Masters of the Air actor Jon Ewart has revealed the "really good" advice Barry Keoghan gave him on the set of Apple TV+'s new World War Two series – and it might surprise you!
The nine-part series, which is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, is a follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific but moves the story from the land and ocean to the skies, following the 100th Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in their fight against Nazi Germany.
During an exclusive interview with HELLO!, Jon, who portrays Lieutenant William Couch in the drama, opened up about his filming the series, which features a star-studded cast including Barry, as well as Austin Butler and Callum Turner.
On working with Barry, Jon shared the acting tips he received from the Saltburn star, who is among the nominees for this year's BAFTAs. "Barry Keoghan gave really good advice on set," he said. "He would say, it's not about looking good. You don't need to look good on camera. He's like, 'Pick your nose, flick it on the floor if that's what people want to see. Be real in the situation.'
"I would love to work with him again because he's such a raw talent, he's amazing," he added.
Jon and his co-stars would often spend their downtime in pubs in Oxford, where parts of the series were filmed.
"There'd be a group of 20 lads. Like, imagine Austin Butler, Callum Turner and Raff Law all walking around and having drinks together in Oxford. We spent so much time together off-set, which made it really easy for us to gel."
While Jon was only supposed to film for four months, he ended up staying on set for nine due to setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"It's a long time to spend with people and while there were big names, I felt like we were all equal," he said.
Praising his castmates, he continued: "I learned a lot from Callum Turner, he's phenomenal on screen. Barry Keoghan is such a raw talent. We spent so much time together."
The new series, which is based on Donald L Miller's book of the same name, tells the story of the men who flew in the 100th Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force – aka the Bloody Hundredth – and helped lead the Allies to victory in the war with Nazi Germany.
The drama portrays "the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich is at the heart of Masters of the Air," per the synopsis.
"Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all."
Master of the Air is available on Apple TV+.