Sam Locke Reflects on His Unforeseen Journey After 28 Years Later Stardom

A Welsh actor says he "couldn't have predicted" the trajectory of his career after appearing in his second Hollywood film in the last six months. After starring in 28 Years Later, the sequel to Danny Boyle's 2002 film 28 Days Later, Sam Locke is back on the big screen in the latest instalment in the series, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Locke, 24, told the BBC he had an "emotional" day celebrating the film's premiere with his mother and partner. He features alongside Bafta winner Jack O'Connell in the post-apocalyptic horror, which also stars Cillian Murphy and Ralph Fiennes. The Bone Temple deals with the aftermath of the Rage virus in Britain, which still remains under indefinite quarantine. Locke plays Jimmy Fox, a member of the Jimmy cult, which is led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal and played by Skins star Jack O'Connell. "Working with Jack brought my performance up, just from being with him," he said. "There were little nuggets of advice that I got from, not only Jack, but others that just made my performance elevate tenfold and stuff that will stick with me on whatever job I do." With 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later both directed by Danny Boyle, the latest instalment sees Nia DaCosta take the reins, with Locke saying the director was inspired by the real-life friendships of the cast. "Nia was good at picking up on little things as well, like how we would interact away from our characters and incorporate things like that," said Locke. "For example, I was very close to Connor [Newhall] and that's reflected in this film. "Nia knew exactly what she wanted but through cooperation and openness we got the best out of everyone." The film's premiere was an opportunity for Locke to "reap the rewards" of his time on set and celebrate with his mother and partner. "Every actor works their life to try and get into situations that I was in," he said. "To be able to share it with the people that I care about the most and experience it with them was really great. "[Locke's mum] was so incredibly proud, and also horror is my mother's favourite genre as well so when I initially got cast in it that excited her no end. "Now to finally see me in it, she was emotional. "I'm quite blessed in that I've got a good circle around me." Locke first fell in love with acting in drama classes in his hometown of Merthyr Tydfil and has been acting professionally for three years. "On paper my career so far has been bordering not real," he said. "I've worked on some insane projects and to get where I am now is really quite special." He said he hoped his success would be inspiration to other young actors. "You start doing your auditions and just get constant no's, it can be quite heavy," he said. "Enjoy what it is that you are currently doing and never let that flame die. "I hope people get inspired by it, but never compare their careers to me because everyone goes on their own individual journey." The actor said audiences can expect "a wild ride" from The Bone Temple, which is in cinemas now.