IN CONVERSATION WITH JAMIE KENNA

interview by JANA LETONJA

Actor Jamie Kenna has built an impressively varied career across stage and screen, with credits spanning Peaky Blinders, The Crown, Coronation Street, His Dark Materials and Gran Turismo, as well as his recent turn as Ser Alfred Broome in HBO’s House of the Dragon. This year, he’s returned to the stage in Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge at Brighton Open Air Theatre and will next be seen as DS Ellis Daldry in ITV’s new police procedural Winter, which premiered on September 30. Besides that, he also has another ITV crime drama, The Blame, on the horizon.

You’ve had a particularly varied run recently, from House of the Dragon to Arthur Miller and now two ITV crime dramas. How are you feeling about this chapter of your career?
Firstly, extremely lucky. Secondly, I’m loving it. I’ve always strived to have a diverse career. I get such a buzz from being challenged in terms of roles and projects. The fact that I’m getting trusted to carry this out at such a high level is incredible. 

You’ve been starring in A View From the Bridge at Brighton Open Air Theatre. What made you want to return to Arthur Miller and this particular play?
Arthur Miller is my favourite playwright. However, I’ve never actually been in any of his plays before. So to be offered the opportunity to Play Eddie Carbone in A View From the Bridge was one I couldn’t turn down. Getting to do it in my hometown at the beautiful open air theatre was a massive bonus. It didn’t dissapoint and has now become a firm career highlight

Miller’s work can feel remarkably contemporary despite when it was written. What has struck you differently about A View From the Bridge while performing it now?
As with any great/genius writers, they are so aware of the world around them, they write on a level that sees way beyond the surface and tap into the humanity. A View from the Bridge is as relevant now as it’s ever been. It highlights topical issues such as views and reactions to immigration, toxic masculinity and mental health. It was a fascinating play to work on and like so many great plays, is so much more than was in the page. 

You’re next appearing as DS Ellis Daldry in ITV’s Winter. What initially attracted you to the series and to Daldry?
I get asked what my ambitions are a lot. One of my answers has always been, I’d love to be in a brand new series, one that everyone’s talking about. Winter gave me the opportunity to tick this box on my bucket list. In addition, I loved it. The script was amazing, and Daldry is such a great character and one I knew I could have lots of fun and bring something to.

Police procedurals are such an established part of British television. What does Winter do differently within that genre?
The police procedurals are a stalwart of our TV viewing, so we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. However, Winter has all the classic ingredients of some the best ones over the years. In addition, it has a lovely humour about it. Plus, despite having all the usual crime solving elements, it’s hugely character driven. We want to get to know these people. That’s what sets it apart, I believe.

When you play a police officer, how much research do you do into the realities of the job, and was there anything you learned making Winter that surprised you?
For this, I did a fair bit. Myself and Anabel Scholey had some research calls on Zoom with a retired police detective. It was so useful to understand the role and more importantly the world we were diving into. 

You’re also appearing alongside Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth in ITV’s The Blame. What can you tell us about your character and how that project differs from Winter?
I play the Gerry Madsen, the dad of the murder victim. This series is so raw and hard hitting. The story is based on true events and is extremely shocking. Having the opportunity to play a part in these important dramas is in a strange way a privelidge. These stories need to be told so we can expose these awful situations, but it’s never easy to do it. It’s powerful to be part of that education though. Winter is just as powerful, but not based on true events.

Audiences recently saw you as Ser Alfred Broome in House of the Dragon. Joining a world with such an enormous and passionate fanbase must be a unique experience. Was there a particular moment when the sheer scale of the production really hit you?
So many moments. I was in awe every day. The sets, costumes, scripts, everything is epic. It’s so theatrical, it’s exactly what I got into the business for. I remember doing a scene and I was standing at the end of a corridor waiting to go and see Queen Raynera. I had a camera behind me, I was dressed in armour and a big cloak. Emma D’Arcy was waiting in the room about 50 metres away. It was so amazingly dramatic. I thought “Wow, how did I get here, this is incredible”. It was hard to play a serious scene with a big grin on my face.

Before acting, you played football semi-professionally. Is there anything from that experience — discipline, handling rejection, being part of a team — that has proved unexpectedly useful as an actor?
I get asked this a lot. There are so many parallels between the two worlds. In both respects, you are a performer. I think that’s what drew me to both in the first place. The freedom to express yourself but understanding your role within team, production, show. You have to be disciplined and try to adapt and

improve. You have to stay fit and strong at all times, so you’re ready to be called upon. Also, you have to understand that sometimes it’s your turn on the bench or that you don’t fit with the managers plans. Resillience is everything in both things.

Acting can be an unpredictable profession, with periods of intense work followed by uncertainty. How have you learned to protect your mental health while navigating those highs and lows?
It’s been a very tough journey and that journey isn’t over. It’s the hardest part of what I do. When I’m working, I’m at my happiest, I’m living my dream. That’s the easy part. I used to feel, when I wasn’t working, a part of me wasn’t alive. I would get so low and down. I’m not saying it doesn’t affect me anymore because it really does. All I want to do is work and grow as an actor. However, longevity and experience has taught me to not take things so personally. What’s meant for me will be for me. I can’t control the decision making process or the casting choices. I can only give what I have to offer and do everything within my power to show what I can bring. When you start realising that and live by it, you begin to make peace with the process, as much as you can.

You’ve been open about your own mental-health journey and have supported PANDAS. Why was it important for you to speak publicly, particularly to other men who might be struggling?
Mental health is hugely important to me. I’ve had my struggles and been to dark places. I know how it feels to be scared, alone, vulnerable, that you aren’t enough and to feel like something awful is happening to you, but to not know why or what. If I had heard someone in the public eye that I related to a bit, speaking about it at the time, it would’ve helped me so much. I kept so much to myself. If I’d have been encouraged to speak to someone, anyone, to admit I was struggling, it would’ve changed things for sure. 

I want to be a voice for men’s mental health. I want to do whatever I can to help and support people. We are doing a lot better than before, but it’s still not enough. So often, it’s too late because we didn’t know people were struggling. I’ve lost people and I know people who have. Let’s keep reaching out as much as possible and treat and recognise mental health problems in the same way we would acknowledge a fracture or viral illness. If I can help in any small way that I can, then I will.

With Winter, The Blame, theater and House of the Dragonall marking very different points in your career, what kind of role or challenge are you hoping comes next?
I welcome and I’m open to any challenges that come my way. As for what’s next, who knows. If I’ve learned nothing else, it’s to enjoy what you have right now. If you spend too much time looking for what’s coming, you miss what’s right here. I love my job and I’m lucky to do something I love and am passionate about, so whatever it is, it will only be another piece to this brilliant jigsaw. Long may the journey continue.

TEAM CREDITS:

talent JAMIE KENNA
photographer MACRAE MARRAN
styling ILONA WOODWARD
grooming JULIIA DAVYDENKOVA
interview JANA LETONJA