YOU KNOW HIM AS THE LEAD IN THE TELEVISION SERIES REMAKE OF 'ROBIN HOOD', OR AS THE US ARMY STAFF SERGEANT, 109, IN NETFLIX’S LATEST FLICK 'WAR MACHINE'. BUT AUSTRALIAN ACTOR JACK PATTEN HAS A CAREER-DEFINING PROJECT IN THE WORKS, ONE THAT WILL MAKE HIM AN INTERNATIONAL STAR.
Photographed by Michael Comninus .
Styled by Jessica Dos Remedios.
Interview by Caitlin Napier.
JACK
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
OF ALL TRADES
hen we speak, Australian actor Jack Patten has just wrapped filming Greyhound 2 in Sydney, the forthcoming war epic sequel starring Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham. It is the kind of production that renders
momemtum visible: expansive in scale, emotionally exacting, and anchored by one of Hollywood’s most enduring actors.
For Patten, a 2023 graduate of the New South Wales-based National Institute of Dramatic Art, it marks a clear inflection point in his career. After leading the cast of 2025 TV series Robin Hood and starring in Netflix’s latest film War Machine, Greyhound 2 is set to position the actor as Australia’s next big international export.
For someone whose career is moving with such pace, to any outsider, acting always appeared inevitable for Patten. In reality, it arrived later, emerging after a career-ending injury cut short a potential AFL future. Patten spent several years searching for something that might replicate the same sense of discipline and direction. When acting came along, it felt like a long-overdue alignment. “I was just really happy that I found something I loved again,” he says.
Ahead, Patten speaks about Greyhound 2, self-belief, and the satisfaction of finding something that is, finally, his own.
W
RIGHT Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: You’re currently filming Greyhound 2 alongside Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham here in Australia. What did it feel like when that opportunity first presented itself?
JACK PATTEN: I’m still sort of in shock. Being in a film is one thing. Being in a film with Tom [Hanks] is another—and then having scenes with him is something else again! Working with Tom, he’s a real leader. He elevates everyone around him. Whether he’s conscious of it or not, he sets the tone. He leads with positivity and grace, and you can’t help but follow that. It’s incredibly inspiring. He’s the best.
With a project of this scale, you feel it straight away. It’s not just the actors, it’s the crew, the directors, everything. There’s a level of experience that lifts everyone, and you rise with it. We only wrapped last week, so it still feels like, ‘Wow, that just happened’. But it’s surreal and exciting, and to be honest, that never really wears off.
ELLE: And the film was all shot here in Sydney…
JP: Yeah, filming in my home city was really special. I spent most of last year abroad, so it was nice to be working at home.
ELLE: Greyhound 2 picks up from Normandy and moves into the Pacific, following Captain Krause — played by Tom Hanks — and his crew as the war shifts scale and intensity. What drew you to this particular chapter of the story?
JP: There were a few things that drew me to it straight away. Tom and Stephen, obviously, were a major reason. And, if I’m honest, it’s work — it’s a paid acting job. But what really interested me was what the first film did. It’s definitely its own kind of war film. Everyone’s speaking English, but it’s all in naval jargon — you could almost watch it with subtitles because it feels like another language. The director Aaron Schneider, along with Tom and the navy and military advisors, were really focused on making it as accurate as possible, which I found really compelling. There have been so many war films over the years, but this feels like a distinct take. It’s so exciting to be part of the second one.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Greyhound 2 was written by Tom Hanks. He has mentioned previously that when making a movie it has this “vicious reality” to it whereby there is a lot of pressure to get it right because it lives on indefinitely. Do you feel that weight while you’re in it, or only in hindsight?
JP: I don’t know if it comes from sport, but I get a lot of confidence from my preparation, so I prep hard. By the time I get to set, I feel like I’ve done my job and then it’s up to the director and the editors. It took me a little while to get used to that, especially on my first projects, but now I really trust it. Preparation is what I can control. I always tell myself you can control the controllables and don’t turn on yourself. It’s easy to spiral, but you have to back yourself. You were chosen for a reason, you’ve done the work, you’re ready. That’s something I try to carry onto set as well.
ELLE: Was there anything specific you drew on during preparation to ground the role, particularly given the real-life history behind it?
