Revealed by “Enola Holmes”, Louis Partridge has since attracted an armada of young fans. The 21-year-old London actor, also a Prada ambassador, is now being courted by Hollywood. In “Disclaimer”, from October 11, 2024 on AppleTV+, he plays a traveler whose night of unbridled sex with a young married mother has tragic consequences. We met him at the Venice Film Festival, where he made his relationship with singer Olivia Rodrigo official.
Were you not afraid to confront such a character in this series?
When I auditioned for the role and got the job, I didn’t know the whole story and didn’t know that my character had two faces. It wasn’t until director Alfonso Cuarón sent me the script that I realized I had to play two incarnations of Jonathan.
How did you react?
I was surprised that Alfonso didn’t warn me during the audition. I consider these two versions to be different characters because nothing really connects them. The subjective point of view of the narrator, in one case Jonathan’s mother and in the other the heroine of the series, determines how Jonathan is perceived by the viewer.
How did you approach the sex scenes with your playing partner?
It wasn’t easy. Leila George and I worked with an intimacy coordinator who mapped out our every move so we knew exactly what to do and felt safe. For the violent scenes, I motivated myself by doing push-ups and punching things to get angry and get my heart rate up.
Jonathan is a photography enthusiast, are you too?
My girlfriend just bought me a device and I love it. But Alfonso had to explain to me how to look like a pro because I had never handled a device like that before. He was very picky because he knows his stuff and apparently I was doing everything wrong.
Acting, a vocation?
I wouldn’t say that. I love this job and get jobs, which is great. But when I see myself on screen, I always tell myself that I could have done better. I can’t believe I’m on the same show as Cate Blanchett, one of my idols.
Are you done with “Enola Holmes”?
I don’t know. I’m up for making a third film because I like the team working on it. In my next series, “House of Guinness”, I don a top hat to play the boss of the Dublin brewery in 1868. I adopt an Irish accent and drink unlimited Guinness, it’s fun on the whole line.
