“I Can Relate To Johnny [Warren] In A Lot Of Ways”: Archie Renaux On His Character In Scandalous New Legal Thriller, WAR

Playing Johnny Warren in Sky’s gloriously scandalous new series, the British actor gears up to establish himself amongst London’s top fictional lawyers and the nation’s rising on-screen stars.

Having made his mark in Netflix’s fantasy series Shadow and Bone back in 2021, Archie Renaux seems more than ready to lead the charge in Britain’s fine crop of young actors. For his latest role, he swaps fights with mythical creatures in Shadow Fold for stand-offs with powerful lawyers in London courtrooms.

Stealing the show in Sky’s juicy, provocative eight-part legal drama WAR – from creator George Kay (Hijack, Lupin, Criminal), the 28-year-old plays the role of Jonathan “Johnny” Warren, an ambitious young lawyer trying to make a name for himself amongst London’s legal elite. When an extremely high-profile divorce between Hollywood actress Carla Duval and tech entrepreneur Morgan Henderson erupts into one of the biggest trials in British history, two of the capital’s most powerful rival law firms get involved. Unfortunately for Johnny, he finds himself in the crossfire and one wrong move could cost him and those around him their careers. 

Setting-wise, it’s pretty different from his role as Malyen Oretsev in the aforementioned Shadow and Bone which catapulted his career to flourish in a 2024 disparate double-bill as Tyler in the sci-fi horror Alien: Romulus and as William in Amazon Prime’s romcom Upgraded, respectively. With WAR offering something different compared to his repertoire, it’s the perfect opportunity for viewers to see a different side to the London-born actor. 

As the series gets into the swing of things, airing on Thursdays on Sky TV, Renaux sits down with Man About Town to unpack the series, working with George Kay, and holding his own amongst a star-studded cast.

What was it about this specific project that drew you in in the first place?

The first thing that got me to understand just how good a character Johnny was I got sent the first two episodes and I was actually on another job at that moment. I was on night shoots and I was struggling to find the time to even read it because I was just so knackered. I kept getting pushed to do it by my agent and I was like, “Okay, right, I’ve got a bit of time, I can do it now.” I read it and I was like, “Oh wow, I’m so glad that I didn’t let this one slip the net.” Johnny’s character was really the thing that got me, but also George Kay’s writing and how fast-paced it was and so much happens even in the first two episodes. There’s really great world-building and cliffhangers at the end. It keeps you glued to it and wanting to find out what happens next.

George Kay is the mind behind some iconic modern TV shows like Hijack and Lupin. So how was your experience of working with him?

Yeah, great. I’d watched Hijack — I didn’t know him personally, but I watched that show and really enjoyed it. It was great to talk to him. If I ever had any things I wasn’t sure about, I could send him a text, or if he was there, just talk to him about it, and he’d work with me to find a way to make things feel truthful and even fit into my mouth. I think after a while, he started to write with how I was playing him in mind anyway. So, it was a great experience.

The cast you feature alongside contains some huge names in the British screen industry. How was the energy on set? How did it differ from previous projects you’ve worked on?

I wouldn’t say I’ve really noticed much difference from other sets that I’ve worked on. I think I’ve been quite lucky in that regard. I’ve always had a really great cast that I’ve really gotten on well with. But yeah, this cast is so amazing and so much fun as well. Obviously, shooting days can be long and sometimes there’s a lot of waiting around, but everyone’s energy was so spot on. It really felt welcoming. It didn’t feel daunting at any moment, and it just felt like a very free space to try things and express yourself. It was a really good working environment.

And how was it appearing alongside the legendary Dominic West in particular?

Yeah, great. Dominic’s done some amazing stuff, as have a lot of people in the cast – it was a pleasure. I guess if you’d asked me at the start of my career, maybe it would have been a bit more daunting. But I feel like I’ve got a little bit of experience now, and I don’t know if “intimidated” is the right word but it just feels nice to be able to share the screen with people who are this great, have been doing it for so long and have such great experience.

The series finds its narrative weaving throughout the elite and cutthroat world of law in London. Did anything shock you in the script?

Loads of stuff. That’s what makes it so good. I think there are all these little twists and turns which really keep you engaged and wanting to know more.

Is there anything in particular you can talk about?

It’s quite hard to talk about without giving anything away, really. I want all the shocks and surprises to be saved for the audience to be able to watch.

You play ambitious lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren. Talk us through your character. How did you find him?

I can relate to Johnny in a lot of ways. I think him starting from square one at the start of the series and really trying to sell himself to these little firms to get in with them, I felt like I’d been there before, in some respects. I used to do door-to-door sales for a window company, I’ve been in job interviews before where I’ve had to perform a little bit, which I think everyone will be able to relate to in some way. Because you kind of do have to tailor your answers to different job interviews. But I do like his earnestness, and even his messiness I found really interesting because he’s so human. He just ultimately wants the best for himself in his career, and I think he wants to prove to himself and others around him that he deserves to be working in prestigious law firms in London, despite his working-class background.

Continuing on that, what have you learnt most about yourself as an actor through playing Johnny? What did he illuminate or force you to experiment with in his character process?

I think I’ve never got to squirm as much as I did while playing Johnny. Being under this sort of constant pressure has been so fun to play. And I think there is quite a bit of humour with Johnny as well. I don’t think he’s trying to be funny at times, but there’s something that I found with playing him that unlocks a slight bit of humour and messiness. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I took a lot of inspiration from something like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Secret of My Success. You know, how Michael J. Fox is constantly running around and it’s just this constant spinning and spiralling out of control and I think I took a little bit of inspiration from that.

Would you hire your character to represent you if you ran into any legal trouble?

Probably, because I think his charm would make me feel at ease. I wouldn’t feel like I’m talking to a robot or someone reciting facts or loads of legal jargon that I wouldn’t understand. I feel like he’s quite down to earth, and I find that a very good quality in someone. So yeah, I think I probably would hire him.

WAR is brimming with scandal. Was it always quite fun to play that out on set, or did it ever mirror how serious some of the show’s issues are?

I don’t think the energy on set was ever really serious. I don’t know about the scenes I wasn’t in. But in terms of the case that we’re dealing with, there were a few jokes made in the series that were sort of scripted. I think that’s very, very human. When there’s something scandalous that comes out, and you hear some of the comments that people will make about things, even if you’re on Twitter or X or whatever, people talk. People love to gossip and say, “Oh, I wonder if she was like that. I wonder if he really did that. I bet he was doing this.” It’s just sort of something that people gossip about. And even in the offices, I think naturally, if they’re away from their clients, they’re going to be talking about these sorts of things and speculating.