“I Remember Reading The Scripts And Openly Weeping On The Central Line”: Josh Finan Is New In Town

Stepping into the lead role for his prison-set drama, Waiting for the Out, the BAFTA-nominated rising star talks Martin Freeman and crying on the tube.

His career only really kicked into gear as the clocks ticked over to the 2020s, but Josh Finan has quickly established himself as the vanguard of the next wave of charming and chameleonic British thespians.

From roots in the theatre, including Royal Shakespeare Company adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, to now, looking through his small-screen portfolio looks like a list of the top TV shows from the decade. He made inroads with cutting cameos in Netflix heavyweights The Gentleman and Baby Reindeer, before gaining a coveted BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his menacing and momentous turn as Marco in BBC’s excellent The Responder.

A key role in FX mini-series Say Nothing, and an episode of the seventh and latest series of Charlie Brooker’s social juggernaut Black Mirror, have all led to this latest role – arguably his most significant and striking performance.

Based on the memoirs of Andy West, and created for television by Dennis Kelly, the genre-disruptor behind cult classic Channel 4 show, Utopia, Waiting for the Out, is a prison-set drama about Dan (Finan), a young social worker. The protagonist explores his past – he himself has an imprisoned father, brother and uncle – through his experiences inside, working with convicts. But his passion and obsession gather steam, causing danger for himself and his family. Finan towers above all on the show, a complex and compelling performance that holds a real emotional density, showcasing his quickly maturing process.

With a look somewhere between Harris Dickinson and Jake Bugg, and the acting chops to contend with seemingly any co-star, there’s a real feeling that Josh Finan is one of Britain’s next big character actors. Ahead of tomorrow’s (Saturday 7th February) season finale of Waiting for the Out, the rising star reflects on his impressive catalogue, reveals the type of role that gets him hooked, and explains why this latest role is his meatiest yet.

Hello Josh Finan! You have appeared in supporting roles in some of the popular TV shows in recent years – from The Gentleman to Black Mirror and Baby Reindeer. What did these jobs teach you?

I think I learnt to relax and play a lot on jobs like those. They were obviously quite high-stakes Netflix projects, but my responsibility was to play these characters who were basically a lot of fun, and whether I knew that going in or learnt it on the day I quickly leant into that element of embracing the happy accidents. With a director like Guy Ritchie, who can throw anything at you at any time, you’ve got to be on your toes and up for experimenting.

You’re making your name as an actor who isn’t afraid of gritty, challenging parts in gritty, challenging stories – from The Responder to Say Nothing. Where does your drive come from to portray these kinds of characters? 

I think I’m attracted to parts that feel complicated and cleverly drawn. I love it when writers aren’t afraid to show an uglier side to their characters, trusting actors to bring humanity to them, and trusting audiences to root for them. The Responder and Say Nothing really put their characters through the wringer, but both scripts contain humour and lightness and an empathetic heartbeat, which I responded (pun intended, sorry) really well towards.

How do you wind down at the end of it all? 

Still working on that bit!

You’ve worked alongside a plethora of incredible talent in your career already, in front of and behind the camera. Is there someone in particular who stands out, who simply blew you away?

I’ve gushed quite publicly about actors I’ve loved working with recently, but behind the camera, I’m very in awe of the work of Jeanette Nordahl. We met on The Responder season two and last year made Waiting for the Out, and she is among the cleverest, most empathetic directors I’ve worked with. She has quite a visceral understanding of both character and actor and has an amazingly gentle and nurturing way of coaxing (often quite dark and tortured!) performances. Plus, she cares so much about the work. Leaves any ego at the door and prioritises what’s best for the story at all costs. I love her.

Congratulations on your new show, Waiting for the Out! How did you become involved in the project? 

Thanks! I’m very proud of it. I owe one to casting directors Nina Gold and Martin Ware for putting my name forward, and then again to Jeanette for twisting Dennis Kelly’s arm to let me come and read!

It’s your biggest leading role to date. Did you feel added pressure in being the show’s protagonist? What actors did you look to for inspiration in taking on the responsibility? 

I did feel a bit more pressure in the run-up to the start of filming. I went for lunch with Martin Freeman to pick his brain about taking on something larger and more complex. I really admired what he’d done in both seasons of The Responder; remaining honest and faithful to the text but always so focused and in the moment. And he was class. He basically assured me that I had it in me to do it – and could bring the same process I’ve brought to supporting roles to something chunkier – the difference being, I’d just be around more. Something deceptively simple, he said to me, which stuck was that “the majority of the work happens between action and cut”. So even though there was quite a complicated arc to get right, actually, the most important thing is to be alive and present moment to moment and not feel pressure to know or understand absolutely everything before turning up to work.

Waiting for the Out was written by Dennis Kelly, best known for the cult classic Utopia. How was the experience of working with Kelly? What do you remember about first reading the script?

I love Dennis. His work has always stirred something within me and I’ve always kind of been quite taken with his perspective on the world. That admiration has only grown since working with him. He’s such a generous and collaborative writer; there’s great purpose and intent to everything he sets out to do, but he always allows others to try things or make suggestions. So you feel like you’re simultaneously in solid hands, but also able to express yourself.

The show has been met with critical adulation. Did you feel that when you were making it, it was going to be something special?

When they were first sent over, I remember reading the scripts and openly weeping on the Central line. So there was no doubt about the quality of the writing. Then after I’d got the job and started meeting the heads of department and everyone behind the show, I really noticed how passionately everyone seemed to feel towards it, which is always really encouraging. You can never expect too much in terms of a response, but there was a lot of admiration and respect throughout all the departments, which was special enough!

What’s your favourite thing about being an actor? And what’s the most challenging aspect?

I’m not sure if I can pin down a single aspect… but the last couple of jobs I’ve done I’ve sort of given everything to, and there’s immense satisfaction in being able to do that. As for the downsides, I think I could probably do with a bit more structure in between jobs.

What have you got coming in 2026?

There’s a Netflix show coming out in February called How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, which was written and masterminded by Lisa McGee. It’s very, very clever and lots of fun. I’ve got to be sort of tight-lipped about everything else but suffice to say I’m looking forward to the year ahead.