JP: A big part of what informed my preparation, and continued to impact me throughout the experience, was the fact that our ship, the USS Laffey, was a real vessel that survived attacks from 30 enemy aircraft in Okinawa. It’s famously known as “The Ship That Wouldn’t Die”. The rest of the cast and I read Don Keith’s book of the same name, The Ship That Wouldn’t Die, which was incredibly inspiring and left a lasting impression on all of us.
ELLE: War films often require a different kind of discipline, both physically and emotionally. What has this role asked of you that perhaps others haven’t?
JP: One thing that really stood out to me from the start was what these men in battle went through. They were on a ship for long periods of time, and it’s almost impossible to comprehend. You can do as much research as you like, but it still feels beyond you.
The stories from our naval advisors were incredible; it really put things into perspective. That was a big part of the job for me. You think, your helmet might feel uncomfortable, or you might be a bit off because the set’s moving to mimic the motion of the boat, but they were actually out there, enduring far worse. Holding onto that perspective is what allows you to do it justice. With something like this, it’s less about your own interpretation and more about serving the story. That always matters, but with a war film, especially one set in the 1940s, there’s an added responsibility. You have to be switched on.
ELLE: Let’s go back to the beginning — how did you first get into acting?
JP: I stopped playing AFL at the end of 2016 and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I was working at a school, and a guy I sat next to in the staff room was really into film and art. I’d always been interested in that world, but I hadn’t explored it properly because I had AFL. We’d talk a lot, and he encouraged me to try an acting class in Chippendale in 2020. I went along, and it was immediate. I thought, “I really like this”.
I had a very good teacher at that school who I really connected with. It had been a few years since I’d felt that kind of purpose, so I was just really happy to have found something I loved again.
From there, I auditioned for NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), was accepted in 2021 and graduated in 2023. Looking back, I think I probably would have found my way to it eventually, I’ve always been so fascinated by films.
ELLE: Were you injured playing AFL?
JP: Yeah, it was an overuse injury in my knee, about ten years ago now, which is really where my story starts. I do miss it, certain parts of it. I prefer acting, but I miss my mates, and I really struggled when I first stopped. It was very much, like ‘What am I doing?’
I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I wouldn’t watch any games, I was pretty sulky about it. But I’ve come around now. I can really enjoy it again.
ELLE: Was there a moment early on when acting started to feel tangible, like this could actually be a career?
JP: When I got into NIDA, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I get to really learn something.’ It was never about a career in that moment. I was just happy to have found something I loved again, especially after losing that once before with AFL. By the end of third year, I thought, ‘I don’t care what happens, I’m going to keep acting because I love it.’ The fact that I get paid to do it now still feels surreal. It’s very cool. I’m very happy.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Jonathan Anderson is one of the most in-demand designers working right now, and his impact at Dior has been immediate. His work with Uniqlo carries that same sense of precision and play. You wore his latest collection for this shoot — what were your first impressions?
JP: I noticed the colours straight away. It had a slightly preppy feel, but it wasn’t overdone, it just felt right. The shapes and cuts were really wearable. I tend to wear more fitted pieces, though I had a lot of looser looks on the day, which I really liked.
ELLE: I agree, there’s a distinct wearability to this collection that feels quite aligned with the Australian approach to dressing — considered, but never overdone. Does that resonate with you?
JP: Absolutely, yeah. Especially in Sydney, it’s a real walking city — very much a public transport city as well. There was something in the collection that spoke to that sense of being on the move, which I really liked. I’m not driving at the moment, so I’m walking most places. It definitely shapes how I think about what I wear. I tend to come back to jeans and those kinds of pieces, simply because I’m moving around so much. The collection really had that in spades.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: So, you’ve mentioned you were set on being an AFL player. Outside of Hollywood and filmmaking, what are you passionate about and interested in today?
JP: Right now I’m back into collaging. I used to do it a lot when I was about 16 or 17, but I lost touch with it over the past couple of years. I’ve come back to it recently, and I love it. It’s something I do at home that passes the time, but in a way that feels productive. It feels like a much healthier alternative to scrolling on your phone. I end up doing a lot of thinking while I’m collaging too, and I’m often reading at the same time, using newspapers and other stuff I can find.
I like the physicality of it; keeping receipts, picking things up off the ground and finding a place for them. I’m constantly thinking about what will work in my book. It’s become a really nice creative outlet for me.
