Industry star David Jonsson reveals why it was important his new prison drama didn’t feel “exotic”

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David Jonsson quickly became known as a talented young actor after his breakout role as Gus in the first two seasons of the TV show Industry. He’s continued to impress in a variety of films, including Rye Lane, Alien: Romulus, and The Long Walk.

The winner of last year’s BAFTA Rising Star Award is now appearing with Tom Blyth, known for ‘People We Meet on Vacation,’ in ‘Wasteman.’ This intense prison drama marks the first feature film directed by Cal McMau.

The film draws inspiration from actual footage secretly filmed inside prisons using smuggled cell phones. At last year’s London Film Festival, director Jonsson told TopMob that he wanted to portray the brutal truth of prison life, rather than the often-glamorized versions seen in typical Hollywood movies.

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From the beginning, we intentionally avoided creating something sensational or that celebrated violence,” he explained. “Those kinds of movies definitely have their place, and some are even good, but we had a different goal with this project.

I was so happy to hear that the show teamed up with this amazing charity called Switchback! They do incredible work helping people who’ve been in prison get back on their feet and rebuild their lives – it’s just a really positive thing to see.

He explained that the people involved were incredibly supportive. Half of them felt like part of the creative team and helped shape not only the story’s world, but also the characters themselves. Starting with that strong foundation allowed them to build a truly exciting and believable narrative rooted in real-world elements.

Everyone is impacted by the prison system, as we all contribute to it through our taxes. It’s a system that could really benefit from some changes.

I’ve been following Jonsson’s career, and it’s amazing to see ‘Wasteman’ finally come to life! I understand it was a real passion project for him – he actually auditioned way back in 2017, before anyone really knew who he was. He’s said himself how surprised he was that the film even got made, calling it a bit of a miracle, which is so heartwarming to hear.

He explained that filmmaking is incredibly challenging. He’d just finished school when he auditioned and initially wanted to focus on theatre, as it was a familiar and beloved art form. However, he received a script that deeply resonated with him, reminding him of the people he’d known while growing up in East London.

He felt confident after his audition, believing he’d done a great job. When he didn’t hear anything for months, he figured he hadn’t impressed them enough to get the part. However, the truth was the movie never got made because of issues with financing.

When Jonsson rediscovered the script, his recent success gave him the influence to produce it himself, in addition to acting. This allowed him to shape his character and make it feel modern and authentic.

He explained that the timing wasn’t right before, but everything felt perfect now. He also said he couldn’t have imagined working with anyone other than Tom, and that their pairing was exactly as it should be.

Wasteman is released in UK cinemas on Friday 20 February 2026.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering both theatrical releases and streaming titles. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed films of all types.

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2026-02-16 16:06