Ones To Watch: Aneurin Barnard
One of four Ones To Watch profiles from Clash’s film issue. Photo by Phil Sharp.
“I’ve been swordfighting since I was eleven years old,” begins Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard. “As a child, I was fascinated by swords and martial arts, and from day one I loved movies. So when Ironclad came along and the part of Guy came my way, I seized my opportunity.”
In Ironclad, Aneurin plays Guy, the youngest of a band of rebel warriors who attempt to defend Rochester Castle from the might of King John’s relentless army.
“I’m a young man and at the point of making the movie I was just entering my career,” he states. “You see Guy beginning his knighthood. So there were attributes in my life that I thought would be really interesting to play into as someone else.”
Full of gory, visceral battle scenes, Ironclad is Aneurin’s first film role after a successful stage career in which he earned a Laurence Olivier Award for his role in the controversial musical Spring Awakening.
“I love the stage, but at this point in time I’d really like to work in film,” he says with evident respect for both art forms. “I like them both equally; stage brings out something that film doesn’t, but I love what you can do in a movie. You can create anything.”
Aneurin’s film career is already quickly building momentum. He has completed the lead role in Citadel, a dark psychedelic thriller, and will also star in Marc Evans’ seventies rock ‘n’ roll flick Hunky Dory with Minnie Driver.