ELLE: Some ELLE Man questions! Are you someone who believes in grand romantic gestures, or the smaller, consistent ones?
JP: Oh, geez, can I say both? The small, consistent gestures add up over time, they should almost be second nature. And then the grand gestures obviously have their place too.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Do you think modern dating has made people more guarded, or just more selective?
JP: I haven’t dated for a while, I’ve been with my partner for three and a half years now, we met at drama school. But from what I see, phones and social media have definitely changed how we communicate, which would impact dating. If I had to choose, I’d probably say both. People seem more guarded and more selective.
ELLE: Lastly, what do you consider your biggest flaw and your greatest strength?
JP: Okay, my biggest flaw is probably how obsessive I can get about things — and, at the same time, it’s also my biggest strength. That level of focus can make me quite hard on myself, but it’s also what drives me. I think I’m still figuring out how to harness it properly, how to make it work for me rather than against me. But yeah, that’s probably the main one.
Greyhound 2 is slated for release in 2027.
“IT’S EASY TO SPIRAL, BUT YOU HAVE TO BACK YOURSELF. YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR A REASON, YOU’VE DONE THE WORK, YOU’RE READY.”
– JACK PATTEN
eiynan Lonsdale likes to say he “came out of the womb dancing”. It’s not hyperbole — he was, in fact, on stage by the age of four. Not long after, he
was layering cassette tapes to remix his favourite artists into a different sound, all before he could see over the kitchen counter. Dancing came first, then music. Acting, he says, arrived later.
“I just thought it was fun,” he says of those early drama classes. “But it wasn’t until I was called up to step in for the lead as an understudy in my first musical that people basically told me … ‘You’re an actor.’”
There’s an ease to the way that Lonsdale describes his creative life, as though it unfolded naturally rather than being something he pursued. Even now, nearly two decades into a career that has stretched from cult series such as Dance Academy and The Flash to breakout rom-com Love, Simon, he doesn’t speak like someone who chased fame. If anything, he followed instinct — which is, perhaps, why his latest project, War Machine, feels so at odds with him. The Netflix sci-fi action film places Lonsdale inside the tightly regulated world of military life — an environment that rewards discipline and endurance, where overt emotion is subdued in service of the mission. For someone who has built a career on fluidity through music, dance and self-expression, that rigidity proved both confronting and unexpectedly compelling.
K
AS HIS NEW FILM 'WAR MACHINE' HITS OUR SCREENS, ACTOR KEIYNAN LONSDALE TALKS RISK, RESILIENCE AND RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
Photographed by Jake Terrey. Styled by Patrick Zaczkiewicz.
Words by Sarah Noonan
Keiynan Lonsdale wears Polo Ralph Lauren top, $159, long-sleeve top (around neck), $339, knit (around waist), $499, pants, $379, hat, $349, and belt, $119.
IN HIS
ELEMENT
starring Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham. It is the kind of production that renders momentum visible: expansive in scale, emotionally exacting, and anchored by one of Hollywood’s most enduring actors.
For Patten, a 2023 graduate of the New South Wales-based National Institute of Dramatic Art, it marks a clear inflection point in his career. After leading the cast of 2025 TV series Robin Hood and starring Netflix’s latest film War Machine, Greyhound 2 is set to position the actor as Australia’s next big international export.
LEFT Polo Ralph Lauren coat, $2559, top, $139, jumper (on bag), $689, pants, $679, and shoes, price on application; stylist’s own socks. RIGHT Polo Ralph Lauren top, $219, and caps, $99 each.
For someone whose career is moving with such pace, to any outsider, acting always appeared inevitable for Patten. In reality, it arrived later, emerging after a career-ending injury cut short a potential AFL future. Patten spent several years searching for something that might replicate the same sense of discipline and direction. When acting came along, it felt like a long-overdue alignment. “I was just really happy that I found something I loved again,” he says.
Ahead, Patten speaks about Greyhound 2, self-belief, and the satisfaction of finding something that is, finally, his own.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: You’re currently filming Greyhound 2 alongside Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham here in Australia. What did it feel like when that opportunity first presented itself?
JACK PATTEN: I’m still sort of in shock. Being in a film is one thing. Being in a film with Tom [Hanks] is another—and then having scenes with him is something else again! Working with Tom, he’s a real leader. He elevates everyone around him. Whether he’s conscious of it or not, he sets the tone. He leads with positivity and grace, and you can’t help but follow that. It’s incredibly inspiring. He’s the best.
