HBO’s sleeper hit Industry has returned for a critically lauded Season 3, but its Gus Sackey portrayer, David Jonsson, is not part of the season.
All early signs pointed to Jonsson’s departure from the show as he picked up more roles when Industry went on a two-year hiatus.
In an interview with GQ, while promoting his latest high-profile project, Alien: Romulus, Jonsson revealed why he left the show.
“. . . a lot of it boiled down to scheduling.”
“Oh, well, I think if I’m honest with you, a lot of it boiled down to scheduling,” he said while responding to a question about why he was not in Season 3.
“Let me just be very, very clear: I love that show, and [before it] all I did was theatre. It was very deliberate.
“I got some offers to do TV, and then the first show that I actually really wanted to do was Industry, and then we did it, and it becomes its own thing, and it has its own fanbase, and I love that.
“And the people on it, I love — they’re my real friends,” continued Jonsson.
“It’s very easy, isn’t it, for people to just see you as a character”
He talked on the importance of an actor diversifying their portfolio, saying,
“But I think it’s also quite important as an actor, especially a young one, y’know, you’ve got to spread your wings a bit. You’ve got to try new things.
“As much as I love Gus, I had to… It’s very easy, isn’t it, for people to just see you as a character, and then you move through your career, and people go, that’s— yeah, it’s that character.
“And I’m like, no, no, that’s not the kind of actor that I am. So as much as I loved it, and I think it was down to scheduling, I think it’s important to do new things, and that’s what this is.”
Would David Jonsson Ever Return to ‘Industry’?
The third season is one of the best-received seasons of the show and any show this year, really.
When asked if he would do another season if it were made, Jonsson replied: “I dunno. I dunno. We’ll see.”
“I barely know what I’m gonna have for breakfast, mate,” he continued, revealing how out of his own control his life has become of late.
“We”ll see.”
“I just do one thing at a time, and hopefully, it works out. So we’ll see,” Jonsson concluded, not closing the door but not also certain.
Industry‘s 96% Rotten Tomatoes third season airs on Sundays on HBO and streams on Max.