It’s a sweltering day in London, and Will Merrick is doing what many of us are - hiding in a blacked-out room, trying to keep the heat at bay. “Our houses are designed to keep heat in,” he laughs. “Everyone I know not from the UK is like, ‘Why is your flat so hot?’” Despite the oppressive weather, Merrick is in good spirits, chatting from his writing den, where he and his writing partner are wrestling with a new script. “Your brain’s probably like, ‘No, I’m not going to work. Thanks,’” he jokes, capturing the collective mood of a city wilting under the sun.

Merrick’s journey from his breakout role in Skins to the high-octane world of Formula 1 – his journey has been anything but ordinary. “The only way I could describe it is that it felt a bit like going from a dodgy teenage house party to the Monaco Grand Prix.”

“I was 17 when I started Skins,” he recalls. “It’s a big jump. Most of your friends are at college, and you’re stepping into this industry.” That early leap into the limelight taught him the perils of overthinking - a habit he admits intensified in his twenties. “I’d do a whole series and realize I’d worried my way through it,” he says. “Eventually, I learned to just do the work, have fun, and let it go.”

Discussing his latest film project F1, Merrick’s excitement is palpable. The production followed real F1 races across Europe, from Monza to Budapest, with only a week spent in the studio. And as surprising as that may sound in a world saturated with CGI-heavy films, it’s refreshing—something to genuinely look forward to as a cinephile.

“We had the best seats in the house,” he grins. “Shooting on race day, in the middle of the action - Brad [Pitt] even did a formation lap during a real race. I’m still waiting for my invite to do that, but I’m guessing they want someone who can drive without stalling.”

The film’s authenticity was bolstered by the presence of F1 insiders like Bernie Collins, a former strategist turned presenter who schooled Merrick on the art of pit wall banter.

“She was our go-to for everything,” he explains. “We’d go through every race with her, learning the terminology, the strategy, and the art of those clinical, rapid-fire pit wall communications. It’s like Morse code, but with more shouting and fewer dots and dashes,” he laughs. “They deliver info in tiny bursts that can make or break a race. It’s basically the world’s most intense game of telephone.”

For Merrick, the draw of a script always comes down to character. “If I get excited by the idea of what I’d do with a character, that’s what matters most. Everything else - an exciting filmmaker, a strong script is a bonus.”

He lights up recalling the technical innovations on the F1 film, particularly proud of the cutting-edge camera work that gives viewers a peek inside the cockpit like never before. “It’s so engaging, so thrilling. I was gripped the whole way through.”

Not all roles offer the freedom of fiction. Merrick reflects on playing snooker legend Steve Davis in the BBC film The Rat Pack as one of his most demanding experiences.

“It’s a real challenge. You’re studying source material, perfecting mannerisms and voice, but you can’t just do an impersonation,” he says. He remembers the pressure of living up to a real person’s legacy, especially when they’re still alive. “There’s a specificity to it. People expect a certain essence.”

A pivotal moment came when director Brian Welch gave him a stern pep talk about preparation. “He basically said, ‘Get your shit together.’ It was the best thing that could have happened. I realized I wasn’t inventing a character - I had to embody someone the audience already knew. It changed how I work forever.”

Merrick is refreshingly honest about his struggles with anxiety. “I used to think worrying was like a superpower,” he says. “Turns out it’s more like a kryptonite that makes you want to hide under the duvet.”

Acting helped him realize that sometimes you just have to do the work and let go. “The best actors I know are the ones who can get out of their own heads. I’m working on it - slowly, with lots of tea and deep breaths.”