Harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane Discuss Their Cannes Breakout ‘Urchin’ Film and Role as Content Writers

[Editor’snote:Thisinterviewwasoriginallypublishedatthe2025[Editor’snote:Thisinterviewwasoriginallypublishedatthe2025Cannes Film Festival and has been lightly updated for the film‘s release on Friday, October 17.]

It’s hard these days to create an original film from scratch, tougher still to launch a first film in the Cannes Selection. Three actors have achieved that feat this year, all playing in Un Certain Regard, where the spotlight tends to be less harsh: Scarlett Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” starring American veteran June Squibb; Kristen Stewart’s “The Chronology of Water,” starring British actress Imogen Poots; and from the U.K., Harris Dickinson‘s “Urchin,” which could propel Frank Dillane (son of British actor Stephen Dillane) into acting awards contention. Two months after the festival’s end, rising distribution outfit 1-2 Special stepped in to buy Dickinson’s film for North America, which is in theaters now.

“The applause was lovely,” said Dickinson, sitting with Dillane on the roof of the J.W. Marriott Hotel with stunning views of the Gulf of Napoule. “We soaked it all in. We had all of our crew. We felt the love in the room. That’s a good feeling, to have given so much to somebody.”

Dickinson, who has yet to crack 30, has been a rising star ever since he broke out in Eliza Hittman’s New York indie “Beach Rats” in 2017, followed by Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness,” which won the Palme d’Or en route to a Best Picture nomination. The actor has written and directed countless shorts, which gave financiers confidence to back his riveting portrait of a struggling London addict (Dillane) who is by turns charming, manipulative, desperate, angry, violent, loving, joyful, childlike, and needy.

Harris Dickinson and Frank DillaneAnne Thompson

It still took six years for “Urchin” to get to Cannes. Dickinson started writing the script after working in Walthamstow on an outreach project “that was focusing on furniture reissue with people that were unhoused,” he said. “It was a way for them to make money. And it was also a commune where they could have a safe haven. There were welfare checks, and people close to me struggled with cyclical behavior. I’ve always tried to be compassionate around that and tried to understand why and how people have ended up in certain positions.”

Dickinson auditioned many actors but offered the role to Dillane early on. “I’d seen him in ‘Fear of the Walking Dead’ years before,” said Dickinson. “I was intrigued about him as a performer. But then we didn’t cross paths, or we never met each other. The script for me was one thing. I knew that it needed an actor to come in and elevate it and change it and turn it upside down as well. Because there’s only so much a script takes you, right? And that’s what he did. He was doing tai chi and breathing exercises whilst he was doing the scene: ‘This is very strange, and it’s perfect for the character.’”

It took a couple of years to get made once Dillane was on board. “Frank attached before we had full finance, which is rare for an actor to do,” said Dickinson. “We were lucky that Frank believed in the project enough to just say, ‘Yeah, I’m game.’ And we already were prepping, even though we didn’t know we were going to make it.”

‘Urchin’BBC Films

As soon as he read the script, Dillane was eager to jump on board. “I remember I called you because I got the part,” Dillane said to Dickinson, “because I just wanted to say ‘yes’ straight away. I didn’t want there to be any lag, to go through the agents. You were in Berlin, so I was recording ‘Yes, I’ll do it.’ The script lent itself to almost anything. It was a real opportunity to carve out our own narrative, because it was ambiguous as to what the arc was, and it seemed like the arcs completed in each scene. It was almost like Mike had no throughline, and I found that exciting as an actor, to do each scene separate from the next one. He almost lived and breathed now. He was born again, and then he dies again, and then he goes there, and he’s born again. And I loved that about Harris’s script, because it was completely unconventional.”

In one heartbreaking scene, after seven months sober, Mike takes some ketamine with his girlfriend and her parents and is dancing and having a joyous time. He feels like he’s part of the family, everybody’s happy and good, and then he takes too much, and he can’t contain it. He doesn’t know where to stop.

