The Spotlight Archie Madekwe
THE STAR OF GRAN TURISMO AND ARI ASTER’S GO-TO GUY IS MOVING INTO THE FAST LANE
WORDS BETH WEBB
MARCO VITTUR
ARCHIE MADEWKE’S DREAM acting scenario isn’t what you might expect. “If the film never came out, and you never had to watch yourself, that would be kind of great,” he laughs. Yet that dream seems unlikely to come true any time soon, since the 28-year-old South Londoner — talking to Empire in early July, shortly before the actors’ strike begins — has not one but three major movies out soon: high-voltage racing movie Gran Turismo, Gal Gadot-fronted espionage Heart Of Stone, and Emerald Fennell’s comedy-thriller Saltburn.
Gran Turismo sees Madekwe — who has risen through Hollywood’s ranks via supporting roles in Apple TV+’s sci-fi show See and Ari Aster’s Midsommar — make his starring debut.“Stepping onto the set and seeing the scale, you literally have a split second to be thrown by that and then you have to get straight to work,” he says of his new position at the top of the call sheet.