Despite having worked on a British children’s series as a kid, Jack Bannon hit a wall in his career during his teens. Instead of going to drama school, he reached out to his professional network, which led to a meeting with an agent who got him an audition for “Endeavour,” a series he’d end up working on for five seasons. Bannon now leads his own show, Epix’s “Pennyworth,” on which he portrays Alfred Pennyworth, future butler to Bruce Wayne, in the 1960s.
How did you land your first agent?
I did some television as a kid, a series called “The Giblet Boys,” about three brothers. I did that when I was about 13. I never had an agent. They came to Norwich, where my family lives and where I grew up, which is about 100 miles away from London. I did that, finished school properly, and then I applied to loads of drama schools for two years running. I had varying degrees of success, but I ultimately didn’t get in anywhere. I was doing a youth theater play in Norwich with a young director who said to me, “Well, you’ve got all these contacts from kids’ TV”—at this point, it was about seven years [later]. Luckily, my mom had kept a unit list of everybody who worked on the production. I emailed everyone you could imagine—even props guys, costumes, everybody—just saying, “I’ve hit a bit of a brick wall, career-wise. I wanted to go to drama school but I couldn't get in; do you have any advice?” Various people got back to me, and I ended up coming up to London and having a coffee with one of the producers. She put me in touch with Lindy King, who’s now my agent. I went to see Lindy; she hadn’t seen me act. It was a coffee under the guise of [getting] any advice. I’d had a meeting with another agent, just from cold calling and emailing, a month before this, and it was a disaster. That taught me what not to do. I managed to keep Lindy interested for a few months, and she got me one little audition for a thing called “Endeavour.” [It] was one scene. And I ended up getting the job.
How to Find an Agent in London What was your first day on a professional set like?
I think the great thing is, when you’re a kid, you have absolutely no inhibition and you’re naturally inquisitive. I learned so much because I wasn't afraid to ask questions. I remember feeling so excited every day to go to work. It was like magic to me, seeing all these departments each doing their own thing but it all adding up to one common goal. I would go around to all the trucks—it was probably quite annoying to people—going, “Why are you doing that? What does that button do?” It was an invaluable learning experience for me. I was able to do it under the guise of being an inquisitive kid.
What was your first big break and who was the casting director who cast you?
Obviously, “Pennyworth” is the biggest thing. But for me, really, “Endeavour” was the thing that set the ball rolling. Even though it was a very small part, it was my audition for Lindy King at United [Agents] as well as my audition for the role. It meant that I got an agent. A casting director called Susie Parriss cast “Endeavour.” It was [originally] one scene in Season 1 of this ITV drama, and I did five seasons of it. It was a lovely job.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be afraid. I was always a bit apologetic about being in places, [thinking,] I don't want to ask that question. You don’t want to bother people a lot of the time. But you’ve got to be a bit bullish and get it out there. Generally, 99% of the time, humans are wonderful, generous people. You can’t be afraid to ask a question. But aren’t teenagers all a bit like that, really? Whereas now, I'm much more able to ask the questions, to ask for help.
What is your worst audition horror story?
I’ve had several! There was one week when on Monday, I was auditioning for a malnourished Jew in “The Book Thief” who hid in a basement. On Wednesday, I was auditioning for a Greek Adonis with flowing blond hair. You’re in the room and you’re reading and you can just see the glazed look on everybody’s faces. You know you're not right for either, and it’s a complete disaster. There have been some where I’ve gone to the wrong place. There’s a studio in London that has changed locations three different times. I’m sure many actors have shown up at the wrong gate at the wrong time. That can work in your favor, though. I was late, got on the wrong train, was like an hour late for an audition, and I had three auditions that day. Therefore, it was a knock-on effect and I was going to be late for them all, and I ended up getting all three jobs from that one day. It can work in your favor, but don't be late!
What’s the wildest thing you've ever done for a role?
I actually auditioned recently for something—which I won’t mention—and I got “Pennyworth” hair and makeup [team] to put a wig on me.
How do you typically prepare for an audition?
We’re so preoccupied now with learning lines. If I have an audition, I know my lines a hell of a lot better than I would going on set. Obviously, I know my lines when I go to work, but it's less important, it’s more about what’s going on. I try to bring that to auditions now. I tend to start with the voice a lot of the time. If I can get their voice, the rest can come. If I can't find the voice, I find that quite frustrating. I spend a lot of time walking around my flat talking it out, trying to find the character through the voice.
How Mark Rylance Became One of Our Greatest Living Actors What's one performance every actor should see and why?
I saw Mark Rylance in the play “Jerusalem.” I sat in the theater with my jaw on the floor. I couldn’t believe how he’d done it. Heath Ledger’s Joker was another one for me. I’m fascinated by performances that are huge and brave, but at the same time, nuanced and grounded in reality. It sounds mad to say that Heath Ledger's Joker was grounded in reality, but I think it was. And I think it’s a testament to the amount of preparation he must’ve done for that.
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