Born in Hampshire, Alex Lawther, 30, made his West End debut in David Hare’s South Downs at 16. In 2014 he played the young Alan Turing in the film The Imitation Game, earning him a London Critics’ Circle award. In 2016, he starred in the Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance, and from 2017 he played the lead in Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World. He appears in the series Alien: Earth, a prequel to the 1979 Alien film, which is streaming on Hulu. He lives in London with his partner.
When were you happiest?
Last year, during four days in January, when I directed Rhoda, my second short film, in a tiny house in Camberwell with Juliet Stevenson and Emma D’Arcy.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Not getting to the point.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Mistaking shyness for not having anything to say.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?
My partner was doing a play in Hong Kong last year and I went to visit him, and I bought him a beautiful teacup. But I didn’t look at the price tag before I took it to the till and it was £100, the most expensive teacup imaginable.
Describe yourself in three words
Ponderous, over thinking.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I inherited a really huge forehead from my dad.
What scares you about getting older?
A receding hairline.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Adrianne Lenker from the band Big Thief.
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
Someone said that I had a laugh like Jimmy Carr.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
The dopamine that is released when I use my phone.
What does love feel like?
A warm bath.
What was the best kiss of your life?
I like kissing so much, I don’t think I can name a single one, but I’m always looking forward to the next one.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
I spent about five years living in Paris thinking I would become Kristin Scott Thomas, and it didn’t happen.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I would try and get to being comfortable with myself quicker.
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When’s the last time you changed your mind about something significant?
I woke up this morning thinking maybe I don’t want to be an actor any more, then I had breakfast and I thought: actually, no, I really like being an actor.
How often do you have sex?
Often.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death?
My failed driving test a few months ago. I got three majors and by the end of it the examiner couldn’t wait to get out of the car.
What has been your closest brush with the law?
At the Extinction Rebellion protests in 2019. I wanted to get arrested, but I couldn’t even do that properly.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
Sex.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
You can only do one thing at a time.
What happens when we die?
I think we go back into the earth.