ALL’S FAIR IN WAR

Success has a way of revealing who we are. The desire to get somewhere, to prove ourselves, to finally be given a seat at the table can be a powerful motivator. But what happens when the pursuit starts to matter more than the person doing the pursuing? And how much of ourselves are we willing to sacrifice to get what we want?

It is the uncomfortable territory at the heart of War, where ambition, insecurity and the need to belong collide. Archie Renaux plays Johnny Warren, a young man determined to prove that he deserves a place among people who have repeatedly made him feel he doesn't. But as opportunity gives way to compromise, Johnny finds himself caught in a game where getting ahead comes at an increasingly personal cost. His story raises a question that extends well beyond the world of corporate power: how far is too far when you have something to prove?
For Archie, the role marks another intriguing turn in a career that has taken him across very different worlds. Audiences first came to know him as Mal Oretsev in Netflix's fantasy series Shadow and Bone, before seeing him navigate the darker, more unforgiving terrain of Alien: Romulus, the mystery of The Jetty, and the lighter romantic comedy Upgraded. Across those projects, he has moved between genres and characters, steadily building a career in an industry where opportunity can be as unpredictable as it is demanding.
Yet there is an interesting contrast between the relentless drive of Johnny Warren and the person sitting across from us. Archie comes across as refreshingly grounded, self-aware and, by his own description, decidedly laid-back. In our conversation, we move beyond the mechanics of the show to explore the difference between ambition and insecurity, the cost of wanting to belong, and the importance of holding on to yourself as life and success begin to change around you.
Perhaps the question is not simply how far we are willing to go to achieve our ambitions, but what we are prepared to leave behind along the way. As Archie puts it: “No matter what your ambitions are, you have to ask yourself: at what cost do you want it?”

“ MY TAKEAWAY IS THAT HUMANITY IS WORTH SAVING. THERE’S MORE GOOD IN THIS WORLD THAN THERE IS BAD. ”

—  T’NIA MILLER

David Gargiulo __ When people meet you for the first time, what do you think they tend to get wrong about you?

Archie Renaux __ What do they tend to get wrong? When I'm out with my friends in a pub and I meet someone, they'll ask, "What do you do?" And I'll say, "I'm an actor." They'll probably assume that I'm a bit of a diva. That's because of my friendship circle and the sort of places we go to. They're not fancy. So as soon as you say something out of the ordinary, people might assume you're a bit fancy yourself, when that's not really the case.

DG __ I can tell from when we met on set that you are really easygoing.

AR __ Yeah. I'm very laid-back. I'm horizontal. [laughs] For example, yesterday, I went to meet my mate and we just watched football in a pub. Nice and easy. Especially since becoming a parent, I'm not really out a great deal. I'm not going to many events or parties. I just enjoy hanging out with my mates and family. I go around to my mum and dad's quite a lot, sit around, talk and catch up. I'm a very family and friend oriented guy.

DG __ Do your friends make fun of you when you get recognized?

AR __ A little bit, but it doesn't happen too often. They tease me. They definitely keep my feet on the ground. It's because our lives are so different. All my friends have quite different jobs. One of my best mates is a painter and decorator, another's a civil engineer, and another works in marketing. None of them, really, are massively involved in the creative world. I'm the only one from my school friendship group who's gone down that route, so it's obviously a bit funny.

DG __ You mentioned becoming a parent earlier. You’re quite young!

AR __ Yeah, I’ve got one child. She’s six. I was 22, about to turn 23, when we had her. And obviously, it was during COVID as well, so I had to grow up pretty quickly. My life changed pretty quickly, and I found it hard to adjust because I was so young. But I've found my rhythm with it now. Taking her to school, taking her to different clubs. It's a lot. It's another job, really, so my time is very precious.

DG __ And your partner?

AR __ She's a stylist. That's what makes things difficult, really. Everything with these sorts of jobs is very last-minute, so it's hard to juggle everything.

DG __ What's your daughter's name?

AR __ Iris. 

DG __ Beautiful name. Would you encourage Iris to pursue a career in acting?

