11
11
Meet Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the charismatic actor from The Criminals
A fascinating mix of strength and sensuality, the British actor has conquered Hollywood by alternating demanding films d’auteur, such as Nowhere Boy or Nocturnal Animals, with blockbusters such as Avengers: Age of Ultron. Tipped as the next James Bond, the rising star is also the new ambassador for Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Giò perfumes. As he prepares for the release of three movies in 2024 – The Fall Guy, Kraven the Hunter, and Nosferatu – he told Numéro about the year ahead.
interview by Violaine Schütz.
Published on 13 March 2024. Updated on 11 May 2026.
For several months now, the film industry has been trying to know the name of the next agent 007. Although several actors have been considered for the role, one seems to receive unanimous approval, alongside Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi. Indeed, many are picturing Aaron Taylor-Johnson wearing the tailored suit worn by Daniel Craig up until now, in the upcoming adventures of James Bond.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the new James Bond?
It must be said that the 35-year-old British actor has everything it takes to conduct this huge mission, which he has reportedly already auditioned for. The rising Hollywood star possesses the perfect blend of bulging muscles, piercing blue eyes, and unsettling charisma to portray the legendary gentleman spy.
It seems that every costume and every genre, from comedies to tragedies, from charming characters to weirdos, from big productions to indie projects, perfectly fit the intense and versatile Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
From Tenet to Bullet Train
Ready to take risks and radically change his physique, the actor played a teenage superhero nerd (Kick-Ass), the angry young John Lennon (Nowhere Boy), a redneck Texan murderer (Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, for which he won a Golden Globe), a mutant blond (Avengers: Age of Ultron), a military commander (Christopher Nolan’s Tenet). Not to mention the mustachioed hitman stuck in a carriage with Brad Pitt in Bullet Train (2022).
The star of Nosferatu and 28 Years Later
Perhaps, it represents only a tiny fraction of his potential and the mere beginning of his rise to stardom. In 2024, Aaron Taylor-Johnson made three major appearances on the silver screen. First, as a cinema superstar who suddenly disappears in the action movie The Fall Guy, alongside Ryan Gosling. Then, as a Marvel antihero in Kraven the Hunter. And finally, as Nicholas Hoult’s best friend in Robert Eggers’s dark remake of Murnau’s 1920s classic Nosferatu. June 2025 saw the British actor shine in the brilliant 28 Years Later.
Yet, working non-stop is not what nourishes an actor who can picture him as an old soul in a young body, given the apparent depth of his wisdom. During his interview with Numéro, he said that the thing he liked best was spending time with his wife Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey). The British photographer, video artist, and film director is 23 years older than him and whose name he chose to take.
A normal life in the countryside
He also says he likes nothing better than taking his children to school (he is the father of two daughters and step-father to two others), before talking about how normal their life is on a Somerset farm (he divides his time between England and Los Angeles) full of bees, dogs, chickens, and pigs.
Indeed, the man who was once a turbulent and self-destructive teenager has even refused blockbusters in order to spend more time with his offspring. With his mix of authenticity, sensuality, and strength, Taylor-Johnson could not fail to seduce fashion house Giorgio Armani, and, as the new face of the Acqua di Giò perfumes, he represents a masculinity at once athletic and sensitive, connected to the world and to nature. In other words, an ultramodern, ultra-desirable man…
Interview with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, ambassador for Acqua di Giò fragrances
Numéro: You have recently starred as the antihero in Kraven the Hunter, a super-villain from the Marvel universe, who becomes Spider-Man’s enemy. To play the role of a hunter who establishes relationships with animals to track his prey, you muscled up, learned to run on four legs, and studied the life of the photographer Peter Beard…
Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Yes, the character is immersed in the animal world and is capable of connecting to animal minds. The last two years were very intense for me because I built the character from scratch. I had to film a lot of stunts and action scenes. I followed a tight training program to put on bulk so that I would look like the character from the comic strip. My body was my costume, so I really had to work hard to get these muscles. But it was also fun to work on that. Since the film is R-rated [under 17s must be accompanied by an adult], I guess it’s going to be a bit gore at times. [Laughs.]
In the trailer, we hear phrases such as “You’re not born evil, you become it,” or “There’s an animal in each of us.” Did the script’s metaphysical aspect resonate with you?
Yes, there were a few challenges to take up in this movie. The idea was to make a Sony Marvel feature with a story audiences could identify with. It was both about a complex family dynamic, and a hunting tradition that we cling onto today, and about what it means to be a hunter in the 21st century. It’s an interesting concept when you join it to the world of Spider-Man’s enemy. The philosophical concepts were an additional reason for making this film. We wondered how we could get those ideas across and also make the character fresh, new, and real.
