IN CONVERSATION WITH TYLER CONTI

interview by JANA LETONJA

British actor Tyler Conti is poised for a breakout year with two major television projects that place him at the centre of some of the industry’s most anticipated dramas. He leads Fightland, executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, as Jay, a young man navigating London’s dangerous criminal underworld where loyalty, ambition and survival are constantly tested. This September, he joins the second season of The Gentlemen, stepping into Guy Ritchie’s signature world of wit, crime and high-stakes drama. With a background spanning television, independent film and acclaimed theatre productions, Tyler represents an exciting new generation of British actors making their mark on the international stage.

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Fightland feels like a defining moment in your career. What was your first reaction when you read the script?
My first reaction when I read Fightland was that I could see it so clearly. I could see the world, the character and the relationships, and it felt so easy to transport myself into that world, into London and into Jay. When that happens as an actor, you get really excited, so it was a brilliant first read.

Jay is thrown into a world where power, loyalty and violence constantly collide. What drew you to his journey, and  what aspect of his personality did you find most challenging to portray?
What drew me to Jay’s journey was probably his strong sense of who he is. I think he knows what he believes in, and he has a clear sense of right and wrong. Of course, he makes mistakes, and he’s made plenty in the past, but he has a clear objective: to prove himself. I just love what Jay stands for. I love how much he cares and how genuinely he wants to do a good job and protect the people around him.

What I found most challenging about portraying Jay was probably his loneliness and his lack of family. I think, on some level, I can relate to Jay, and that’s always a slightly scary place to go as an actor, showing a part of yourself through a character that you perhaps don’t talk about as openly with the people around you in everyday life. His loneliness is a real vulnerability for Jay, and it was also a vulnerability for me to share that part of myself on screen.

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Boxing is as much psychological as it is physical. How did you prepare for the role, both mentally and physically?
Mentally, I was already a boxing fan to be fair. I’ve got various pictures of Muhammad Ali up at home, so I probably just immersed myself in it even more. I watched loads of boxing and Cutman videos, and then, of course, your phone algorithm takes over and suddenly you’re watching endless fight videos and UFC clips.

Physically, I took up boxing lessons, although looking back, I probably should have been taking pad-work lessons instead. There’s a scene where Jay is on the pads with Duke, and Jay doesn’t actually box that much, so when I had about a week to learn how to use the pads, I realised it was a very different skill. I think our stuntman, Xaz, definitely had his work cut out for him. But it was great fun getting into the ring, throwing a few punches and learning to hold the pads. Going to those boxing classes definitely helped me get comfortable in that environment and understand the physicality of it.

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The series explores London’s criminal underworld from a fresh perspective. What do you think makes Fightland stand out within the genre?
I think Fightland stands out because it kind of sits in its own genre. It crosses so many different genres, and I think that’s what makes it so exciting. It doesn’t try to stay in one specific lane. It’s not just a boxing show, or an underworld crime drama, or a relationship drama. It’s all of those things mixed together.

You’re constantly being thrown from pillar to post, and you never really know what to expect next, because the journey and the obstacles these characters face are always changing. It can be something as huge as a bomb exploding, or something as personal as someone telling you they don’t love you. It can be dealing with the biggest trauma you’ve ever experienced, navigating your own mental trauma, or having someone physically standing in your way and needing to figure out how to overcome that.

There are so many different twists and turns that it feels almost genreless, or rather, like a mix of genres, and I think that’s what makes Fightland stand on its own.

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Working on a project executive produced by 50 Cent must have been a unique experience. What did you learn from being part of that creative world?
Having 50 Cent as an executive producer taught me that there’s no feat too small. Everything that was on the page was brought to life. Often, things get cut or aren’t quite possible to achieve, but with Fightland, we found a way to make it happen, and I think that’s down to 50 Cent. It meant that everyone’s effort was almost tripled and the bar was raised so high. Everyone wanted to meet that same level because they knew they had such a big name behind the project, and you wanted to do it justice.

As an actor, I think that’s where I felt it the most. You’d step onto set with your fellow actor, look each other in the eye and feel “This is it. This is the one. This is 50 Cent’s thing. This needs to be good.” You’d go into a scene with that shared energy of, “Right, let’s do this.” It’s a really exciting feeling when everyone is so committed and the game is being played at the highest level because you know there’s a big name behind it.

