Will Merrick on F1 The Movie and filming with Brad Pitt

Joseph Kosinski's F1 The Movie is this summer's big blockbuster. With a massive ensemble cast comprising Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Kondon and even Lewis Hamilton himself, it's a pretty big deal. And getting a role in it, is the sort of dream job for burgeoning actors.

Will Merrick, who you might know best for his part in Skins and Richard Curtis's About Time, caught this lucky break. The 32-year-old actor landed the role after a chance, but somewhat planned, encounter at a party in London, and the rest is sort of history. Rubbing shoulders with Pitt became the norm for the best part for 18 months, and Merrick's star is shining brighter than ever. We sat down with the young actor to talk about what it was like filming the massive movie, as well as working those titans of the film industry...

Gentleman's Journal: How are you feeling about the release of the film?

Will Merrick: I kept seeing Brad, Damson, Kerry and everyone in maybe Mexico City. They're on the big press tour now. And I was like oh it's happening. I feel like it's everywhere. The other night I was showing my mum my Instagram and I was like, 'Look, Mum, it's everywhere. Look at all my discovery page," and then I realised that's my algorithm. My whole algorithm is F1. But it's great to see that the film actually is everywhere.

How did you land the role?

So I think I got it in April 2023. It's actually quite a good story. I was at a drinks party for a screening of a TV show, My Lady Jane. I was in a hotel in Soho, in the bar with a few other actors. Someone came up to me that I didn't really recognise and she said 'Hi, Will Merrick. I'm a casting director, and I need to see you out in the corridor right now', and then she disappeared. I thought it was a joke. And then she came back 15 minutes later and she was like, 'what are you doing?' I was like, 'who are you? I don't know who you are.' She then took me out into the corridor, one door down, and I went into this strip light bare hotel room. The casting director Lucy Bevan was there, who I know, and they explained I'm on the list for this role. I'm stood there, a little cut but not really cut, and I was panicking thinking I was going to have to audition right there and then. I put my champagne and cocktail sausages down and met Joe Kosinski. He was with Jerry Bruckheimer. They asked if I liked F1 and I, not really liking F1, said "I love F1".

So did you get the role there and then?

No, an audition came through and then I had a painful two months of waiting. And then…I got the role. I never figured out why they were there that night, but in my head of old school Hollywood movie making, they're in a Soho hotel so presumably they're doing auditions for like much bigger roles than me.

How did you end up on that list?

Lucy [Bevan] and I had a good relationship at that point, because I had auditioned for Barbie and got really close to quite a big role. I got offered a smaller role instead and so I did that. Then I auditioned for Johnny English, and didn't get it, but obviously I did something right. Lucy's a really unbelievable casting director in the way that she roots for you, and if you put in the work, she'll then put you up for more roles. It's all down to her that I got this film.

And so what is your role?

I can tell you that I play a character called Hugh Nickleby, who is a race engineer for a struggling team hanging around the bottom of the leaderboard called APXGP. They're a little bit down and out and they're on their last legs in terms of investment and support. They then get an old driver back on their roster in the form of BP (Brad Pitt). It kind of goes from there. My character has got used to losing and I guess the film is about re-finding that fire and self-belief.

Do you like Hugh?

I do! There's a quietness to him, which I like. And I think that's nice, amongst a film that's quite flashy, that there's a quietness. And I like his relationship with Sonny, who is Brad's character, because it's fun to see Hugh having very little faith in this guy to start with, and watching that journey.

What do you think people will find surprising about the film?

I'm asked, 'how did they do the driving?' a fair bit. And it's not effects; he's in the car. He's in it; he's in the car. Everything you're seeing is happening. You're seeing footage of a literal race - the literal Budapest or Mexico or whatever Grand Prix. You're seeing the footage of the cars on that day on that track. Brad and Damson are driving around the track at 108 miles an hour. And I think so many people will watch the movie and think it's not them driving at all.

So did you get the role there and then?

No an audition came through and then I had a painful two months of waiting. And then I got the role. I never figured out why they were there that night, but in my head of old school Hollywood movie making, they're in a Soho hotel so presumably they're doing auditions for like much bigger roles than me.

How did you end up on that list?

Lucy [Bevan] and I had a good relationship at that point, because I had auditioned for Barbie and got really close to quite a big role. I got offered a smaller role instead and so I did that. Then I auditioned for Johnny English, and didn't get it, but obviously I did something right. Lucy's a really unbelievable casting director in the way that she roots for you, and if you put in the work, then she'll put you up for more roles. It's all down to her that I got this film.

And so what is your role?

