Interview with up-and-coming actor Ian Bjorn

By DJ Cook

Ian Bjorn is an up-and-coming actor who was born in Switzerland to a Dutch father and a Danish mother. He moved to the UK at a young age and lives there today. This is Ian's first time in Cannes. He is excited to see what the festival has to offer!

What are some recent projects that you’ve been working on? 

“The most recent one wrapped up about a month ago, called Sanctum (upcoming). It was a series where I played a god-worshiping cannibal. What does that mean? Basically, I got to run around trying to break into this church to cleanse this pregnant woman of her sins by being a cannibal. I don’t want to ruin it, so I’m not going to say too much.”

“The one before that was a feature film called Dr. Sander's Sleep Cure (2024), which we filmed in Estonia. It’s about a man who struggles to sleep. He finds this tape that puts him to sleep, but in return, he gets these nightmares that get progressively worse. I played a supporting role as an RAF soldier, so I got to walk around in a pretty little hat figuring out if I was dead, in a dream, or in real life.”

Ian Bjorn - Dr. Sander’s Sleep Cure: Photo by Mart Sander

How did you get started as an actor? 

“By accident, actually. So, five years ago, I was just happy doing sports. I was playing football, doing athletics, and then a friend of mine, Harry Gray, came up to me and goes, ‘Ian, I want to make a short film.’ I said, ‘Fantastic, what’s that got to do with me?’ He goes, ‘Ian, I want you to be in there.’ ‘As like, in the background?’ ‘No, you’re going to play the lead.’

“So we ended up making five short films together, then he stopped making films, and I continued with sports and finishing school, and then it got to lockdown. And, like everyone, I had time to reflect on my life, and I thought, ‘What do I want to do?’ I really enjoyed acting; let’s give it a go. So I put my all into it, doing lessons, firstly over Zoom, and then in the studio as theatre. And then, build my way up, build my experience up, by making a short film, applying for lots of roles, making contacts... From there, I’ve ended up just building up the experience, and I haven’t looked back.”

What would be your dream project or dream director to work with?

“The genre would be action or psychological thriller, just because I love pairing acting with my sporting background. I can then do some action as I’m currently training in gymnastics and martial arts, so I’d love to bring that side of my life in with the acting side. So a nice action psychological thriller where I can unnerve the audience. I would love to play a serial killer, a psychopath; for example, The Joker would be fantastic. No, let’s settle on The Joker, or some weird, twisted, anti-hero that starts off a bit weird, then becomes super cool.

“I haven’t really thought about a project. I love acting. If it’s a good project, I’m on board.”

Do you have any tips for up-and-coming actors?

“Keep going. Don’t be afraid to mess up. Don’t be afraid to fail. For example, when I started acting, I told my mom, and she went, ‘You’d be a better public speaker.’ Normally, people would’ve gone, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll try public speaking.’ But I thought, ‘Let’s give this a go!’ And since then, I’ve messed up; I’ve made millions of mistakes that I wouldn’t change because they’ve helped me learn. You try things on set. Don’t be afraid to try things; talk to the director; talk to the people behind the camera.

“So my first tip would be: don’t be afraid to try. You will learn. If you’re afraid of failing, change that mindset. My second tip would be to talk to everyone. Introduce yourself to the crew, to casting directors, to directions, to actors... It makes your on-set experience a million times more enjoyable because it feels like one big family. And secondly, people know other people. For example, one actor you'll introduce yourself to could talk to a casting director, who could then talk to a producer, who could then get you your dream role as, for example, The Joker.

“So those are my two tips. Throw yourself into the deep end and be yourself; be friendly and chat with people. Spread your wonderful personality.”

Do you have any social media platforms that we can keep up with you on?

“My Instagram tag is @IanBjorn. And Ian Bjorn on IMDb: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm12908694/.”