Jack O’Connell’s Unplayed Role: The Shaun Ryder Biopic That Never Was

Jack O’Connell, now 35, finds himself among the most sought-after actors of his generation, sharing the spotlight with the likes of Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet. Fresh from the success of the vampire thriller Sinners, O’Connell’s schedule remains packed, with new projects lining up. His path to stardom, however, was anything but smooth. As a teenager, he was no stranger to courtrooms, grappling with minor offences and substance issues. The loss of his father and a football injury that dashed his early sporting ambitions only added to the challenges. It was drama lessons at school—and, at times, sleeping rough in London to make auditions—that eventually set him on the acting track.

His latest film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is due in cinemas this month. Penned by Alex Garland, the spin-off builds on last year’s third instalment of Danny Boyle’s franchise, which drew glowing reviews. O’Connell’s portrayal of the ruthless ‘Jimmys’ gang leader was as chilling as ever, a testament to his two decades of experience in roles that rarely shy away from the dark side. His knack for unsettling characters first caught attention in Eden Lake, a low-budget shocker featuring Michael Fassbender. At just 18, O’Connell’s performance as a menacing youth stole the show, earning him industry accolades. He repeated the feat in Harry Brown, a revenge drama with Michael Caine, and soon built a reputation for versatility across genres.

From Gritty Beginnings to Leading Roles

O’Connell’s early career was marked by a string of intense performances, but it was his lead in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken in 2014 that truly put him on the map. The role brought further award nominations and cemented his status as a leading man. Yet, one part seemed almost tailor-made for him: Shaun Ryder, the iconic Happy Mondays frontman. The biopic, Twisting My Melon, had a script by Matt Greenhalgh—himself a Mancunian and known for Control and Back to Black. Everything appeared set, but the project was shelved in 2024 after creative disagreements.

O’Connell spoke candidly about his admiration for Ryder, recalling his teenage years:

“Fucking hell, man, I was listening to his music as a kid. At 13, I used to DJ his music. What he did as a working-class lad from Manchester-slash-Salford it’s colossal. He’s a working-class hero that people wrote off from the beginning. Even if you don’t have anything in common with him, there’s enough in his story to garner sympathy, to garner fascination. In a lot of ways, he’s one in a million.”

Manchester’s Music Scene and Missed Opportunities

Ryder’s journey from building sites to the heart of the Madchester scene is the stuff of legend. Forming Happy Mondays in the mid-80s, he helped launch the band’s first EP on Factory Records in 1985. The group became synonymous with the rave culture of the early ‘90s, their notoriety fuelled by tales of excess and Ryder’s own struggles with heroin. He eventually got clean in the early 2000s and hasn’t looked back.

O’Connell, for his part, did manage to capture a slice of Manchester’s musical history with Weekender, a film set in the city’s 1990 club scene. Released in 2011, it failed to impress critics or audiences, but it was a nod to the era that shaped both Ryder and O’Connell’s own musical tastes. The missed opportunity to portray Ryder on screen lingers, a role that seemed to fit O’Connell’s background and sensibilities perfectly.