Anthony Boyle said that fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan and Elvis star Austin Butler are some of the “most exciting actors working at the moment”.
The Belfast-born actor will star alongside Keoghan and Butler in the upcoming US war drama series Masters of the Air.
The Apple TV+ series, which is based on the book of the same name by Donald L. Miller, follows the true story of the men of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II.
Speaking to the PA news agency at the series’ UK premiere on Monday, Boyle said: “Austin and Barry, they’re two of the best, I think, most exciting actors working at the moment, including Callum, Rafe, Nate.
“Every day you come to work and all those guys have different approaches to the job and they were all fantastic.”
The series also stars Fantastic Beasts actors Callum Turner, Rafferty Law and Nate Mann as well as Josiah Cross and Brandon Cook.
Last year, Keoghan was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Dominic in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inishrein – and won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in the role.
He has also received praise for his portrayal of the protagonist Oliver Quick in Emerald Fennell’s thriller Saltburn, in which he starred alongside Australian actor Jacob Elordi and for which he was nominated for a BAFTA.
Butler’s role as the King of Rock and Roll in the 2022 musical biopic Elvis earned him Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, as well as an Oscar nod.
Boyle, who became famous for his role in the West End show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, plays Major Harry Crosby in the series.
He said that preparation for the role required “a lot” of research, including re-reading Major Crosby’s book several times and listening to a clip of his speech every day before going to work.
He added, “I’ll keep it in my mind and I’ll tone down the mannerisms, tone down the accent and really try and act into it.”
All the actors also attended a bootcamp together where they marched and participated in drills together to get into the army mindset.
Butler said: “The bootcamp was incredibly beneficial for us. This was our time when we got a chance to jump in and we got a chance to learn and have time in a flight simulator – it was an incredible time.
He further said, “It was a time when we were, in a way, surrendering our individuality…
“So that was our time together that united us and really laid the foundation for the rest of it.”
The series follows the lives of American bombers as they bomb Nazi Germany and grapple with severe weather conditions, lack of oxygen, and the terror of aerial combat.
Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg, Hollywood actors Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman also serve as executive producers on the TV series.
Masters of the Air will debut on Apple TV+ with two episodes on January 26, followed by a new episode weekly every Friday until March 15.
(Tags to translate)Austin Butler(T)Barry Keoghan(T)Anthony Boyle(T)Masters of the Air(T)Callum Turner(T)Harry Crosby