Why Josh O’Connor initially turned down ‘Challengers’: “I’d not played someone like that before”
Despite lying low in the industry and maintaining a rather enigmatic presence, Josh O’Connor is one of the most in-demand British actors working today.
After his star-making turn as Prince Charles in The Crown, O’Connor rose to the front and centre of our collective radar, swiftly winning a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award for his tortured yet compassionate portrayal of the royal asshole. But while some know him best for his work in television, the actor has stacked up an equally thoughtful film career that boasts work with the likes of Alice Rohrwacher, Kelly Reichardt and Luca Guadagnino.
However, given that a lot of his work is very understated and subtle, something that is particularly obvious when looking at his recent choices in deeply naturalistic and human dramas like The History of Sound and La Chimera, there was one polar opposite project that elevated him to new heights, even though he wasn’t immediately keen on portraying his most boisterous character to date.
The work of Luca Guadagnino has always divided audiences, yet there is no denying that he is a force to be reckoned with, and we are lucky to be living in a time when he is creating new films so consistently. Whether it be Bones and All or his upcoming drama After The Hunt, the director has dabbled in every genre under the sun, something that led to unprecedented mainstream success after dipping into the erotic world of professional tennis.
Challengers might just be Guadagnino’s biggest film to date, with a compelling central trio led by Zendaya, Mike Faist and O’Connor. The story follows a determined tennis player called Tashi Duncan who sees her career on the court come crashing down after an injury, instead becoming a coach and watching her husband and former boyfriend compete against each other.
While it was a hugely successful film for everyone involved, the repressed romance between Faist and O’Connor was one of the most beloved elements, with the actor playing a cocky and down-on-his-luck tennis player who loves stirring the pot between his former best friend and ex-girlfriend.
Despite being perfect for the role, with an effortless charm that somehow makes you like Patrick while knowing he is the walking definition of ‘bad news’, O’Connor described his initial hesitation at taking on the role. The actor explained, “The script came into my life in a roundabout way. I was living in New York and I didn’t have many friends, so my agent suggested I go on a ‘friend date’ with Justin Kuritzkes, who’d written the script for Challengers.”
Adding, “He asked, ‘Which character do you feel you could play?’ And I said neither. It was about brilliant tennis players, and I’m not a good tennis player. My eventual character, Patrick, was outlandish and confident, and I’d not played someone like that before. Eventually, Luca got in touch and said, ‘You have it in you.’”
Sometimes, the characters people don’t connect with are the ones they are most suited to play, allowing someone to completely lose themselves in a part that they aren’t personally attached to. If there are no similarities, then you don’t feel weighed down by any of your own traits, giving O’Connor a blank slate and the perfect opportunity to reach outside of his comfort zone and add to the electric and relentless energy of Challengers.