Dillane had played an addict during “Fear the Walking Dead.” “When a character is on drugs at different times,” said Dillane, “I always tend to research the spiritual element of the drug. From researching ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ the idea about heroin that got me was the idea that your cells are living and dying constantly, so you’re constantly dying and being reborn. That stuck with me a bit with this, the idea of physically continuing to be born and dying.”

The movie works because Dillane makes you care about this deeply flawed yet innocent character. “People that have gone to the brink of behavior,” said Dickinson, “the brink of morality, or brink of themselves, often are also joyous and naïve, because it helps them forget. It’s like an optimism that is in the moment for today.”

“He is innocent,” said Dillane. “That was the core of it. In order for us to be with him and to empathize with him, we have to just forgive him. And the reason we forgive him is he’s a child, he’s innocent, he’s an orphan. He’s not a bad person, just an open window. Harris kept distilling this thing of hope within me. We talked a lot about dignity in Harris. And that allowed the authenticity. So when he’s making a friend, this friend that he’s making is so important to him. When he relapses, it’s like family, ‘Finally, my people, oh, this is OK. Now, this is what we do. Everyone’s just cool.’ Some of us, we can’t do that. Unfortunately, Mike is one of those. It’s like an open window. Once you open it, you can’t close it again.”

Of course, Mike Leigh and “Naked” came to mind while prepping the film, but also “Career Girls” and “High Hopes,” said Dickinson, “there’s no misses with Mike Leigh. I love his use of humor. He’s so good at humanizing the mundane as well. It’s important, because there’s comedy in the simplicity of things sometimes, he does that so well.”

‘Urchin’

Another reason why Dillane wanted to work with Dickinson was that he admired his short films. “This was a big reason I did it,” said Dillane. Dickinson had been shooting shorts, including a series of skateboard videos, since he was 10 or 11. “I made loads of short films,” he said. “And then I made a more professional short film with BBC that led to the theatrical film. It was quite a rudimentary short, but it was a way for us to try and prove a little bit.”

As production loomed, Dickinson lost one of his actors in a key role playing a friend of Mike’s and reluctantly took on the role himself. “We auditioned people,” said Dickinson. “We got some tapes in, but I got a bit protective over that role because this is a member of the community. This is someone who is struggling, a vulnerable individual. Frank had months and months of research and time spent with advisors to understand this world and these issues. I couldn’t just expect an actor to pop in a week before and get that kind of person, whereas I’d been doing that work.”

It may have been the right decision, but it wasn’t easy, said Dickinson. “It was hard to direct myself and also be in a scene with someone you’re directing, because I started to lose track of the background and what things were happening. And you get even more neurotic; acting is neurotic.”

The film deploys long lens cinematography to capture Dillane on crowded streets. “We always knew we wanted to enter into Mike’s world in a pragmatic and simplistic way, unromantic and not trying to do trickery around life on the streets,” said Dickinson. “We wanted to be observational and simplistic, and that was also to avoid any romanticism around it, but also just to ground it in that community. That was always important to us, and the story that we enter into as well. We believe it and we understand it, and we get a real sense of it. And then we allow ourselves to introduce surrealism, a slightly different language. We earned that.”

Next up: Dillane is back in London doing auditions. (His stock is going to rise considerably after “Urchin.”) And Dickinson is following up “Babygirl” and “Blitz” as John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ series of four Beatles films. Dickinson swears he’ll have time to do other things as well. “I wrote this script whilst I was working,” he said, “I didn’t take time out to write the script. I was always writing. I write when I’m on a plane. I’ll be able to write and direct still. I’ll have to finish the films first.”

How does the success of ‘Urchin’ challenge customary actor roles in Hollywood?

Harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane: From ‘Urchin’ to the Writer’s Room – A Dual Career Exploration

The ‘Urchin’ Impact at Cannes & beyond

Harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane’s collaborative film, Urchin, made waves at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, garnering critical acclaim for its raw portrayal of youth and societal alienation. The independent film, directed by Riley Keough, quickly became a talking point, not just for its compelling narrative, but also for the actors’ surprising foray into screenwriting. This shift – from solely performing to actively shaping the stories they tell – marks a significant moment in their careers and a growing trend amongst modern actors. Urchin‘s success has opened doors for both dickinson and Dillane, solidifying their positions as rising stars and demonstrating the power of actor-driven projects. The film’s themes of loneliness, connection, and the search for identity resonated deeply with audiences, contributing to its festival buzz and subsequent distribution deals.

the Genesis of a Writing Partnership: Dickinson & Dillane’s Creative Process

The collaboration between Dickinson and Dillane didn’t begin with a formal “let’s write a screenplay” meeting.It evolved organically from years of friendship and shared artistic sensibilities. They initially bonded over a mutual frustration with the types of roles available to young actors, specifically a lack of complex, nuanced characters.

* Improvisation as a Starting Point: Much of the initial ideas for Urchin stemmed from improvisational exercises and lengthy conversations about their own experiences navigating young adulthood.

* Shared Influences: Both actors cite a love for independent cinema,notably the works of directors like larry Clark and Harmony Korine,as key influences on their writing style.

* Riley Keough’s Vision: Keough’s involvement was crucial.She provided a guiding vision and encouraged them to push boundaries, allowing their raw, unfiltered voices to shine through.

* Iterative Development: The script underwent numerous revisions, with Dickinson and Dillane constantly refining the dialog and plot based on feedback from Keough and other trusted collaborators.

This process highlights a growing trend in filmmaking: actors taking ownership of their narratives and actively participating in the creative development of projects.

Beyond Urchin: Expanding Roles as Content Creators

While Urchin was their initial breakthrough as writers,Dickinson and Dillane are actively pursuing further opportunities in content creation. This isn’t simply a career diversification strategy; it’s a reflection of their desire for greater artistic control and a deeper engagement with the storytelling process.

* Developing New Projects: Both actors have confirmed they are working on several new writing projects, including a limited series exploring themes of masculinity and mental health.

* Production Company Aspirations: There’s speculation that Dickinson and Dillane are considering forming their own production company to champion independent voices and foster a collaborative surroundings for emerging filmmakers.

* Focus on Authentic Storytelling: A common thread throughout their work is a commitment to authenticity. They aim to tell stories that are honest, relatable, and challenge conventional narratives.

* Leveraging Social Media: Both actors actively use platforms like Instagram to connect with fans and share insights into their creative process,building a direct relationship with their audience.

The Benefits of Actor-Driven Content

The rise of actor-writers like Dickinson and Dillane offers several benefits to the film and television industry:

* Increased Authenticity: Actors bring a unique outlook to the writing process, drawing on their own experiences and understanding of character development.

* Fresh Perspectives: They frequently enough challenge conventional tropes and explore unconventional narratives, leading to more innovative and thoght-provoking content.

* Stronger Performances: When actors are involved in the writing process, they have a deeper understanding of their characters, resulting in more nuanced and compelling performances.

* Greater Artistic Control: Actor-writers have more control over the final product, ensuring that their vision is fully realized.

Case Study: The Impact of ‘Urchin’ on Independent Film

Urchin serves as a compelling case study for the potential of actor-driven independent films. Its success demonstrates that audiences are hungry for authentic, character-driven stories that challenge the status quo. The film’s low budget and reliance on strong performances and a compelling script proved that you don’t need a massive budget to create a critically acclaimed and commercially viable film. The film’s distribution deal with Neon further solidified its position as a significant player in the independent film landscape.

Practical Tips for Actors Considering Screenwriting

For actors interested in exploring screenwriting, Dickinson and Dillane offer valuable advice:

1. Start Small: Begin with short films or scenes to hone your skills and develop your voice.
2. Collaborate: Find a writing partner who complements your strengths and weaknesses.
3. Embrace Feedback: Be open to constructive criticism and willing to revise your work.
4. Write What You No: Draw on your own experiences and observations to create authentic and relatable characters.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment: Push boundaries and challenge conventional narratives.

The Future of Dickinson & Dillane: A Dual Threat in Hollywood

harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane are poised to become major forces in Hollywood, not just as actors, but as content creators. Their success with *Urchin