Advertisement

Dunkirk star Jack Lowden 'proud' of Morrissey film England Is Mine

Dunkirk actor Jack Lowden has told Sky News he had a "magical" time making his latest film England Is Mine.

The film is an unauthorised biopic about The Smiths singer Morrissey before he was famous.

It is the second film featuring the actor that cinema-goers will be able to watch this summer, with Lowden also playing a pilot in Christopher Nolan's World War Two drama Dunkirk.

But he says he is not getting fed up of the attention.

"It's not been relentless, it's fun - it's always fun to talk about something that you've done, and especially things that you're proud of, and both this and Dunkirk are certainly in that category," Lowden told Sky.

"It's just great for people to see it. I want to sit with my family, because I was away for five/six weeks and they didn't see anything and then for them to see what you're doing for those five/six weeks, you know, living another life, it's always quite fun, I get a buzz out of that."

England Is Mine has received mixed reviews from those close to The Smiths and Morrissey himself.

Lowden admits he is conflicted when considering the frontman's thoughts on the movie.

"I do care to a certain extent because it would be great for him to watch the film, but I don't care at the same time because I made it for me and Mark [Gill - director] and all the crew," he explained.

"That five weeks in Manchester, it was just such a magical time. It was just brilliant, it was so - to a certain extent - slapdash because we only had five weeks and it was made with a lot of love.

"You didn't have too much time to dwell on scenes, so to watch it eventually, finally to watch it, I was pretty amazed by it, and so proud of it. So if he likes it, he likes it; if he doesn't, he doesn't."

The biopic focuses on the musician's life before he formed The Smiths, and ends with him meeting the band's guitarist and co-songwriter Johnny Marr.

Lowden believes that many people will relate to his character's struggles as a teenager, and admits that is what drew him to the part initially.

"I mean yes I heard it was a film about Morrissey and I thought, ooh, that's interesting, that's different, but when I read the script the script just made me laugh and I could sympathise with so much of what he went through in it, because he's a teenager.

"In the film he has it [talent] deep down and he just can't get it out. His hesitation and his anxiety prevent that.

"Which is what happens when you're a teenager. I think you're either on the other end where you don't care about anything and you're all rebellious, or you're like him where you're too scared."

England Is Mine is out in cinemas in the UK on Friday.