Film fans are used to actors whose filmographies stretch back to the 1990s and beyond, but the reality is that for young, burgeoning talents like Will Poulter, their careers were very much developed in the 21st century. Going from niche British indie cinema to the heights of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Poulter has had the chance to work with the likes of Dexter Fletcher, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Kathryn Bigelow, Ari Aster and James Gunn throughout just 16 years in the industry.
His career was sparked back in 2007 with the release of Son of Rambow, a charming British coming-of-age comedy that told the story of two schoolboys who set out to make a film based on Sylvester Stallone’s iconic action movie First Blood from 1982. Impressing alongside fellow young talents Bill Milner and Asa Butterfield, the role would open the door for a host of minor TV roles before he had the chance to return to the silver screen three years later for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
This led to perhaps the actor’s most iconic role to date, appearing in the beloved 2013 comedy movie We’re the Millers with Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Ed Helms and Emma Roberts. Showing off his comedy chops, something that the actor hasn’t been able to flex since, the role opened him up to Hollywood, taking on supporting roles in Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner, Iñárritu’s The Revenant and Bigelow’s Detroit soon after.
Ever since then, Poulter has enjoyed great success, even taking a role in the Marvel cinematic universe in 2023 with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
In preparation for the release of the TV series Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? in 2022, the actor took the time to sit down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss some of his favourite movies of all time. The first movie he referenced was Steven Spielberg’s Hook, a film he particularly loved growing up.
“The movie that I’ve watched over and over again is Hook,” the actor states, “it was my favourite film growing up as a child. Robin Williams’s performance was so impactful, and he remains one of my favourite actors of all time, it’s my go-to for nostalgic comfort, and I think the eternally attractive idea of never growing up and being a kid forever really spoke to me and kind of still does”.
Though Hook isn’t the most loved movie in Spielberg’s filmography for many, it remains an unlikely favourite of Poulter’s, much like his passion for the 2006 dance movie Step-Up. “I love the Step-Up movies he states, I am a sucker for a dance battle in the rain in a parking lot, I mean anywhere really, and rain is just a bonus”.
Continuing in his ardent defence of the movies, he adds: “I just marvel at people who are able to dance that well in unison in a group and make it a competitive sport in a way and, at the same time, theatre”.
The final movie that Poulter exclaims his love for is the one-shot action movie Victoria by director Sebastian Schipper. “For me, it’s like one of the best films I’ve ever seen, and I don’t hear people talking about it enough,” he says of the underrated flick that stars Laia Costa and tells the story of a group of friends in Berlin whose night is thrown into disarray after a crime gone wrong.
Will Poulter’s favourite movies:
- Hook (Steven Spielberg, 1991)
- Step-Up (Anne Fletcher, 2006)
- Victoria (Sebastian Schipper, 2015)