18 Questions With introduces 1883 readers to the brightest young artists, actors, creatives and beyond. From childhood memories and guilty pleasures to their latest ventures and upcoming projects, our goal is to bring you closer to the people who inspire and entertain us.
Jack Bannon is in a moment of momentum. Over the past few years he has steadily built a body of work across television and film, moving between genres with ease, but 2026 feels like a turning point. He leads the BBC’s latest six-part drama, Babies, written and directed by Stefan Golaszewski. It’s a quietly devastating series about relationships and the weight they carry over time.
Set against the lives of two couples, the show stars Paapa Essiedu, Charlotte Riley and Siobhán Cullen alongside Bannon. He plays Dave, a man trying to hold together a relationship that never quite fits. Opposite Riley’s Amanda, there is an immediate sense that something is off. Dave is the sort of character people recognise. Charming on the surface, but stuck somewhere between youth and responsibility, raising a child without fully knowing how to show up.
It is a more exposed performance than audiences have seen from him before, stripped back and emotionally precise.
When it comes to future projects, Bannon is also set to appear in the upcoming Tomb Raider series for Amazon MGM Studios, alongside Sophie Turner, Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the helm.
With everything going his way, Jack Bannon sits down with 1883 Magazine for our 18 Questions With feature, answering questions on Babies, his time on Pennyworth, and his dream dinner party guest list.
What’s something exciting? That’s happened to you this week?
Answer: started back on TOMB RAIDER after a two-week hiatus.
What was the last thing you read?
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
Favourite memory growing up?
Playing in the garden with my brother and two sisters.
What was the last place you travelled to?
The South of France for a little family holiday.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
My friend reading out his new dating profiles and his list of kinks…
What is your nighttime ritual?
Very boring – brush teeth, wash face and one last check on my son.
What would be your dream dinner party guest list?
Ethan Hawke, Anthony Bourdain, Akala, George Best, my Mum, Oliver Reed, Alex Ferguson, Jackson Boxer, Meryl Streep, Charlie Casely-Hayford, Charles and Ray Eames, Kano…..I mean how many am I allowed?
Favourite quote from a film or TV show?
“Why so serious?” The Joker
What’s your go to karaoke song?
I hate karaoke.
Favourite item in your closet?
Denzel Washington’s boxers. (Unworn) Long story.
What’s the main thing you hope about the audience takes away from Babies?
The comfort and hope that love, proper communication and understanding can help us get through anything.
What were your favourite moments from shooting in the show?
The long scenes particularly with Paapa and Charlotte, the scenes at the wedding with Paapa and the scenes in the pub with Charlotte. The level of detail and specificity that Stefan wanted and then his willingness to let me try things in the spur of the moment I’ve rarely felt so free as an actor.
When you look back at projects like Pennyworth, how did you find taking on such a well-known character and having to put your own spin on it?
The great thing about working with Big IP is that there’s so much information already there and you can choose to use it or forget about it and build your own thing, but it always comes from a place of inspiration from the IP itself. Alfred was an amalgamation of who I was at the time and the character we know he becomes later.
After booking a project, how do you normally celebrate?
I tend to go for a nice meal at a trendy restaurant in London, somewhere different each time, I love trying new food in this city usually with my partner sometimes with friends and sometimes solo sat at a counter and just let the victory wash over me quietly, it can take so long to find the right job that it’s important to enjoy the five minutes after the call comes in before the real work begins.
What’s the main rule that has guided you through your career so far?
Just trying to stay level, there are so many peaks and troughs, it’s important to try to remain steady throughout, don’t get too high or too low, feel the emotion, sure. But recognise it’s not something we’re trying to overcome, it’s part of it.
Phil Stutz talks about pain, uncertainty and constant work being aspects of reality that define the human experience, and I think it’s particularly true in creatives. Finding meaning within those things and realising that going through them was always part of the plan, rather than trying to find a cure for them. That helps. Oh, and always hang your costume up.
Who’s been your favourite actor to work alongside?
Ryan Fletcher from Pennyworth. We had a blast, side splitting laughter everyday and I trusted him implicitly.
What would you like to try to hand at next?
I’d like to learn Spanish, learn to ride a motorbike and play at SoccerAid.
What is one thing you would like to manifest for yourself?
Peace, being more present and enjoying each day.
Stream Babies on BBC iPlayer now.
Photography Emma Harries
