The Boys in the Boat Star Callum Turner Plays the Hero

Up until this point, Callum Turner has had a pretty British-leaning career, with roles in the Harry Potter prequels Fantastic Beasts; the BBC miniseries The Capture; and the 2020 Autumn de Wilde adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. But his latest roles have seen the London native taking on all-American types. First, there’s the George Clooney–directed The Boys in the Boat, in which Turner plays Joe Rantz, the University of Washington rower who represented the United States in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. And in this month’s Masters of the Air, premiering January 26 on Apple TV+, Turner costars, alongside Austin Butler, as Major John Egan, a member of the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. “In England, they don’t give me enough parts,” Turner tells W’s editor-at-large, Lynn Hirschberg, with a laugh. Here, the 33-year-old rising star discusses both projects; his first-ever job, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal; and his secret skill, which came in handy on the Masters set.

Had you ever rowed before The Boys in the Boat?

I have to row crew. I had never, ever been in a rowboat before. We had two months of solid training where we trained four hours a day. There is a beauty to rowing. It’s the most intense thing I’ve ever done. You share something with the other people in that boat. It’s the closest experience I’ll ever have to being part of a professional sports team.

You had to audition for George Clooney, who directed the film.

I sent a tape, and George liked it. Then we got on a Skype. Everyone was talking, and I didn’t really know what was going on. I asked to redo the first scene. George went, “Here’s the thing—we’re going to give you the part. We just wanted to see if we could put up with you for six months. And I think we can.”

Did you learn to fly for Masters of the Air?

No. We had a B-17 in the hangar, and Austin Butler and I would play a game in it. We had to get from lying down on the ground up into the cockpit as quickly as possible, with all of the gear on—the parachute, life jacket, and everything, which is not easy. Austin won. He did it in 4.2 seconds. Not that I'm holding a grudge. I did it in about five.

What was the first job you booked?

The very first job I booked was a Daniel Wolfe–directed music video with Jake Gyllenhaal. I get killed within the first 45 seconds. I was so green, and I asked Jake, “We're going to go for this, right?” He looked at me and said, “We're going to go for it.” He just beat me up for six hours. But I loved it, and he taught me a lot.

Initially, you were more interested in sports than acting.

Yes, but when I was 19, I was working in a shop, and I was just thinking that if I didn’t at least try acting, I would regret it. I joined a website called Casting Call Pro. You act as your own agent, and I went to the craziest auditions.

What’s your secret skill?

I can fall asleep anywhere. Just give me 30 seconds, and I’m gone. On Masters of the Air, there was this office that was used in the prison war camp. I used to lock the door and just conk off in an armchair. I felt like I was gone for years when I woke up.

Where was your first kiss?

I was 13. My friends had just got into skateboarding, so we went to the South Bank, in London. There was a skater girl there. We kissed. She’d been smoking. She was a couple of years older than me. I remember thinking, This is not for me. And then my friend kissed her after!

What is your astrological sign?

I’m more aware of my Chinese zodiac: I’m a metal horse. They’re a farmyard animal; they take it and take it and take it. And then, once they’ve had enough, they get all horsey about stuff.

Senior Style Editor: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Senior Fashion Market Editor and Menswear Director: Jenna Wojciechowski. Hair for portfolio by Mustafa Yanaz for Dyson at Art+Commerce; makeup for portfolio by Emi Kaneko for Tom Ford at Bryant Artists; manicures for portfolio by Michelle Saunders for Chanel. Set design by Peter Klein at Frank Reps. Special thanks to Ms. Bebe at Outfitters Wig Shop in Hollywood.

Produced by Connect the Dots; Executive Producer: Wes Olson; Producer: Zack Higginbottom; Production manager: Nicole Morra; Production coordinator: David Cahill; First photography assistant: Trevor Pikhart; Second photography assistant: Jeremy Eric Sinclair; Digital Technician: Brendan Pattengale; Postproduction by Lucas Rios Palazesi at Quickfix; Fashion assistants: Tori López, Tyler VanVranken, Molly Cody, India Reed, John Celaya, Kaamilah Thomas, Emily Cancelosi, Allie Kessler, Juliana Bassi, Karla Garcia, Jacqueline Chen, Cosima Croquet; Production assistants: Mateo Calvo, Aspen Miller, Nico Robledo, Griffin Koerner, Danielle Rouleau, Nicolo Battaglini, Juanes Montoya, Juan Calvo, Lily Cordingley, Nathan Gallie, Cameron Hoge, Jack Fahey, Cole Ewing, Karlie Ofstedahl; Hair assistants: Takao Hayashi, Andres Copeland; Makeup assistants: Amelia Berger, Willie Huang; Manicure assistants: Rachel Messick, Marissa Asprer; Set assistants: Christopher Crash Richard, Winston Willingham; Tailors: Irina Tshartaryan, Elma Click, Gayane Mnatsakanyan at Susie’s Custom Designs, Inc.