The extremely talented Jake Kenny-Byrne recently sat down with ReVamp for our exclusive new feature to celebrate the launch of the second season of ITVX's 'G'Wed'; discussing his exciting involvement, delving deeper into Christopher's poignant and humorous arc, what it was like preparing for the emotional sequences revolving around Christopher and his late mum, his acting rituals for the role, and hints fans as to what they can expect pertaining to the new installment. 

Hi there Jake. Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! How are you doing and how has the start of 2025 been for you? 

Thanks for having me! I’m doing well, easing into January after the Christmas frenzy! I’ve been enjoying catching up with mates and hitting the ground running with my NY resolutions - keeping active being my biggest goal and trying to beat my 5K PB! I’m excited for what 2025’s got in store.  

I mean let's begin by talking about your surreal involvement in ITVX's "G'Wed". First of all, huge congratulations on the launch of the second season!

Do you remember how your initial audition process went for your character and what it was like stepping onto the set for the first time as well as getting to meet your co-stars? 

I remember getting the self-tape through during the summer of 2022. I was lucky to receive the first two episodes, which as an actor you’re not always given. Danny’s writing had me laughing out loud, and I was so impressed with how the close-to-the knuckle humour had so much heart to it. I did four rounds of auditions, culminating in a chemistry read in Liverpool where I met the cast. It was my first time in Liverpool ever, and I remember having such a laugh testing with Dylan (Reece) in particular. The scene we did was when he climbs through my bedroom window and pulls down his trousers in front of Grandma Pat - and after the scene finished my diaphragm was aching the amount we were all laughing. 

We were lucky to have a rehearsal week before shooting, which allowed us to do delve into the scripts and play with our characters through improv. By the time we were on set at the school and had our uniforms on, I felt so comfortable with everyone already and we already had started becoming a family!

How do you think your character 'Christopher' has evolved ever since you started to portray him in Season 1 as compared to this latest Season? 

I think Christopher in Season 1 sees himself as an outsider, not only because he’s a Southerner who’s moved up north to Liverpool, but because of his feeling of isolation due to the grief of losing his Mum. As the cheeky Reece takes him under his wing, they realise they have a lot more in common than they expected. He gains confidence as by the end he’s become not only close to the lads but with Aimee, and has found his tribe and home in Liverpool. What was so fun to play was the highs and lows of his relationships, which are always even more high stakes when you’re going through school and seeing each other every day! I think the most fun was exploring Christopher’s sense of humour and his banter with the gang in S2 now he’s been given the ‘Honourary Scouser’ badge from the boys! 

Christopher truly has a lot of intricate layers to him. From being introduced as a posh kid feeling ostracized to him dealing with his mother's loss while actively trying to fit into a new environment and finding himself in camaraderie with unexpected people, Christopher's arc is nothing less of a roller-coaster. 

So, in terms of playing such a complicated character, did you ever have any acting ritual that helped you get into the mindset of Christopher? 

After our rehearsal week dissecting the scripts and improvising, it was being in the actual school and specifically for me, putting on the uniform! As in S1 Christopher wears the full smart uniform, having the full shirt, jumper, blazer and laptop bag combo and doing the Windsor knot on my tie every morning became my ritual in a sense. As an actor, once I’ve put on the costume, I feel like I’m inhabiting the character as it’s changing how I hold myself physically and move around the space. Wearing the multiple layers and the slightly heavy bag weighed me down a bit and allowed me to find a sort of hunched posture that captured Chris’ withdrawn, shy nature at the beginning.

Watching the show, I could witness Christopher's arc getting quite contrasting at points. There's a bit of an amalgamation of humour, quirkiness, poignancy, and repressiveness to his character on top of the unexpected sweetness he often ends up sharing in a lot of scenes with Reece and Aimee. 

How did you go upon preparing for such intimate and difficult sequences in a series that is mainly catered to the genre of comedy; especially the ones that were filled with poignancy and a lot of heavy elements such as the way Christopher dealt with his emotions after hearing Reece recite the letter penned down by his late mum? 

What I loved about Danny’s writing was how unique G’WED was in terms of how he writes comedy so sharp and bold particularly in the crude, awkward and shocking moments, and then the rug is pulled and there’s important issues underneath that are given light: grief, class, diversity being but a few. I remember feeling a little nervous before the scene where Christopher’s Mum sends him an unexpected letter scheduled for after she passed, but I felt so comfortable with Dylan when we’re shooting it. As an actor you can draw upon your own personal experiences but also use your imagination ‘what if’ to properly access what the character you’re playing is experiencing. Looking at what grief I have experienced in my own life, in all its forms, as well as using music really helped me access the more emotional scenes.  

Now that you have embodied Christopher over the course of these two seasons, I'm very curious to know, what's your favourite trait about Christopher that you believe makes him stand out from the rest of the characters within this phenomenal production? 

I think all the characters including the lads, Aimee, Mia-Louise, The Brimble, Lewis, Kieron, as well as many others in S1 and the exciting new faces you’ll meet in S2 are all so distinct. My favourite trait in Christopher is his resilience. He’s a fish out of water by the start dealing with grief,  and perseveres and is brave enough to overcome and keep moving forward. 

For the fans who have been eagerly waiting in massive anticipation for the second instalment to be launched, what can you tell us about your upcoming arc and the overall plotline of the show? 

Series 2 will explore consent, age-gap relationships and what are acceptable ways of making money whilst you’re at school. Christopher’s feels more confident now he’s part of the gang, but you’ll see him trying to navigate his relationship with Aimee. You can expect to see him in a light you’ve never seen him before…it was very fun flexing my comedic muscles even more this time I’ll tell you… 

Lastly, I'd love to know, what's next for you, Jake? And is there any message that you wish to convey to your fans currently reading this interview? 

I play a small role as Frank, the brother of Jane and Cassandra Austen in BBC’s ‘Miss Austen’, out now! It’s a series based off Gill Horby’s novel of the same name. It’s a story that explores why Cassandra Austen burned her sister Jane’s personal letters after her death. It was a privilege to be in my first period drama with an exceptional female led cast and crew. 

I’ve also played a role in a dark thriller pilot called ‘COLD MIND’ and I’m in the next series of BBC’s Shakespeare & Hathaway. 

And is there any message that you wish to convey to your fans currently reading this interview? 

I hope you enjoy G’WED S2 as much as we did making it, and have the best year! All the love! Jake x

The new series of G'Wed is now streaming on ITVX!