Aaron Deakins has emerged as one of the most captivating voices of his generation, his career unfolding like a reel of intensity, imagination, and grit. From the sci-fi suspense of Alien Outbreak (2020) and the found-footage mystery of Tape 51 and its upcoming sequel Tape 52 (2019 & 2024), to the psychological vengeance of Dean Franklyn: Retribution (2021) and the time-bending drama Leaper (2020), Deakins has moved effortlessly between genres, each performance revealing a different facet of his range. In Shadow Division (2019), he delved into the murky world of espionage, while television audiences discovered his more intimate side in The American Family (2020), a series that explored love and fracture behind closed doors.
Most recently, the British actor took on the physically demanding and emotionally charged role of Bob, a U.S. Navy SEAL, in the award-winning Warfare (2025). Sharing the screen with actors of the caliber of Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Cosmo Jarvis, his performance contributed to the film’s success and helped it earn the Best Ensemble Performance award at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). This role has marked a turning point in both his career and personal life, affirming his reputation as an actor unafraid to push past limits. On screen, he radiates a quiet tension between control and vulnerability, a balance of disciplined craft and raw emotion that feels both deliberate and alive.
We met Aaron to talk about the spark that first ignited his love for film, the discipline that sustains it, and the mission that continues to drive his work forward.
Martha Gutierrez: Aaron, you’ve often spoken about how your home country has influenced your perspective on film and television. How has growing up in the UK shaped your view of the industry?
Aaron Deakins: Personally, I have always felt my home country of the United Kingdom has massively shaped my view of the film and TV world, as even though that was my origin point I always grew up watching and loving American Film and TV. It could be Hollywood films on TV reruns or VHS tapes that we had when I was young, I always felt that films made in the UK versus the United States were more gritty and down to earth and didn’t really speak to me the same as American films. British Theatre is where I received most of the training and performing base which has built me as an artist and performer. The more classical British training that is so prevalent over here has created a solid foundation that I have been able to carry over to the film industry.
MG: Do you remember the exact moment you realized this wasn’t just a dream, that acting was your true calling?
AD: For me, it truly became my calling in life at the age of 14. Now at this point films were still a huge part of my daily existence and were massive to my overall development as a human being, be that Jurassic Park and my obsession with dinosaurs, but when I was 14 I was shown a film, one that would change my life, and that was Rocky IV. It was then that my true calling in life was found. I knew that this was something that not only I wanted to do, my idol of course being Sylvester Stallone, someone who, when the chips were down, made his own way into the industry and forged his own path, something that I try to keep close to myself to this day.
MG: You speak about that spark with so much conviction. What would you say fuels your creative drive today?
AD: The lighting spark and driving force behind my work are from a deep love of film and the cinematic experiences I grew up loving and feeling passion for, and an overwhelming passion and desire to tell stories and to tell my own story. Myself and people all around the world deal with problems such as dips in motivation, but I am always able to keep myself high at a regular basis by reminding myself of the promise I had made myself when I was a kid watching Rocky IV. When I got my first feature film, I had to remind myself that “I finally am on the path!” and that feeling is something that I keep to myself for motivation. That feeling on my first day of being on set is that feeling I use.
MG: When you’re developing a role or working on a new project, what does your creative process look like behind the scenes?
AD: I personally have always felt that imagination and drive come into play when it comes to the creative process. If it’s building a character, I like to create a sort of umbilical cord to that role from myself to the character and then find a bridge between them both. If that character or role is completely out of the bounds for me to create that cord, then I like to “invent that avatar” and try to become that. Even if accents come into play, considering I have played a lot of Americans, it helps, I allow myself to inhabit that, to try to make it a part of me.
When it comes to the scripts that I have helped to become actual feature films, I have always been able to find a deep wellspring of ideas and motivation that has been built up from a lifetime of watching films and cinematic experiences I have enjoyed. Even before getting into the film industry, I always had ideas for films, stories, and things that have carried on over into this career, not just writing but also acting. I could see myself in this film, or that role.
MG: What do you feel is your mission as an artist, what do you want your body of work to stand for?
AD: Great question! I have a mission and purpose in this industry and what I have to contribute to it. I am going to make films that influenced me and affected me so much as a kid, films that take the audience out of the world they currently inhabit. Films that take true “incredible escapism,” art things that couldn’t happen in real life, it could be sci-fi, thrillers, or action films. Not something that always has something to say to the audience but something that wants to entertain the audience and give some enjoyment.
MG: You’ve played a wide range of roles, but is there a moment in your career that stands out as truly transformative?
AD: Another great question. A personal standout moment in my career would definitely be playing a U.S. Navy SEAL in A24’s Warfare. This role came after a long period of self-doubt and something of a downhill period in my personal life. After this film, my life and career began to skyrocket in an upward trajectory. Another personal highlight of my career was after my first feature film Alien Outbreak, I was made the head of the found-footage series Tape 51 and its soon-to-be sequel Tape 52. These films I was also able to contribute to the script.
MG: You’ve mentioned working on several exciting projects lately. Can you tell us about what you’re currently involved in?
AD: My up-and-current projects are of course a sequel to Tape 51, titled Tape 52, which is due to be out on streaming. This sequel has probably been the most brutal film I’ve ever worked on. The shoot pushed me as both an actor and as a person. On the very first day, we nearly had to cancel production because I almost went into hypothermia, and from that point on, the filming had to be carefully monitored. The action doesn’t really let up from there, either. I’m really looking forward to people seeing the work we’ve done on this film.
MG: For young actors looking to follow a similar path, what advice would you give them about building a career in this industry?
AD: For me, it’s really about belief. It was always about being able to truly believe that this is something that I can do, and something that is within reach for me and my life. And also that I leave no stone unturned in the pursuit for this, and this goal I had set, that I have done all that I can and will be able to for this.
MG: If you could go back and change anything about your journey, what would it be?
AD: Anything I could have done differently? I would say that I wish I had been kinder to myself in pursuit of this, and been more patient with myself. As artists we can get so lost in the end result when, as cheesy as it sounds, we need to appreciate the journey.
MG: What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced personally and professionally?
AD: Struggle-wise, again it has been mostly a situation of me being my worst enemy at times, thinking too much and putting too much pressure on myself to complete certain goals within a certain time frame. Something that simply has brought more stress than necessary. Another thing has been how the industry itself has changed as time has gone on, especially since COVID-19. We see more streaming than theatrical films, something that I see becoming a concern in the near future.
MG: And finally, what sage advice would you offer aspiring individuals venturing into your field? What key factors are crucial for achieving remarkable success in your line of work?
AD: I would personally say to make sure that this is truly what you want to do, not a single doubt in your mind that this is what you are on this earth to do. And that this is something you are passionate about, and not just something that you like the idea of. This is your mission. The main key factors that I could say are to work very, very hard! Don’t lose your passion, and make the stories that you find true to yourself. Not just what other people want you to make, but something that you always dreamed of making. As an artist this is our job.
Interview by Martha Gutierrez for The Status Life