I can tell you that I play a character called Hugh Nickleby, who is a race engineer for a struggling team hanging around the bottom of the leaderboard called Apex GP. And yeah, they're a little bit down and out and they're on their last legs in terms of like investment and support. And they get an old driver back on their roster in the form of BP (Brad Pitt). It kind of goes from there. My character has got used to losing and I guess the the film is about re-finding that fire and self-belief.

Do you like Hugh?

I do! There's a quietness to him, which I like. And I think that's nice, amongst a film that's quite flashy, that there's a quietness. And I like his relationship with Sonny, who is Brad's character, because it's fun to go see Hugh having very little faith in this guy to start with, and watching that journey.

What do you think people will find surprising about the film?

I'm asked 'how did how did they do the driving?' a fair bit. And it's not effects, he's in the car. He's in it; he's in the car. Everything you're seeing is happening. You're seeing footage of a literal race - the literal Budapest or Mexico or whatever Grand Prix. You're seeing the footage of the cars on that day on that track. Brad and Damson are driving around the track at 108 miles an hour. And I think so many people will watch the movie and think it's not them driving at all.

Did you learn anything from the pros, such as Lewis Hamilton?

Lewis is pretty unbelievable. There was crazy weather one day - it was raining and then it wasn't raining. Lewis is one of the best at navigating the unpredictable conditions. I spoke to a lot of pros that said the way that he can read the track and feel the dry spots is pretty superhuman.

What did you learn from the big actors?

Really, that they go to work like I go to work. I can't do what they do, yet. Maybe one day. But, like, they go to work in the same way. They learn their lines and they try and figure out things, find truth and make it interesting and find passion in the character. I think I expected to see something different, but I watched them work and just work, and they do the same work. It was kind of more inspirational because you're like 'oh my god, they're just people and they're just doing their job.' They're just having fun doing it, and they're endlessly kind. You can be at the top of your game, be generous to people up and coming, share your knowledge and work hard at the same time. It quelled any thoughts that you need to be difficult or superhuman to be at the top. Brad is the hardest working person I've ever seen.

Were you nervous about working with them?

Yeah man. Brad was like a hologram. I couldn't comprehend it. It took a while to dial in that he was Brad Pitt.

How did this compare to say, previous films?

Well with About Time we rented a big house and really had a chilled experience. People would be like 'should we try that scene now?' or 'What time is it? Should we have a cup of tea?' It was a very Richard Curtis vibe, naturally - it's like romantic and a bit like 'oh yeah, totally man.'

F1 was so different. It was very technical; there was a lot to learn. We had to know the races, the fictional race that is not obviously happening in front of our eyes, but also the real Grand Prix. I spent a lot of time on the pit wall in the dugout; that's kind of where my character exists on the computer. I mean, when you're filming with a live sport and in the sport, there are cars going at like 200 miles an hour around a track, it's serious business. It's serious business. And the sport was unbelievably forgiving with us.

What're you working on now then?

We're in pre-production for something I've written and I'm producing. So we are pulling the last bits of funding together. We're working on the latest draft and starting to think about casting. I didn't always know what I wanted to do and I kind of thought maybe I would also start directing at some point. But I found writing and I think writing and acting go nicely together. I love what Will Sharpe is doing, he's sort of doing both at the same time. He's so fantastic as an actor, but then he's a brilliant writer-director. Flowers is amazing. Craig Roberts too.

Can you imagine if you hadn't gone into that back room at the hotel?

Crazy. I have always hated this idea when people say it's just about luck isn't it because you get a lot of 'you're in the right place at the right time,’ and I think no it's not it's all hard work and consistency. And then that happened and I'm like ah yes maybe true...

What's some good advice you've had?

I heard this Philip Seymour Hoffman says "Do everything you're offered. Don't turn your nose up at anything, because everything you get offered is an opportunity to practice what you do." I really love that quote because it just is humbling. And with this industry and the profession I do, you can very easily get lost in all the thrills and all the flashing lights of it all.

Did you always want to be an actor?

It never crossed my mind at school that I'd have a career on screen. I thought if I'm gonna be a professional actor all I would do is like theatre and not in like a snobby way, but that's what I thought I'd end up doing. If I'm allowed to continue to play interesting characters, that's enough to sustain me.

Is there anyone you want to play?

Pete Doherty. I think he's so interesting. I am probably getting too old to play him, if they do a Libertines biopic, but he seems like a lovely guy.

Photographer: Barley Nimmo

Styling: Nathan Henry

Grooming: Charlie Cullen

Styling assistant: Diego Tarabal

Now read an interview with Interview actor Sagar Radia

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