The cast and production team for the new sports drama film F1 all describe Damson Idris as the most charming person you’ll ever meet.

As Brad Pitt told Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor, Trey Mangum, during our cast interview, “He’s so damn charming, that guy. You just wanna smack him.”

“We looked far and wide, and I’m really happy where we ended up with Damson,” he continued. “I just can’t see anyone else doing it. He crushes this and he’s got great things in front of him and [I] couldn’t be happier for him because he’s a guy who just deserves it.”

Damson Idris earns praise from Brad Pitt and ‘F1’ co-stars

Co-star Javier Bardem agreed.

“He’s great in the movie, but he also takes the work seriously. But at the same time, he’s fun and he really loves what he does and he makes sure that everybody around him is also comfortable,” he said. “He’s very young, but he’s very much in the right tone for being that young.”

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer also described Idris in exuberant tones.

“He’s a great actor. [You gotta] start there. He’s handsome. He’s charismatic, he’s funny. He’s got all the charm,” he said. “He’s as charming in real life. He’s really charming. He’s charming on screen. And he gives you a great performance. Everything we wanted in this character that he plays, he delivered.”

Why the team says Damson Idris was the perfect choice

Director Joseph Kosinski also described Idris’ “incredible quality” as an actor who has studied the craft through his television work, such as Snowfall.

“Damson’s really interesting because he’s been working in television for a few years and kind of cutting his teeth there and getting that necessary experience,” he said. “But at the same time, a lot of people have not seen him in films like this. So he does kind of feel like a newcomer, even though he’s been around for a few years.”

“The most important thing for me is just his ability as an actor,” Kosinski continued. “He’s got this incredible quality where when he’s on screen, you can’t wait to see what he does next. And that is a very special quality that very few people have. He’s gonna be a star, I have no doubt about it. And seeing him go toe-to-toe with an actor like Brad Pitt, of that stature, is pretty incredible.”

What to know about Damson Idris and Brad Pitt’s new film ‘F1’

Idris plays a new upstart in the Formula 1 world and must work with Pitt’s character, a former hotshot who’s looking for one last chance at redemption.

Here’s the official description:

Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Sarah Niles also star.

F1 is theaters next week.

Javier Bardem

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