While Blitz showcases the impeccable filmmaking ability of the legendary Steve McQueen, with another moving performance from the brilliant Saoirse Ronan, it’s young actor Elliott Heffernan who’s really the breakout star. Nominated for a Critics Choice Award for best young actor/actress (awards ceremony Jan. 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET on E!), Heffernan will quickly capture your heart while watching this film.
Blitz is set in London during the Second World War. Nine-year-old George (Heffernan) is sent away by his mother, Rita (Ronan), to the English countryside for his safety. But George doesn’t want to leave his family, his mother and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller), and jumps off the train determined to return home.
As this child tries to find his way back to his family, he meets a variety of different people in his journey, from the kind to the terrifying, all while Rita searches for her missing son.
‘She was like a mum on set and a big sister’
Having received significant praise for his work in Blitz, Heffernan, who had only done a school play before filming the movie, said he’s been “blown away” by the response to the film and his performance
“It was definitely different to what I’m used to,” Heffernan told Yahoo Canada.
But the now 11-year-old actor had unique support from Ronan on the set of his first film, with the actress starting her career as a child in the film industry herself.
“She was like a mum on set and a big sister, whilst also being a friend as well, and being really supportive and guiding me through my first film set, which was really helpful,” Heffernan said.
“She had the same experiences that I had. She was the same age when she started acting, just like me. She had been on her first ever film and she didn’t know anything about it, just like I did. And she helped me a lot with her understanding what to do, how to do it, all of that stuff.”
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Heffernan is particularly exceptional in this film as he navigates all of the emotions George goes through, especially in the moments where he breaks down in fear and sadness, being a child alone on the streets during the London Blitz.
But amid all the seriousness in the story, and the themes of love, and the need for compassion and acceptance, Heffernan cherished the moments of levity he had during the filming process.
“Even though it was supposed to be a really serious film, whilst I was on set it didn’t feel like it because of how much all the adults made me feel comfortable and supported me, and made it a really good working environment,” Heffernan said.
He added that being able to do exciting things like stunt work, including a particularly impactful scene where George is stuck in a flooding underground transit station, felt like a “break” from the seriousness. He also saw the big shifts in actors like Stephen Graham, who plays Albert, the leader of a group of criminals taking jewelry off of people who died in The Blitz.
“It was really funny because you’d see him in the scene, … really serious and scary and terrifying, but then the second they say cut, … [he’s] really kind and fun and joyful,” Heffernan highlighted.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 09: Elliott Heffernan attends the 2024 BFI London Film Festival Press Conference of the Apple Original film “Blitz” at BFI Southbank on October 9, 2024 in London, England. “Blitz” premieres in select cinemas on November 1 and streams globally on Apple TV+ from 22 November,2024. (Photo by Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Apple TV+)
What’s next for Elliott Heffernan
Coming into the spotlight with his film debut in Blitz, Heffernan wasn’t entirely aware of everything that came with the work, like press interviews, premieres and other events, but has enjoyed meeting new people through the process.
“I didn’t know about that stuff before. I just thought it was acting, but the acting is one part of it, and then the bigger part with all the publicity and getting the film around the world and talking about it,” Heffernan said. “And it was fun and amazing meeting all the new people that I got to meet, and going to America, which was really fun. I like New York, and going to [Los Angeles].”
“I got to meet this lady called June Squibb and she was in this film called Thelma, and it’s really funny. I watched it. It’s about an old lady, she gets scammed and she has to get her money back. [June Squibb] is really nice,” Heffernan said.
In terms of what’s next for Heffernan, while he said he would love to work with the talents her collaborated with for Blitz again, he’s also a big fan of Ryan Reynolds, specifically the Deadpool films, and would love to join that universe.