Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Swagger’s James Bingham

James Bingham is delivering a slam dunk performance in his breakout role in Apple TV+’s Swagger.

From NBA star Kevin Durant, filmmaker Reggie Rock Bythewood, and the team behind Friday Night Lights, Swagger follows a basketball prodigy who must navigate a maze of pressure if he’s going to overcome the odds against him.

James shines as Drew Murphy, the comedic relief within the team who has a lot of deeper layers.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with rising star James Bingham about his getting his start, Swagger, the preparation he did for the series, and mastering the American accent.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
James: It’s actually a funny story. I’ve always had a passion for the arts and performing, but it really went back to when my sister was auditioning for The Sound of Music. It was a local musical. I was never meant to audition for it. I just tagged along. My mom was like, “Do you want to audition as well?” I was like, “Oh, yeah. Why not? It’ll be fun.” I ended up getting the part and my sister didn’t. I really enjoyed being on that stage. Then I got training behind the camera and fell in love with camera acting.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
James: I’ve been taking acting lessons weekly for about seven or eight years. That shaped me as an actor on and off screen. It’s given me a style and authenticity in my acting. That’s shaped the roles that I take and challenges that I take on as an actor. Ali Roberts has really played a huge part in that. Also, my mom. She’s taken me to those lessons every week and played a huge part in my career.

PC: You’ve got a new series out now. Tell us about Swagger, your character, and what drew you to this project.
James: There are a lot of things that drew me to Swagger. It’s such a powerful story, and I really resonated with my character Drew. He comes from a more affluent part of town, and he brings high energy to every scene. He’s the comedic relief. He was really fun to play.

Swagger is about having a cause that’s bigger than yourself, whether that’s your community, your friends, or your family. It’s about the fine line between ambitions and success. It’s about what goes on behind the scenes of a basketball league.

It’s inspired by Kevin Durant’s youth, so that played a really important part in the story. He influenced it greatly. It’s a powerful story, and we touch on some great issues in today’s age. I think people will really enjoy that.

PC: Brotherhood is one of the central themes within this series. How were you all able to build that bond while filming during a pandemic?
James: We were really lucky that we were so comfortable with each other very early on. It didn’t take us a long time to build that bond off screen. We just put that on camera. It’s real and authentic. We were together quite a bit. We had to train for basketball together all the time, and we were always with each other because we were in each other’s bubble. Those were the only people we could see. So we developed this really, really strong connection with each other, and we still have that. I think that comes across on camera, which is great.

PC: What was more challenging for you: The basketball training or picking up the American accent?
James: Playing an American is quite difficult. Getting the American instincts and what it’s like to drive in America is quite challenging, but so is the basketball training. When you get a physical role, that brings another challenge to it because you have to focus on something else and the playing that you see on screen is real. You have to make your shots. You can’t be missing shots because time is money. But it was a really fun shoot. I’m lucky to be a part of it.

PC: This is also the longest that you’ve lived with one character. Has anything surprised you about that experience?
James: I think I’ve been surprised by how deep you can go with a character. You don’t realize it. You open all these different sides to your character and you’re like, “Wow, I didn’t know this could happen.” I was lucky to work with Michele Shay on set. She’s a wonderful acting teacher. She really made you research what was going on in this day and age in America, especially for me coming from Australia. I had to research a lot about that and be familiar with it so I could bring that to my character.

PC: If the series gets picked up for a second season, is there an aspect of your character that you want to dive deeper into?
James: I hope we get to see more of the serious side to Drew. He’s the comedic relief, but there’s a lot more depth to Drew. I’d love to explore that.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
James: Love Island in Australia. If it’s on, you can’t turn it off.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
James: Mean Girls.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
James: I have to say The Sound of Music because that’s where it all started.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
James: There’s a lot of jazz on my playlist.

PC: Dream role?
James: The Joker or something along those lines. I’d love to do something where you can immerse and challenge yourself. Also, Heath Ledger is from Perth, where I’m from, so there’s a connection there.

To keep up with James, follow him on Instagram. Watch Swagger on Apple TV+.

Photo Credit: Mark Flower