For any kid growing up, playing pretend fuels unbounded imagination—especially for those who are destined to become actors. “My passion [for acting] came from being a very imaginative child. I used to play pretend soldiers and cowboys and talk with imaginary friends in funny accents,” explains Lewis Gribben. “I guess my mum saw something in me because she took me to youth theatre acting classes, and that’s where it really grew.” Nabbing his first-ever role in the Ewan McGregor-lead T2 Trainspotting film, Gribben went on to secure a bounty of projects from the Deadwater Fell mini-series to leading the black-comedy film Get Duked!, but it wasn’t until the release of the drama series Somewhere Boy that things really picked up for him. “Winning the BAFTA was a huge honour and highlight of my acting journey so far. I was passionate about the project as it, rather unintentionally, kind of paralleled my life and my experiences,” he explains. “For Somewhere Boy, I brought a lot of my own feelings, emotions, and vulnerabilities to the role, which I would like to visit again soon.”

Since then, Gribben has been notably spotted in horror and crime-driven projects such as The Damned or Generation Z, and the upcoming film, The Severed Sun, that have brought the Scottish star to new levels. “It’s always fun to be a part of a fictionalized version of the world–and not with actual crimes,” notes Gribben. “With thriller and horrors, I like the fantasy, creepy and suspenseful aspects, and in particular the sub-genres. I like being a part of things that feel sort of uniquely unhinged, and where you don’t feel quite right watching them but can’t immediately figure out why.” This season, fans can expect to see more unhinged moments from Lewis with his upcoming parts in the iconic anthology Netflix series Black Mirror, ahead of his leading part in the highly-anticipated Blade Runner 2099 series, playing opposite Hunter Schafer and Michelle Yeoh. “I thought Black Mirror would be the pinnacle of what I would get to do so when the opportunity for Blade Runner 2099 came through I was blown away. It’s been a giant, whirlwind experience. It’s definitely the biggest scale thing I have been on.”

VMAN: Let’s start at the beginning—what was the spark that ignited your passion of becoming an actor? Which film that you watched early on in life holds the most significance for you?

LEWIS GRIBBEN: My passion for becoming an actor came from being a very imaginative child. I used to play pretend soldiers and cowboys and talk with imaginary friends in funny accents. I guess my mum saw something in me because she took me to youth theatre acting classes, and that’s where my passion for it really grew. Being around other kids who were doing the same thing helped ignite the spark turning something that I used to do for fun into something I could do as a career. The film that holds the most significance to me as an actor is Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. It’s a brilliant film where we see Adam Sandler in a completely different light. His character is a bit of a bizarre outsider who doesn’t really fit in with his family or those around him. We watch him fall in love with Emily Watson’s character, and to see this strange and complex character go on such a great journey is really amazing. I still love rewatching it to this day.

VMAN: You went on to win a BAFTA Scotland Award for ‘Best Actor’ for your breakout role in Somewhere Boy. Did your experience with that role inform how you approach the roles that come your way now? Are you more mindful about the projects you take on and where you want to guide your career?

LG: Winning the BAFTA was a huge honour and a highlight of my acting journey so far. I was passionate about the project as it, rather unintentionally, kind of paralleled my life and my experiences. In terms of how it has affected the roles I take; it just makes me want to pick roles that really speak to me. Regardless of the scale and size of the role or the project, I am a bit more mindful about finding roles that appeal to and excite me, that are unique and that I can bring my own personality to. For Somewhere Boy, I brought a lot of my own feelings, emotions, and vulnerabilities to the role, which would be something I would like to visit again soon but also want to explore other eccentric, complex roles in the future.

VMAN: Throughout your filmography, we’ve seen that a lot of the films and series you’re in center around the tellings of crime dramas and thriller/horror stories. What gravitates you most to these genres of stories?

