The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021 - Issue 29

biteactorsprofile ered being in the film business. Starting as a seed, he told himself, “Maybe it’s not such a crazy idea working in mov- ies after all.” When he started back at school in year nine, everyone had already picked their GCSEs. Unfortunately, the subjects he was interested in, such as Drama, Film Studies and Sports Science, were full. He was left with pure academic sub- jects and then studied A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and French. After passing these subjects, Joey moved to Ox- ford, where he did a three-year degree in Human Biology at Oxford Brookes University. In Oxford, he sought professional work in the film indus- try and gained experience wherever he could. The uni- versity was close enough to London for Joey to train with people from the industry. It was a time when he felt like a dream had taken hold of him, and there was no going back. “Here’s a funny twist of faith,” he remarked. “Here’s how you can always find a way back to the track that perhaps you were born to do.” Growing up, Joey used to do theatre but got bored with Shakespeare and wearing tights and ladies heeled shoes as “I wasn’t able to appreciate it as a kid,” he admitted laughing. Now, as a young man, he felt ready to commit to the art of acting. He spoke to his dad about dropping out of university and following his dream; however, his dad en- couraged him to finish the degree first before entering the entertainment industry. While at university, Joey felt he was “leading a double life” and signed up to every supporting artist and modelling agency to get as much experience on set as possible. He viewed this part of his life as an invaluable learning peri- od, showing up with a brain like a sponge, where “nothing was insignificant.” He enjoyed observing the work between established actors and directors and how they created per- formances and the process of filmmaking itself. As work in the industry picked up, Joey modelled both on the catwalk and TV. At the same time, he auditioned for Batman Begins (2005) as a junior stuntman. “ Batman Be- gins was so exciting. The audition, the nerves,” he recalled. Around 50 men were cast for the League of the Shadows. It was a thrilling and an important time for Joey. “I remember the first time we were all fitted in full ninja outfits, with arm blades that inspired parts of the Batman costume. The first day we were on set, we saw the Himalayan temple and actors like Christian Bale and Liam Neeson.” Being part of such a grandiose Hollywood production was pivotal in teaching him the reality of stunt work. “You could be the stunt double for Bruce Wayne himself, or you might not be working all day because Christian Bale is doing as many stunts as he can. When you’re on the film set, it’s all about the actor; nothing else matters.” Thus, Joey decided to become an actor rather than remain as a stunt performer. After graduating from university, Joey moved back to Lon- don and landed a significant role in the award-winning UK indie film Lovestruck (2005). Following that, he got an act- ing agent, and his full time acting career began. He has been working consistently in varied TV and film projects with notable appearances as the terrorist Abbud in the hit TV show Spooks (2005) and Roman emperor Geta in BBC primetime docuseries Timewatch (2006). In 2006, the actor landed another significant role in the groundbreaking action feature Underground . His biggest Hollywood break was being cast in Bourne Ultimatum by award-winning director Paul Greengrass. He played Desh, an Operation Blackbriar super-assassin working for the CIA tracking down Jason Bourne. Joey's more recent work was Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist as director and actor, and 2020 films The Old Guard, Unlucky Number, and The Is- Image credit: Netflix / Aimee Spinx