With a project of this scale, you feel it straight away. It’s not just the actors, it’s the crew, the directors, everything. There’s a level of experience that lifts everyone, and you rise with it. We only wrapped last week, so it still feels like, ‘Wow, that just happened’. But it’s surreal and exciting, and to be honest, that never really wears off.
ELLE: And the film was all shot here in Sydney…
JP: Yeah, filming in my home city was really special. I spent most of last year abroad, so it was nice to be working at home.
ELLE: Greyhound 2 picks up from Normandy and moves into the Pacific, following Captain Krause — played by Tom Hanks — and his crew as the war shifts scale and intensity. What drew you to this particular chapter of the story?
JP: There were a few things that drew me to it straight away. Tom and Stephen, obviously, were a major reason. And, if I’m honest, it’s work — it’s a paid acting job. But what really interested me was what the first film did. It’s definitely its own kind of war film. Everyone’s speaking English, but it’s all in naval jargon — you could almost watch it with subtitles because it feels like another language. The director Aaron Schneider, along with Tom and the navy and military advisors, were really focused on making it as accurate as possible, which I found really compelling. There have been so many war films over the years, but this feels like a distinct take. It’s so exciting to be part of the second one.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Greyhound 2 was written by Tom Hanks. He has mentioned previously that when making a movie it has this “vicious reality” to it whereby there is a lot of pressure to get it right because it lives on indefinitely. Do you feel that weight while you’re in it, or only in hindsight?
JP: I don’t know if it comes from sport, but I get a lot of confidence from my preparation, so I prep hard. By the time I get to set, I feel like I’ve done my job and then it’s up to the director and the editors. It took me a little while to get used to that, especially on my first projects, but now I really trust it. Preparation is what I can control. I always tell myself you can control the controllables and don’t turn on yourself. It’s easy to spiral, but you have to back yourself. You were chosen for a reason, you’ve done the work, you’re ready. That’s something I try to carry onto set as well.
ELLE: Was there anything specific you drew on during preparation to ground the role, particularly given the real-life history behind it?
JP: A big part of what informed my preparation, and continued to impact me throughout the experience, was the fact that our ship, the USS Laffey, was a real vessel that survived attacks from 30 enemy aircraft in Okinawa. It’s famously known as “The Ship That Wouldn’t Die”. The rest of the cast and I read Don Keith’s book of the same name, The Ship That Wouldn’t Die, which was incredibly inspiring and left a lasting impression on all of us.
ELLE: War films often require a different kind of discipline, both physically and emotionally. What has this role asked of you that perhaps others haven’t?
JP: One thing that really stood out to me from the start was what these men in battle went through. They were on a ship for long periods of time, and it’s almost impossible to comprehend. You can do as much research as you like, but it still feels beyond you.
The stories from our naval advisors were incredible; it really put things into perspective. That was a big part of the job for me. You think, your helmet might feel uncomfortable, or you might be a bit off because the set’s moving to mimic the motion of the boat, but they were actually out there, enduring far worse. Holding onto that perspective is what allows you to do it justice. With something like this, it’s less about your own interpretation and more about serving the story. That always matters, but with a war film, especially one set in the 1940s, there’s an added responsibility. You have to be switched on.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Let’s go back to the beginning — how did you first get into acting?
JP: I stopped playing AFL at the end of 2016 and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I was working at a school, and a guy I sat next to in the staff room was really into film and art. I’d always been interested in that world, but I hadn’t explored it properly because I had AFL. We’d talk a lot, and he encouraged me to try an acting class in Chippendale in 2020. I went along, and it was immediate. I thought, “I really like this”.
I had a very good teacher at that school who I really connected with. It had been a few years since I’d felt that kind of purpose, so I was just really happy to have found something I loved again.
From there, I auditioned for NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), was accepted in 2021 and graduated in 2023. Looking back, I think I probably would have found my way to it eventually, I’ve always been so fascinated by films.
ELLE: Were you injured playing AFL?
JP: Yeah, it was an overuse injury in my knee, about ten years ago now, which is really where my story starts. I do miss it, certain parts of it. I prefer acting, but I miss my mates, and I really struggled when I first stopped. It was very much, like ‘What am I doing?’