“I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in the role of James Bond.” — Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The audience also saw your performance in Nosferatu, an anticipated new reading of Murnau’s 1922 classic by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Northman)…
Yes, Robert Eggers, the director, has a very artistic eye when it comes to horror films. I was very interested in working with him. He’s one of those filmmakers whose vision you follow with your eyes shut, however big or small your role. I also adore Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp. All the actors in the film are fantastic, and it’s brilliantly shot in a very interesting way. I feel very lucky to have been part of this adventure.
In The Fall Guy (2024), you played a movie star who suddenly disappears. Next to you, Ryan Gosling embodies a stuntman who tries to find you. What made you accept this role?
I had already worked with the director, David Leitch, on Bullet Train [2022]. Two weeks before shooting started on The Fall Guy, with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, David had the idea of calling me to offer me a role he thought I would be great for and that would amuse me. At the beginning, it was only going to be a simple appearance, even if a little more than just a cameo, rather a sort of MacGuffin that would recur throughout the story. So it was for laughs and we had a lot of fun. It’s an audacious film that sets out to make the audience smile.
“I think that sometimes you can manifest your desires. You put your wishes out there, and things come to you.” — Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Rumour has it that you will be the next James Bond…
I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment. [Laughs.]
The characters you play are often intense and multi-faceted. How do you choose your roles?
First you look for a script that tells a new, fresh, or interesting story. Then you ask yourself if the character is one you’d like to explore, because you’re going to have to live in his skin for a few months or even years. You really have to believe in it, otherwise you won’t give your best. And then there’s the director, the creator of the story, the one who brings everything together, and whose vision plays an important part in my decision.
What if none of those elements are present?
There have to be at least a few. Otherwise, you never really know where you’re heading to. I think that sometimes you can manifest your desires. You put your wishes out there, and things come to you. Other times, they just arrive and hover around you, and you think, ‘Wow… what is this? Is this where I want to go?’ And you are figuring everything out along the way.
“I think a lot of people are constantly looking for something and don’t realize what they have in the present.” — Aaron Taylor-Johnson
On the red carpet, you show a very interesting side of masculinity owning its feminine aspect…
Personally, I’ve never felt restricted by norms. We all have our own freedom. As Giorgio Armani, for me the most influential designer of the century, put it: “Less is more.” I agree: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. That’s style. It’s when you’re no longer self-conscious. If you can wear a garment with ease, especially if it’s an Armani suit [laughs], then that’s the height of discreet cool.
What relationship do you have with the house of Giorgio Armani?
I feel a profound connection with the values of Giorgio Armani, which has always exalted nature, masculinity, and sensitivity, as well as a certain fluidity between the two. I’m very happy to be the new ambassador of a brand that proposes such a beautiful message and a feeling of empowerment. The Giorgio Armani man is connected to nature and concerned for the environment. He is aware of our impact on the world around us. And, of course, you can refill the fragrance bottle.
“It’s a blessing to be able to keep doing what I love.” — Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Acqua di Giò conjures up the idea of a man connected to the elements. What does it represent for you?
Acqua di Giò symbolizes the freedom to explore who you are. That’s what we try to say in the new film we made to accompany the perfume. We see a person undertaking a journey that will make him discover new aspects of himself, as though emerging from the ocean. Because that’s what Acqua di Giò is. It is the saltiest sea, and the minerals in the rocks at the foot of the cliffs. The citrus, wild rosemary, the cedar trees growing on the coastline. The rough and smooth, the crash of waves against the rocks, the cold and earthy stone. It is the duality of things. But also man and nature. In the film, there’s a beautiful whale, powerful and moving. It seems to light the young man’s way and lead him onto a path where there is something so much bigger than us.
You’ve been acting since you were a child. What do you dream of now?
I feel like I’m still living my dream. It’s a blessing to be able to keep doing what I love and work with incredible people who inspire and motivate me. Honestly, there are many goals and intentions I want to express, manifest and continue to pursue. But I also think it’s important to appreciate what I already have. A lot of people are constantly chasing something without realising what they have in the present or what they’re actually doing right now. I feel very fortunate right now, especially to be the new Giorgio Armani ambassador. It’s a huge honour, and I take that responsibility as a privilege.
The Criminals (2026) by David Mackenzie, currently out in theatres.
