Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who appears on our 2023 Hollywood cover, has played John Lennon (Nowhere Boy), a cowboy-boot wearing psychopath (Nocturnal Animals), and a self-made superhero (Kick-Ass). But it was his recent role as a smart-ass assassin, crackling with charisma opposite Brad Pitt in the slick action-comedy Bullet Train, that has given him a rocket boost. Speaking from the home in Somerset, England, he shares with his wife, filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson, and their children, the Englishman told VF about working with Pitt, the horror of social media, and, yes, that James Bond buzz.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson: I’ve just done a 27-hour travel day, so bear with me. I might have left my brain somewhere in the Middle East.
Vanity Fair: You were in Australia for David Leitch’s new film, The Fall Guy. Leitch used to be a stuntman for Brad Pitt, and the movie is about a stuntman working for a movie star. You play the movie star. Was Brad an inspiration for your character?
My character’s far from Brad. I don’t want to give away what my character is like. But Brad was very much a team leader and a mentor [on Bullet Train]—someone who has this incredible ability to have a presence on and offscreen. You get actors at his level that are probably a little threatened by any other actor who might shine. But Brad’s guiding us along to have a good time and succeed. He’s a joy to work with.
What opportunities have come your way since Bullet Train?
The first one [takes off hat]…Sorry, my hair’s blond right now. It’s quite shocking. The first one was Kraven, Marvel’s new antihero in the Spider-Man Universe. With Bullet Train, there was an auditioning process, screen test, and many different things to get through. And then out came the offer for Kraven [without any audition]. That was special. I shot that last year with Russell Crowe, who was brilliant.
Bullet Train had a really positive response. Certain things have a nice energy around them. From that comes interesting conversations. You’re hot for a quick second and then it goes again.
What about these rumors you’re in talks to play James Bond?
It’s flattering. You can have something really positive [written about you], but you can also have something really negative that can circulate. You just want to stay in your lane, stay grounded, stay around the people that you love and love you back, and stay in that world. Because the moment you start believing the shit people say about you, you’ve lost your fucking mind. You’ve lost it.
What have you realized about Hollywood in your 20-odd years as an actor?
I’ve seen, especially from Nocturnal Animals, you pick up an award or something, and then the next day it doesn’t really amount to anything. It’s just these materialistic things. What’s real in my life are my kids and my home. Those are my rock and my center.
The work is what I enjoy. That’s the creative part of me. That’s the thing that I get the endorphins and the high from—being around great actors, working with directors, digging deep into characters where you’re really feeling vulnerable and on a path. It feels therapeutic.
What’s your relationship with social media?
Naturally, I’m pretty awful at it. I’d rather not carry a phone. I only started carrying a phone when my kids went to school and I thought, I’d better have a phone for emergencies.
I ended up getting social media for the press tour for Avengers…. I had it for a few years. I found it really toxic and clogging up my imaginative brain space. Also, I’ve got a teenager. Being a parent that was like, “I’m going to have it, but you can’t” seemed ridiculous to me. It’s the way it was when we were kids and it was like, “I want to smoke.” And your parent goes, “You can’t smoke, it’s bad for you.” And you go, “You smoke a pack a day. Why can’t I have a cigarette?”
On top of that, there’s a lot of love on Instagram but there comes a whole bag of shit and anger towards you. When you’re in our profession, you build up a thick skin, but certain things still hurt. I put it to bed at the end of 2018 and brought it back for Bullet Train. There was a healthy gap. I felt like, if I do bring it back, I’ll have some boundaries with it.
Who did you look up to as an actor when you started out?
I was a big fan of Brad when I was a kiddo. I loved his presence onscreen. He really was the master of cool. Being able to work with him later on in life, and him actually be a great person and great, giving actor…that was cool.
Did you tell him any of that when you worked with him?
No. [Blushes.] I don’t do that. There was others. I remember Gary Oldman being a shock to me, because I’d watch three or four movies and think it was a different actor [each time]. Then I’d wait for the credits to find out who played that character, and Gary Oldman just kept on popping up. I wanted Gary Oldman’s thing. I must’ve been 13 and I was like, Oh, that’s what an actor is.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