I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I wouldn’t watch any games, I was pretty sulky about it. But I’ve come around now. I can really enjoy it again.
ELLE: Was there a moment early on when acting started to feel tangible, like this could actually be a career?
JP: When I got into NIDA, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I get to really learn something.’ It was never about a career in that moment. I was just happy to have found something I loved again, especially after losing that once before with AFL. By the end of third year, I thought, ‘I don’t care what happens, I’m going to keep acting because I love it.’ The fact that I get paid to do it now still feels surreal. It’s very cool. I’m very happy.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: Jonathan Anderson is one of the most in-demand designers working right now, and his impact at Dior has been immediate. His work with Uniqlo carries that same sense of precision and play. You wore his latest collection for this shoot — what were your first impressions?
JP: I noticed the colours straight away. It had a slightly preppy feel, but it wasn’t overdone, it just felt right. The shapes and cuts were really wearable. I tend to wear more fitted pieces, though I had a lot of looser looks on the day, which I really liked.
ELLE: I agree, there’s a distinct wearability to this collection that feels quite aligned with the Australian approach to dressing — considered, but never overdone. Does that resonate with you?
JP: Absolutely, yeah. Especially in Sydney, it’s a real walking city — very much a public transport city as well. There was something in the collection that spoke to that sense of being on the move, which I really liked. I’m not driving at the moment, so I’m walking most places. It definitely shapes how I think about what I wear. I tend to come back to jeans and those kinds of pieces, simply because I’m moving around so much. The collection really had that in spades.
Jack Patten wears Uniqlo X JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2025 collection, in stores April 2.
ELLE: So, you’ve mentioned you were set on being an AFL player. Outside of Hollywood and filmmaking, what are you passionate about and interested in today?
JP: Right now I’m back into collaging. I used to do it a lot when I was about 16 or 17, but I lost touch with it over the past couple of years. I’ve come back to it recently, and I love it. It’s something I do at home that passes the time, but in a way that feels productive. It feels like a much healthier alternative to scrolling on your phone. I end up doing a lot of thinking while I’m collaging too, and I’m often reading at the same time, using newspapers and other stuff I can find.
I like the physicality of it; keeping receipts, picking things up off the ground and finding a place for them. I’m constantly thinking about what will work in my book. It’s become a really nice creative outlet for me.
ELLE: Some ELLE Man questions! Are you someone who believes in grand romantic gestures, or the smaller, consistent ones?
JP: Oh, geez, can I say both? The small, consistent gestures add up over time, they should almost be second nature. And then the grand gestures obviously have their place too.
ELLE: Do you think modern dating has made people more guarded, or just more selective?
JP: I haven’t dated for a while, I’ve been with my partner for three and a half years now, we met at drama school. But from what I see, phones and social media have definitely changed how we communicate, which would impact dating. If I had to choose, I’d probably say both. People seem more guarded and more selective.
ELLE: Lastly, what do you consider your biggest flaw and your greatest strength?
JP: Okay, my biggest flaw is probably how obsessive I can get about things — and, at the same time, it’s also my biggest strength. That level of focus can make me quite hard on myself, but it’s also what drives me. I think I’m still figuring out how to harness it properly, how to make it work for me rather than against me. But yeah, that’s probably the main one.
“I LOVE BEING PUSHED TO THE LIMIT AND GOING AS FAR AS I CAN ... I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THAT MENTALITY TO OTHER THINGS IN MY LIFE”
– KEIYNAN LONSDALE
TALENT: JACK PATTEN
MODEL: CHLOE REYSE AT MERCI MANAGEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL COMNINUS AT SAUNDERS & CO
STYLIST: JESSICA DOS REMEDIOS
INTERVIEW: CAITLIN NAPIER
HAIR: DARREN SUMMORS AT AP-REPS
MAKEUP: SAMANTHA PATRIKOPOULOS AT VIVIENS CREATIVE
PRODUCTION: NICOLA HANRATTY
PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAPHNE NGUYEN
STYLED BY NAOMI SMITH
MODEL: TATYANA PERRY AT THE SCOUTED
HAIR BY RORY RICE AT MAP LTD
MAKEUP BY SAMANTHA PATRIKOPOULOS AT VIVIEN’S CREATIVE
PRODUCTION BY NICOLA HANRATTY
DAPHNE NGUYEN IS REPRESENTED BY B&A REPS.