstage Magazine.
