Edvin Ryding almost turned down the role of a lifetime – because he really wanted to go on vacation.
At the time, the ”Young Royals” star didn’t recognize the name Danny Boyle. He’d vaguely heard of ”28 Days Later”, but hadn’t quite clocked that this was that sequel. Luckily, he had friends who begged him to Google the guy. A few weeks later, he found himself on set in Newcastle, suited up as a Swedish NATO soldier, carrying Jodie Comer through the apocalypse – and dropping enough Swedish swear words to make his grandma blush.
Now that ”28 Years Later” is here, Edvin chats with MovieZine about unexpected insults, Oscar red carpets, and surviving a zombie outbreak.
“I was on vacation when I got the role. They called and said, ‘Once you’re back, go home, pack, and fly to Newcastle.’ I still didn’t really grasp how big this was. I just thought, ‘Okay, some apocalyptic film… I’ll do my best.’”
It wasn’t until later he Googled Boyle and realized he’d just landed his first international part – in one of the year’s most anticipated films.
“I had seen ”Trainspotting” – one of my favorite films! But the name Danny Boyle didn’t immediately click. My friends basically said: ‘Please Google him. Now.’ That’s when it hit me.”
Ryding plays a Swedish NATO soldier who enters the story midway through the film, bringing a fresh outside perspective into the quarantined UK. His character offers a dose of comic relief – and a few well-placed profanities.
“Danny told me at the screen test: ‘It’s not the biggest part, but one of the funniest.’ He really wanted me to use my Swedish. He would come up and go, ‘Look at them and say you f*cking… whatever – but in Swedish!’ I had to translate the insults afterward to the script supervisor. She just went: ‘Oh. Wow.’”
“There’s a scene late in the film where I insult Jodie Comer’s character with something really harsh – in Swedish. After the take, she asked me, ‘What did you say?’ I told her, ‘You crazy English inbred b*tch.’ She was like, ‘Damn.’ But she was super cool about it.”
Despite the character’s dark humor, Ryding found real emotional depth in the role.
“There’s definitely a backstory there. He’s not just comic relief. He reacts to this world in his own way. It was such a fun and safe experience to be part of – my first time filming abroad, and I absolutely loved it.”
As for the broader zombie genre, Ryding has a lot of appreciation.
“I think horror and apocalypse stories tap into a survival instinct we all have. We want to feel prepared for the worst – even if it’s just an illusion. I love thrillers, I love horror. And I especially love films with a strong visual identity, like this one.”
And if the apocalypse really came?
“If I survived the first 24 hours, I think I’d be okay. It’s all about instincts, right?”
While ”28 Years Later” may be his international debut, Ryding isn’t slowing down. He’ll next be seen as another soldier – this time in ”A Life’s Worth”, a Swedish drama based on true stories from the Bosnian War.
“That project is very close to my heart. It’s based on a book about Swedish UN soldiers and their experiences in Bosnia. A part of history we haven’t really told in Sweden. The reactions we’ve had from real veterans – that’s been incredibly moving.”
Outside of film sets, Ryding even made his way to the Oscars recently – thanks to a very real invite.
“I thought it was a scam email at first. But it was real! So I went with my American agent. I met Mark Hamill, who complimented my outfit. I even took a selfie to send to my Dad! I saw Sebastian Stan – I was starstruck. Timothée Chalamet was there, Colman Domingo, Jeremy Strong. So many idols. It was wild.”
So what’s next?
“Right now I’m just enjoying the ride and the momentum. I’ve had tunnel vision for this film, but I’m having conversations here and there. Nothing to announce just yet – but I’m hopeful.”