For those of us in love with great TV, based-on-a-true-story drama with real life counterparts we can google image search, and HOT GUYS, this news could not be more welcome. Because before we were born, that weird, stuffy old guy in wool knickers used to be kind of a Baldwin, kind of a biscuit, kind of a babe, and he’s being played by actual Baldwin, biscuit, babe … Josh O’Connor.
Josh O’Connor is Making Prince Charles Hot Again
If you religiously read my posts here on That’s Normal, you already know that Josh O’Connor is playing Prince Charles because I threw that tidbit into my gushing plea for you to watch The Durrells in Corfu. In that, Josh plays the eldest son in a family that uproots from England to live a new life on the tiny island, and truthfully his role is magnetic.
Larry Durrell is a struggling writer, trying to fit in with the pre-war zeitgeist by writing surrealist prose full of impossible words and dirty sex. But he’s also an older brother and a loving son, and in Durrells, that combination is made perfect in Josh O’Connor’s performance. He’s dry and witty and smirky and surly and hungry and voracious and really fun to watch. So much so, that even though I love to be well informed, I have yet to look up any photos of the real life Durrells because I truly don’t want my bubble popped.
He’s worked with Olivia Colman (who will be taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth in The Crown) before as well in the BBC’s (or Masterpiece Classic if you’re American) Les Miserables. Think a bit less of the ballads and more straight period drama because while he’s taking over Marius Pontmercy’s role, he doesn’t sing a Little Drop of Rain. BUT he does look hot.
If you want to see him alongside a bevy of British boys we know and love, screen The Riot Club. You can enjoy Max Irons and Sam Claifin and Douglas Booth (and Josh) wearing tails and smashing lots of wine glasses and probably passing around Natalie Dormer.
Beyond being just an up and coming British talent, Josh won huge critical acclaim for God’s Own Country, along with several acting awards including Best Actor from the British Independent Film Awards. The trailer doesn’t quite do the film justice because it is glorious and moving and intimate and Josh is a revelation.
Trust me, if you haven’t paid attention to Josh O’Connor yet, you aren’t going to be able to ignore him for long. Once The Crown comes back November 17th, he will be more than a breakthrough British actor. He’ll be in very, very high demand. I’m dubbing him Britain’s Adam Driver, and if that doesn’t get most of you watch The Durrells immediately, then nothing will.
See Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles in Season 3 of The Crown on Netflix November 17th.