BILLY BARRATT

All by Dior Men.

If you still haven’t heard of Billy Barratt (firstly, how?), be prepared for him to become a household name. His award-winning turn in BBC’s 2019 film Responsible Child – which earned him an International Emmy at age 13 – was only just the beginning. Now, with a gripping role in the newly acclaimed horror BRING HER BACK by the equally acclaimed brothers Danny and Michael Phillippou, Billy has burst further into the spotlight, charging ahead with the boundless energy of someone freshly 18.

Bring Her Back follows the character Andy, played by Billy, and his younger, visually impaired sister Piper (Sora Wong) as they are welcomed into the seemingly calm and stable world of their foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins). Soon, what begins as a strange new environment escalates into something far more sinister.

This role marks a turning point in Billy’s career. The film’s atmospheric style and raw, visceral imagery confront audiences with moments that are as harrowing as they are unforgettable. Billy has been in this industry for practically his entire life, and with this experience, he brings a certain reverence and focus that is rare for his age. Perhaps when your early life is spent on film sets and studios, every day really is a school day. Billy approaches each role with the same dedication others might give to mastering math or biology, carefully considering his characters, the stories, and how to play to his strengths and those of his fellow cast members. 5’Eleven” talks to Billy about his latest role, his craft, and how his creativity, whether in music or film, isn’t just an outlet but a purposeful and deeply felt one.

Words by Gaia Marinaro

Photographed by Alex Rorison. Styled by Andrew Burling.

Grooming by Tarik Bennafla at Stella Creative Artists using Horace.

Billy Barratt appears courtesy of Public Eye.

Polo top and shorts by Dior Men. Shirt by Sunspel. Socks by Falke. Shoes by Grenson.

Congratulations on Bring Her Back! It’s an intense and thrilling film to watch – put simply, I was terrified, but also unable to turn away – and, of course, to make. What was the energy like on set?

Well, thanks, I'm glad you like the movie, and were terrified by it. That's a good thing; it means we all did a good job.The energy on set, I mean, Danny and Michael have this way of making the vibe on set so comfortable, but alsoreally fun. It's just an environment where you really want to come to work every day, and you really want to go toset. It was brilliant. It was really great.

I read that co-director Danny Philippou locked you in a room without your phone as preparation. How did that help put you into Andy’s head? What did you think about during that time?

Yes, he did. It allowed time for me to focus purely on where Andy would be in that scene. He decided that's what needed to happen for me to get into Andy's head, and so what was going through my head at the time was only the scene. The first two and a half minutes, I was thinking, ‘why has he done this? Why has he done that?’ Then I just thought ‘actually, wait, this is time that you've been given, so use it.’

Andy has a shocking ending in the film. What was that like to film, and how do you think that contributed to the storyline, as well as Andy’s relationship with his sister?

Well, there are three levels to the ending. I'm not going to spoil anything, but there's a real sense of pure pain that you see at the end. Then there's also a mother who will do anything for her daughter, and you do sympathise with that.And then what happens to Andy builds up to a higher level at the end, which is pure loneliness, creating the sadness at the end of the film, which I feel is necessary.

Left: Shirt by Moschino; Right: Blazer, shirt and trousers by Edward Sexton. Belt by Anderson's.

How did you feel when you first watched the film?

If I'm honest with you, when I first watched the film, I was just proud. I was happy. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is a great film and I'm in this, what the f**k?’ But then I looked to my right, and I was watching it with my dad at the time, andhe was crying his eyes out. I thought, ‘Oh, s**t, I should probably be upset watching this film,’ which I was, but at thesame time, I was just so proud of everyone who made the film.

At only 18, you have a number of major projects on your resume, including Invasion, Responsible Child, and Crater. Which has been your favourite to work on so far?

They’re all different environments and different experiences, and I've learned so much from all of them. I know it sounds like a cheap answer, but it's true. I take every on-set experience in, and even if one day you don't have a good time, that's still a learning experience. That's kind of the only way I can put it, and I've loved all of those anyway.

Which one of your roles has taught you the most about acting and about yourself?

I think Responsible Child. I've said this before, but for me, Responsible Child was the first time I really realised that a film can impact someone. That's the first time I really understood that because I saw the conversations it brought up.And it was a film in which I really felt for my character, Ray.

All by Dior Men.

What drew you to pursue acting so young?

Well, my mum's friend was an up-and-coming director, and she offered to put me in a short film. I said yes. I just really enjoyed being on set, and I think my mum realised that, so she tried to get me into an agency. I got into theSylvia Young Agency and I’ve been there ever since. It’s always been in my life, and it's something I really, reallylove. I can't really imagine myself doing anything other than filmmaking and music; they go hand in hand. So,this is what I want to do, and I'm lucky that I learned quite young that this was it.

How do you balance work with being a normal 18-year-old? Or do you consider yourself a normal 18-year-old?

Something I've always been quite passionate about is that you need to be a kid as well, and my mum has always said that to me. It's important to have your own life, grow up, go out, get in trouble, but also learn from those mistakes. I guess I do classify myself as a normal 18-year-old.

Let’s talk about The Hunger [Billy is the frontman of the band alongside friends Bruno, Myla and Cody]! Howdid your journey with music and the band start?

Cody and I met in school, and we've been making music together since then. I mean, not necessarily very good music (until maybe like two or three years ago), but it only really started picking up then. We've been in the studio these past couple of weeks, and what's come out with the whole band has been really good. It's the first time the whole band has actually got together. We've been writing, and we're really proud of what's come out of it.

All by Amiri.

Invasion Season 3 will be releasing on Apple TV on August 22. What are you excited for the audience to see?

I think this this series is going to be a lot more action-packed and it's going to be a lot more fast-paced, which is a bit different to the other two seasons. I'm excited for people to be excited by it. I think people are going to really enjoy this third season.

From the start of season 1 to the end of this new season, can you hint at any changes or development your character, Casper Morrow, experiences?

I'm not going to hint at anything, but I would say that Casper and I have grown together. I started the show when I was very, very young and not really knowing what I was doing. I don't really know what I’m doing now, to be honest, but I've definitely got more of an understanding of this job and this industry. It's not really a character I have to think about much because it's sort of become second nature. When we're on set and they call action, it just happens.

Do you have any other upcoming projects this year?

We are recording a lot of music at the moment, and I have just finished filming on a series, which I can’t say much about yet, but I'm excited for people to see that because it was a lot of fun. I know I’ve got some filming on the way, but for now, just plenty of shows with the band and plenty of TV to watch.

Bring Her Back is in UK cinemas via Sony now; Invasion will make its global return to Apple TV+ on Friday, August 22.

All by AMI Paris.