AR __ I don't want to be too pushy about anything. What I definitely don't want to do is steer her in one direction or another. I want to let her find what she loves and enjoys. I think that's really important. There was a teacher at school who once said during an assembly, "Work out what you love, and then work out a way to get paid for it." That always stuck with me, and that's what I'd want for her, because then it doesn't feel like work, you know? If it's something you genuinely enjoy doing, that's the ultimate career. So if she finds something she loves, I'll encourage and support her in that. But she's still so young. She's got so much to learn and experience, so I'm not worried about that just yet.

“ I’VE BEEN SO HELLA MAD WITH GOD THESE LAST FEW YEARS. ”

—  T’NIA MILLER

DG __ That’s solid parenthood advice. Joining the world of War means entering an environment where talent alone doesn't necessarily guarantee you a seat at the table. What did you recognize in Johnny's desire to prove that he belongs?

AR __ I think it’s about proving to himself that he’s worthy. I think that chip on his shoulder is the driving force behind why he wants to be successful in this field. He has a genuine passion and love for the legal world, but I think the rejection, and the doors that don’t seem to open for him in the same way they might for others, actually spur him on. They make him even more determined to get what he wants.

DG __ He seems pretty insecure at the beginning, and then he becomes ready to do whatever it takes.

AR __ Exactly. And that can be a dangerous thing, too. If insecurity becomes the main driving force behind getting where you want to be, it can cloud your judgment and make you forget all the other reasons you wanted to do it in the first place; the reasons that come from a place of love. I think, for Johnny, that insecurity and the chip on his shoulder, that need to prove people wrong, have taken over at the start of the series.

DG __ Do you think there are times when he loses himself in the process?

AR __ One hundred percent. I think that happens throughout most of the series, especially at the beginning. He’s so close to something that, for a long time, has felt so far out of reach. It’s only when things start to catch up with him that he becomes aware of what he’s done and the guilt starts to set in. He realizes how wrong his actions are. But by that point, he’s in too deep. He can’t really go backwards; he has to see it through. So he finds himself in this horrible position where he has to go through even more bad things to get out of it.

DG __ As an actor, one thing is understanding a character and his motivations. Another is agreeing or disagreeing with the character’s moral choices. Do you think playing Johnny has taught you something you want to hold on to, or shown you things you’d rather leave behind when you’re no longer inhabiting the character?

AR __ I think the main thing is that, no matter what your ambitions are, you have to ask yourself: at what cost do you want it? If the price is hurting people, cheating your way through a career, is it really going to feel good when you finally get to where you want to be? I don't think it would at all. I wouldn't want to disrupt anyone else's career, throw people under the bus, or lie. I'd want to get where I want to be through merit, hard work, honesty, and integrity, rather than lies, deceit, and tricks.

DG __ Is there anything positive you'd like to take away from Johnny?

AR __ I think he's quite good at thinking on his feet and improvising when unexpected situations arise. He's quite resourceful in that respect, so I think that's a good trait.

DG __ Do you think that's something you have yourself, or do you feel you could be better at thinking on your feet?

AR __ I do enjoy problem solving. Working out, okay, how can I get this done? There's an obstacle, so how can I overcome it properly and quickly, without too much fuss? I quite like that.

DG __ I was thinking about how important improvisation is for an actor.

AR __ A hundred percent. Improvisation is really good. I've had a few projects where I've been able to do it, and I loved it. When you know a character well, it's great fun because everything you're doing looks natural. You're literally thinking on your feet and saying things that would naturally come out of your mouth. It's that impulsiveness that makes things interesting. You're watching people think for themselves a little and find their words. But with War, most of it was pretty much scripted, so we didn't have to do too much improvisation on this show.

“ IT’S NOT ABOUT CONTROL. IT’S ABOUT BIRTH, GIVING, BEING, AND HAVING THE FREEDOM TO LET GO. ”

—  T’NIA MILLER ON JOCASTA IN VISIONQUEST

DG __ It's more with comedy that they ask you to try different things, isn't it?