LG: Yeah, they seem to be the jobs I get, I don’t really know! I have always been fascinated by crime as a genre, the whodunnits, the crimes, the detectives. And I guess as a staple of mainstream TV and film, they’re a lot of the jobs jobbing actors get, and I’ve been really lucky to get these roles. It’s always fun to be a part of a fictionalized version of the world–and not with actual crimes. It’s a genre that you can watch a million times but there is always something different you can do with it. With thrillers and horrors, I like the fantasy, creepy, and suspenseful aspects of these, and in particular the subgenres. Being involved with The Damned, which is a sort of psychological thriller, and The Severed Sun, which are both sort of cult-like, Midsommar-esque films were great because I like being a part of things that feel sort of uniquely unhinged, and where you don’t feel quite right watching them but can’t immediately figure out why. I’m really lucky to be able to cast in the genres that I really like. 

VMAN: What do you look for most from a character that you play? Which of your characters did you take the longest to understand and which was the easiest to connect with?

LG: What I mainly look for is a clear vision of who that character is. I like looking for a very human element of them, whoever or whatever they may be, that I can access and use. Like where there is something so inherently grabbable about them that I can almost feel the character through the page, I like that. The character that probably took the longest for me to get was my Blade Runner 2099 character. He goes on this really big arc throughout the show that where he ends up is very different to where he started. The nature of filming these massive series means we didn’t always shoot in sequence, so it was tough to sometimes remind myself of where exactly he is in this arc. But I had a great team and some incredible directors on set who always helped me on to the right path. The easiest to connect with was probably my character in Black Mirror, but that was because I found him to be so much like Danny in Somewhere Boy. I had less time with this character than Danny, but because I had already been in a similar character’s head space, it was quite easy to get back into it. From the minute I read the script, I knew exactly who he was.

VMAN: Very soon we’re going to see you in the upcoming season of Black Mirror. What were your initial thoughts when the opportunity came your way? Were you always a fan of Black Mirror?

LG: So, the casting process for my episode was probably the quickest casting process I have ever had! Jina Jay, the casting director for the series had seen me originally for the first revival season and then again in 2022 for season six for the ‘Loch Henry’ episode. I was really gutted not to get it because I have always been such a huge fan of the series, so when the opportunity came around again in 2023, I was thrilled to get another chance to be a part of it, I submitted my audition and was cast after one tape which was insane. I didn’t think it would be as easy as it turned out to be, but I’m really grateful for it!

VMAN: The season will have an all-star cast—how was the on-set camaraderie with those you had scenes with in your episode?

LG: I’m not able to speak about the other cast in my episode just yet but making a Black Mirror episode is just as crazy as you can imagine. The sets are incredible and everyone who I got to work with was really nice. It was a really quick turnaround so was a short but unforgettable experience that I wish could’ve gone on for longer. I’ve not seen it yet so I can’t wait to be able to watch along with the fans.

VMAN: In the fall, you’re also going to be leading the highly anticipated Blade Runner 2099 series. From what you can say about the series, how would you describe that experience thus far? What was it like working with Hunter Schafer & Michelle Yeoh?

LG: When I did Black Mirror, I thought it would be the pinnacle of what I would get to do that year so when the opportunity to be a part of Blade Runner 2099 came through I was blown away. It’s been a giant, whirlwind experience. It’s definitely the biggest scale thing I have been on. We’ve been to some amazing locations and sets which are so rich in the lore of the books and films. It felt like a proper old-school Hollywood production which I’m not used to, so it was a bit of a baptism by fire! Working with Hunter and Michelle has been amazing. They’re both so kind and warm and welcoming. It can be a bit intimidating when you’re about to work with people you have only ever seen on TV and in movies, but they couldn’t have been nicer. They both hugged me like every day on set.

VMAN: Aside from this, do you have any plans that you’re looking forward most to this spring/summer?

LG: At the moment I have just stepped into the new year with no plans. My main thing is to just see what happens. Hopefully get to work on some fun things, maybe take a holiday. But for now, I’m just excited to watch everything unfold. 

This story appears in the pages of VMAN 54: now available for purchase!

Photography Charlotte Hadden

Fashion Davey Sutton

Grooming Olivia Cochrane (Werth Represents) using Dior Forever Foundation

Videographer Matthew Labudda

Production The Production Factory

Retouching Hempstead May

1st Photo assistant Michael Hani

Fashion assistant Vini Chenoweth-Bell

Grooming assistant Berivan Er

Casting Kevin Ponce