Josh O'Connor: 'Luca Guadagnino compared me to a roast chicken'

Josh O'Connor has recalled Challengers director Luca Guadagnino comparing him to a "beautiful roast chicken".

In a new interview with GQ magazine, the actor discussed some of the most memorable moments from his career so far. O'Connor revealed how filmmaker Guadagnino inspired the star to connect to his former tennis player character in Challengers.

"He said that my character in Challengers is like a beautiful roast chicken - greasy, delicious, perfectly cooked with some rosemary or whatever," O'Connor shared, before adding there was another layer to discover. "'But if you meet you in reality, you're like a bit of raw chicken breast.'"

While some stars may have been left confused by the remark, O'Connor insisted he took it as a compliment.

"I enjoy playing roles that make people think I'm that. That's transformative, hopefully," he added.

Elsewhere in the interview, O'Connor detailed feeling overwhelmed at the London premiere for Challengers in 2024.

As he arrived on the red carpet, seeing hordes of photographers alongside his parents and brothers became too much to cope with.

The 35-year-old explained: "There was something about these two worlds of my persona: being in front of these photographers and my career, and then my sweet family who are just the sweetest, like, 'What are you doing here?' Do you know what I mean?"

While O'Connor managed to keep his composure as he posed for photos, he later escaped to a bathroom in the cinema and broke down in tears.

He continued, "I think I just felt incredibly overwhelmed."