Silent Hill movie star Jeremy Irvine calls film “wild, chaotic” as he explains his character’s role

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What’s the view from your sofa?

I recently moved into a charming cottage with lots of character. It has lovely old beams, exposed brickwork, and a large wood-burning stove, making it really cozy.

What have you been watching?

I often find myself watching shows like ’24 Hours in Police Custody’ – I even jokingly call it ‘police bodycam porn.’ When I’m not indulging in a bit of trashy reality TV, I prefer to lose myself in immersive fictional worlds, and I thought ‘Severance’ and ‘The Rings of Power’ did a fantastic job of that. It’s all about escaping reality.

Who controls the remote in your household?

In the *Outlander* prequel, *Blood of My Blood*, you portray the character of Henry Beauchamp. Did the size and scope of the production come as a surprise to you?

Starting a new show is always a bit of a gamble – you never know if audiences will connect with it. I knew the original *Outlander* was popular, but I didn’t fully understand why until I saw the set for myself. We were filming a battle scene, and it was incredibly large – comparable in scale to the World War I sets used in the movie *War Horse*.

Steven Spielberg’s War Horse was your first acting role. How do you reflect on that time?

I used to be much more stressed, and understandably so. I mostly remember being terrified and wanting to do well, but I actually enjoyed the experience. Before that, I’d never worked on a film before, so having Steven Spielberg as a mentor was incredible – he really guided me.

You contracted trench foot while filming. Did you suffer anything as extreme for Outlander?

Unlike a previous project where filming felt endless, this one was incredibly fast – just three days compared to three months. Both shoots involved a lot of action, like running around with a gun and being near explosions. It’s similar to paintball, but we used blank bullets, which was a lot of fun.

Henry suffers with PTSD. How did you research that?

As a critic, I’ve encountered firsthand the lasting impact of trauma. While working on ‘The Railway Man,’ Colin Firth and I spent time with Eric Lomax, the man our film was based on. He was a veteran who endured horrific experiences on the death railway during World War II and was still visibly affected by it years later. That experience really drove home the importance of authenticity. You simply can’t approach a story like this with anything less than genuine respect for those who’ve truly lived through such suffering; anything less would feel exploitative and frankly, unbelievable.

You previously said you were writing a historical documentary. Is that still the case?

I’ve started working on a couple of book ideas, but neither really took off. One was a historical story set during World War I, and the other focused on the Gurkhas – my grandfather had a strong connection to them.

Your upcoming movie, Return to Silent Hill, is a psychological horror film adapted from the video game Silent Hill 2. Is that a departure from the kinds of films you usually make?

The movie is really over-the-top and energetic. As someone who enjoyed the original game, I was immediately excited when I was offered the role. Honestly, I took the job because I knew my younger self would have been thrilled. It’s a fun movie to make, but constantly portraying fear was draining. My character is dealing with a severe mental health crisis and imagines monsters as a result, which made it the most challenging role of my career. I was so exhausted after filming that I went straight to a spa in Switzerland to recover.

What would you be doing if you weren’t acting?

I have a lawnmower, and I sometimes feel genuinely happy while using it. I enjoy it so much, I could even mow the grass on the side of the road!

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2025-10-07 03:16