Rising model and actor George Osborne takes centre stage in Contact Hours, a tense and emotionally charged new film that delves into the complexities of connection in the modern world. Known for his magnetic screen presence and distinctive style, Osborne delivers a powerful performance that cements his status as one to watch in contemporary cinema.

What drew you to the role in Contact Hours, and how did you prepare for the character? -

Back in September 2023, Harry and I met at a screening for one of my other short films called Nearly Never (Dir. Peter Franklyn Banks). I had a tiny role and was just grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with some very talented individuals. After the screening, someone who worked on the film introduced me to Harry as they knew he was working on something, this being CONTACT HOURS. We stood and chatted for around an hour about our love and passion for films, and we got on really well, really quickly. He went on to explain the concept of the film and why it was important to be made, and I kind of just stood there with a big smile on my face. When he mentioned that the film was to do with Men’s Mental Health, I was immediately on board. It is something that isn’t spoken about enough, and to be given the chance to portray a character on screen that can help relate to so many other viewers (not just men) was an honour. When it came to preparing for the role, there wasn’t really too much to prepare because I’ve had my own personal battles with Mental Health in the past, and I kind of used that as a basis and worked from there. It isn’t the healthiest of ways to approach a role as raw as that but it certainly helped!

Can you describe a particularly challenging or memorable scene from filming the movie?-

I have to say the first scene of the whole shoot. It was the moment when The Caretaker (played by the extremely gifted Kris Hitchen) comes home after an emotionally taxing day at work. This was possibly Kris’s most intense scene to film. He is someone who doesn’t like to rehearse, as it can take the realness out of what we were doing if we go over it too much. For him to then do what he did (with no rehearsals) was mindblowing. I learnt so much working alongside Kris and I owe him a lot when it comes to my performance.

How does your experience as a model influence the way you approach acting roles, especially one as intense as this?-

When it comes to a performance that is this vulnerable and personal, I have to say the modelling didn’t directly influence anything I did. I have been a model for over half a decade now, and the experience I have in front of the camera certainly gave me a layer of confidence in myself I wouldn’t have had if that wasn’t the case, but it is so different getting to dig your teeth into a character like The Caretaker's Son. It was certainly an intense role, but I saw a lot of myself in him. He was struggling with how to deal with his mental battles and did the one thing I didn’t do when I was younger: speak to somebody about it!

What themes in Contact Hours do you think will resonate most with audiences? -

I think the main theme of the film is what will resonate most, as it is such a sensitive topic that so many of us have personal connections to. I myself know of a few people who have died by suicide and many others who are close to me who suffer with their Mental Health, so for me it was really important to convey that it is so crucial to speak to somebody. The people who are around you would much rather listen to you talk about how you feel, cry and moan than to learn that you have taken your life.

Did you find any personal connection to your character, or was this a complete departure from who you are off-screen? -

As I said before, I saw a lot of myself in the character because I have been right where he is. I suffered pretty badly with social anxiety throughout secondary school, and I felt I had to put on a front to fit in. The front escalated through the years, and it almost cost me my life. This is when I realised life is so precious and I need to do everything I can to live it exactly how I want to live it, rather than to fit in. It took me a while after what happened to get my head back up and find my confidence to be myself, but I got there by speaking to the people around me and by being me. I put those dark times to good use and tapped into them to help find The Caretaker’s Son’s headspace, which wasn't the healthiest of methods, but I hope it showed in the edit.

How was the dynamic on set between you and the rest of the cast—any behind-the-scenes moments you’d like to share? -

Kris and I spent a whole day together before we started shooting to get to know one another on a personal level and also to block the scenes we were going to shoot. Kris is such an interesting person who had so much to give. He taught me a few techniques to help with my approach to certain scenes, and they have been absolute game-changers for me since. He showed me what books to read, what films to watch and just gave me so much life advice to the point where I felt like I was stealing from him. I still look back at my little notepad to this day just to use the little techniques he gave me. When it came to the other cast, I never actually got to work with them, but they all did such an amazing job! Special mention to Ashleigh Mae Schoburgh Crooks, who plays one of the Students in the film. She did such an amazing job! My favourite BTS moment is beating Rufus Love, the wonderful writer of the film both at fifa, and at table tennis

This film has a suspenseful tone—how did you mentally stay in that headspace during long shoots? -

When I know I have an intense scene coming up, I tend to just walk away from everybody on set and create an alternate headspace. I sit down and I go over and over how I feel in my head until I’m ready. Sometimes that's 30 seconds, other times it's 5 minutes; it really depends on the day and the intensity of the scene. Once the scene is done, I completely detach from that headspace as it really isn’t good for you. The scene that was most difficult for me to shoot in this film was the chat between The Caretaker and his Son. Off-screen, The Caretaker opens up and tells his son what he has experienced throughout the day, and it really throws the Son off as he himself feels similar to the Student to a certain degree, but he has never felt he is in a secure enough environment to talk about it. I felt quite a lot of pressure to do this scene justice as it is so integral to telling the story, and in the end, I was really proud with what we shot that night.

Looking ahead, do you see yourself leaning more into acting, modelling, or balancing both worlds? -

Acting is where my heart is, and modelling is what gave me that confidence in myself to even think about acting, so I would be lying to you if I said I wouldn’t try to balance both worlds. If i had to choose one or the other, it would certainly be my acting. I study a lot of film, and I get great satisfaction out of watching a good performance. It’s almost an escape for me from the real world and a chance to engross myself within somebody else's.

BONUS

Dream Roles - Period War film, Comedy/Drama, Crime/Mystery Thriller, Period War Romance.

Actors that inspire me - Paul Giamatti, Alain Delon, Lupita N’yongo, Nick Frost/Simon Pegg, Harris Dickinson and Matthew Mcconaughey.

Directors that I’d love to work with - Guy Ritchie, Damien Chazelle, Sean Baker, Philip Barantini.

My top 4 films - The Breakfast Club, The Last of The Mohicans, 12 Angry Men and Whiplash