AR __ Yeah. Not that I've done much comedy, to be honest. This show actually has some comedic elements, though. I remember doing little bits at the end of scenes, like throwing up a few middle fingers and making gestures. It was funny because I wouldn't even tell anyone beforehand. I'd just try it and see what happened. If they didn't like it, they'd tell me, and we'd do it another way. I enjoy it because it adds extra layers to the character. It can also create a bit more camaraderie within a group of people. I think you need that back and forth.

DG __ Were there any funny moments that we should look out for that made it into the show?

AR __ I don't know if they made it in, but James McArdle, who plays Nick, would always give my character dirty looks at the end of scenes. If Johnny said something out of turn, I'd get a death stare from James. I think a few of them actually made it into the show. It became a bit of a running thing. Nick hated everyone in the office apart from his wife, obviously.

DG __ Were you guys making fun of him after those particular scenes?

AR __ No, no. James was having so much fun with it, and we really enjoyed it. It gave the scenes a bit more of an edge. The way he played it meant that someone like my character, who was always trying to do the right thing, would annoy him even more. You never quite knew whether he was going to like what you said or not. It was really fun to play.

DG __ The title War suggests a world where conflict is unavoidable. How do you view conflict in your own professional or personal life? Does a disagreement have to become a battle that someone needs to win?

AR __ No. It can be as simple as, "Okay, that's your opinion, I've got mine, and I respect yours." And that's it. We have to agree to disagree.

DG __ But eventually, when you agree to disagree, one of the two has to back down. That's where it gets tricky, right?

AR __ Of course. Then you have to find a solution, maybe a compromise, and work out what's a fair way to resolve the disagreement. Everything's got to be fair. Ultimately, I think if you can reach a fair outcome, there are ways of working things out.

DG __ So how do you personally approach agreeing to disagree? Is there a particular strategy you tend to follow?

AR __ Sometimes it's a matter of saying, "Okay, let's try it your way, and then we'll see if it works." If it doesn't, we'll have to reassess.

DG __ Has that happened on the show? Perhaps you wanted to approach a scene one way and another actor preferred a different approach?

AR __ Everyone ultimately wants what's best for the scene, and there wasn't anyone on this show who was selfish about it. Everyone was serving the story, so there were never really any disputes about how things should be played. I think everyone genuinely enjoyed what the other actors were doing.

DG __ Sometimes I wonder whether we're moving towards a world where competition is becoming increasingly important, and where the more aggressive people seem to be the ones winning. Do you think that's true?

AR __ It probably is, to a degree, but I don't think it's right. It shouldn't be that whoever's the loudest gets what they want, because then it just becomes a shouting match. I think there's probably quite a lot of ego involved in these things nowadays, which is a shame.

DG __ It doesn't sound like you've experienced too much of that in the acting world, though.

AR __ Big egos? The whole method acting thing can be a bit tricky, depending on how far someone takes it. It wouldn't be fair if someone came onto a production as a day player and started method acting in a way that affected everyone else. Someone higher up the call sheet might be able to get away with certain things that someone further down wouldn't. That's not really fair. I'm pretty easygoing. Whatever floats your boat, go and do it. But I'm sure there are method actors who are really good to work with, and you wouldn't even know they were doing it. I think there's a spectrum when it comes to method acting. But from what I've heard, there are some cases where it starts to eat into other people's time, and that's not fair.

“ SHE’S TAKING THE PATRIARCHY AND MAKING IT HER OWN. ”

—  T’NIA MILLER ON JOCASTA IN VISIONQUEST

DG __ It sounds like you've been lucky so far and had good relationships with the people you've worked with. Is there something about yourself that you hope never changes, no matter how much your career evolves?

AR __ My laid-back energy. I wouldn’t want that to change. I don’t ever want to be stressed.

DG __ So the ambition is to keep building a career without becoming the sort of person your friends would make fun of in the pub?

AR __ [laughs] Exactly. That's the plan.

Photography Billie Scheepers (The Visionaries), Stylist Zoe James, Interviewer Carl Ayers, Makeup Helen Asher, Production David Gargiulo & Dane Punch, Assistant Stylist Tilly Hopcraft Jones, Talent T’Nia Miller (Dane Punch PR), Documented in London, UK.

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