CALLUM TURNER

The British actor shares tales from the front line, why you should play your heroes and his love for Free Willy

Masters of the Air is an aviation epic centering on the 100th bomb group. How familiar were you with this period of history?

I grew up with predominantly English war stories, so my understanding of American World War II stories came from movies like Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and The Pacific. So I found out just how volatile it was up in the skies for these guys. They were in these little tin cans flying across Europe and avoiding machine gunfire to drop the bombs on their targets. And [the majority] of those men were killed in action. Nowhere in the history of wars have they had more violence than on these missions. What these guys were able to do and the way they did it and the guts they had and the bravery they had – they’re real life heroes. I’ve never [had the chance previously] to represent someone I feel this way about.

You certainly feel the horrors of it when Austin Butler’s character returns from his first mission and asks your character why he didn’t warn him about the reality of it.

I love that line too. He [made] a decision not to tell him, because he knew he had to experience it himself. That’s a true friend. He lets him figure it out himself.

There’s this theory that the majority of men believe they could successfully land a plane. Having been inside a cockpit, what do you think their chances are?

The truth is, I would give it a go. For the series, we learnt how to take off and land, and it was really extensive.

So, should the opportunity arise, do you think they should give it a go?

I don’t think so ... I’m not making any promises.

Which songs are the best soundtrack for your character, “Bucky”?

I had a Bucky playlist. I listened to a lot of Irish folk music, [songs such as] “The Wild Rover”, “Molly Malone”, “The Black Velvet Band”. His heritage is Irish, so I really wanted to incorporate that energy and spirit.

For the role, you adopted your character’s lifestyle and diet.

What did you learn?

I always like to find the energy of the person within me. [Bucky] likes his alcohol and fast food. I really enjoyed the experience of leaning into drinking all the time and operating in that way. He is such an extreme, charismatic human and someone who is the life and soul of the party. He makes sure you have a good time.

“I REALLY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE OF LEANING INTO DRINKING ALL THE TIME FOR THE ROLE”

What was the first movie where you recognised yourself in a character?

Free Willy. That was me as a kid. That was my movie. He just cares about this whale and he wants to set the whale free and something about that I’m always connected to.

Did you grow up by the water?

I grew up by the [River] Thames and there was a whale there once, in 2006. I remember a group of us ran down to look for it.

What period of history deserves the cinematic treatment?

The ’60s was the coolest, music wise. Perhaps something on the Beatles or the Kinks.

Masters of the Air is streaming now on Apple TV+.