Archie Renaux goes to ‘War’

“Do not let my modesty put you off. I’m talented, I’m loyal, I’m cheaper than I’d admit, and by working harder than anyone else in this building I will only get better.” It’s Archie Renaux’s opening line in Sky’s buzzy new legal drama, War, and it also works as a tongue-in-cheek manifesto for the 28-year-old London-born star. 

He’s racked up effective roles in projects like Netflix’s fantasy series, Shadow and Bone, as well as The Greatest Beer Run Ever, where he buddied up with Zac Efron. He even fought bloodthirsty Xenomorphs in 2024’s Alien: Romulus. There’s also the small matter of the Cindy the Doll movie which his production company is developing. 

Renaux is determined to forge his own path in Hollywood, now swapping bromances and aliens for a sharp but affordable suit as lawyer Johnny Warren. War follows a high-profile divorce between entrepreneur Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) and A-lister Carla Duval (Sienna Miller), and Warren is thrown in like a like an ASOS-styled grenade. 

Johnny Warren is the surprising lynchpin of War, what was it that sold you on the character? 

I read the script and I was like, ‘This guy’s got a really good switch of performing for others, and adapts to get what he’s after for them.’ He reminds me of Del Boy! Because of his working class background, he’s trying to prove he belongs in a middle and upper class industry. He needs to prove to himself, and his girlfriend, that he’s worthy. 

Your monologue in Episode 1 explains his approach to work. How difficult was that to pull off? 

Johnny’s performative side is his telephone voice, like you’re trying to sell something. I did door-to-door sales trying to sell windows when I was only about 16, 17. One day, I got three leads in an hour, the next day you’ll have absolutely nothing and people telling you to F off. I got thick skin from that. Johnny has that switch, he’s not afraid to lean into personal things. He talks about being raised by a single parent, and how he didn’t go to the top universities. 

Johnny smirks when somebody mentions houses, plural. How much freedom did you have creating smaller moments? 

I’m given a lot of freedom, but I worked with an acting coach just to get a second brain on scripts. I’m quite instinctual, but having another opinion makes me question ‘How does that make you feel?’ I don’t remember those little moments, but you can afford to not think by being prepared, because everything is naturally organic. 

When did you know acting was for you?  

I auditioned for a play in year 6 at school and I wanted to do well because I was competitive. I ended up getting the main part and then really, really liked it. At secondary school, my mates mucked about in drama lessons, and I laughed but was then going ‘Yeah, no, can you shut up?’ At 18, I took the standard 9 to 5 route and got an air conditioning apprenticeship. I’m on top of these buildings in London, but the guys I worked with were so unenthusiastic. It was so mundane and I thought: ‘Oh God, this is the rest of my life! I’ve got to try now.’ I’m so glad I took that leap of faith. 

Was it intimidating joining Netflix’s Shadow and Bone with a huge fandom? 

I don’t really get affected by things like that. Would it be intimidating if it was the thing I already love? Maybe Star Wars, I loved it as a kid! I get excited by these things more than anything, which is a superpower of mine. Even if I get nervous, I turn it into excitement and channel it. 

So I’m guessing you also weren’t intimidated joining Alien: Romulus?   

Honestly? It was a dream! The story was more on Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson’s shoulders, but I didn’t feel the pressure then. [Director] Fede Alvarez was very encouraging of trying crazy stuff. The studio gave him a lot of time and respect, and we didn’t have anyone breathing down our necks. Everything was practical, which you don’t usually see, but now people are back to loving the analog style with puppets and animatronics. 

You played soldier Tom Collins in The Greatest Beer Run Ever. What were the challenges of playing a real person? 

I absolutely loved that job, we shot in Thailand during COVID. I love a true story. Chickie Donohue going to Vietnam to do his part and feel like he’s doing something for his friends. There’s a little documentary I kept watching on YouTube with Chickie, Tom Collins and the other guys talking about the story… It’s lovely. I’m very proud of that one. 

Your production company, A2R2, got the rights to Cindy the Doll… How’s that going? 

It’s certainly a process! Things grow legs on their own and start rolling, and Cindy was one of them. We’ve got other projects on the go, and we obviously look at how well ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ have done. It’s a really encouraging time for indie filmmakers. We recently did a test shoot for something we’ll film next year…  

The characters in War make their own assumptions about Johnny, is there a common misconception people make about you? 

Oh, I don’t know… What you see is what you get! I’m not boring, but I don’t think there’s any surprises with me.