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Soon you’ll join S2 of The Gentlemen. What excites you about stepping into Guy Ritchie’s universe?
What excites me so much about stepping into Guy Ritchie’s world is the history and nostalgia that comes with it. It feels like I’m stepping into something that was part of my childhood. I used to love watching Snatch, it’s an all-time classic, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. They’re just such great pieces of filmmaking, and whatever Guy Ritchie touches seems to have this sense of nostalgia and longevity. You know it’s going to have a history to it, and that people will be talking about it for a long time. Whatever he touches kind of turns to Guy Ritchie gold, so to be a small part of that is incredibly exciting. I’m so proud of it, and hopefully one day I’ll be able to sit down and watch it with my kids.

My first scene, on my first day, was also quite an experience. I was in my pants. I was literally in my pants. It’s not exactly how you picture your first scene with Guy Ritchie going. You imagine you might be in a three-piece suit with a shotgun over your shoulder, but no, I was in my tiny pants. I also didn’t realise that Guy likes to have a chat in his Winnebago for 10 or 15 minutes before a scene, just to get a feel for where we are and what we’re doing. So I had to have that conversation in my underwear. It was certainly a memorable initiation into life on a Guy Ritchie set.

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Your career spans theatre, independent film and television. How has working on stage shaped you as an actor?
I think working on stage has really shaped me as an actor by making me feel freer and more willing to take risks. I always try to come from a place of thinking, “Go as big as you can,” because the director can always reign you in and bring you back to exactly where they want you to be. If you go in too small, there’s only so much a director can do. They can guide you, but you have to give them something to work with. You have to go in hard and take risks so they can see what your ideas are and where you’re coming from.

I think being on stage has definitely given me that confidence and impetus to go big, sometimes too big. But I think it’s important to show something and to be brave with your choices, and performing on stage has really helped me develop that.

What role has challenged you the most emotionally so far?
Not so much emotionally, but the most challenging role I’ve ever had to play was Basketballer Number Three in my school production of High School Musical. It was genuinely really difficult because we had to balance the basketballs in rhythm and in time with the music during Get’cha Head in the Game. I found it incredibly hard and was constantly dropping the ball, which my friends found absolutely hilarious. And I was a really bad singer too, so you can imagine I wasn’t exactly destined for a Tony Award.

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Outside of acting, where do you find creative inspiration?
I do a lot of woodwork and DIY. I’ve retiled my bathroom, put decking down. bBasically anything creative that I can do with my hands, I really enjoy. I’m definitely not an expert at any of it, but YouTube tutorials have become my best friend and have taught me a lot. There’s something really satisfying about starting with an idea and then actually being able to see it come to life, even if it doesn’t always go exactly to plan. I think I just enjoy having something completely different from acting where I can switch off, get stuck into a project and make something with my hands.

Fashion has become increasingly connected with film and television. How would you describe your personal style?
I can never really keep up with what’s trending, so I think my wardrobe is a bit of a mixture. I’ve got some very old clothes that I’ve had since I was about 16, and then I’m not afraid to go a bit wacky and experiment either. You might find me in a pair of flared jeans one day and something completely different the next. I think, ultimately, you should just wear whatever makes you feel good and comfortable. I don’t know exactly what style that makes mine, but that is my style.

Looking ahead, are there genres or characters you still feel you haven’t had the chance to explore?
Yeah, definitely. I’d love to play a cowboy, a pirate, or a soldier in a medieval battle. I want to be thrown into completely different worlds, with crazy props and costumes, huge extravagant sets and all these different terrains to explore. I think there’s something really exciting about stepping into a world that feels completely removed from your own and getting to experience it through a character. I’d love the chance to do something really physical and immersive, where you can completely lose yourself in the world of the story. I think that would be really fun.

TEAM CREDITS:
talent TYLER CONTI
photographer BARTEK SZMIGULSKI
stylist NATHAN HENRY at Stella Creative Artists
groomer CHARLIE CULLEN at Forward Artists
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA