28 Years Later's Alfie Williams is 2025's newcomer of the year, as the star talks about the "life-changing" breakout role

2025 marked the year of breakout actors stealing the show, from Owen Cooper in Netflix drama Adolescence to Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another. But none shone as brightly as 14-year-old Alfie Williams, whose performance in Danny Boyle's long-awaited horror sequel 28 Years Later blew us away. Which is why we have awarded Williams the title of GamesRadar+'s best newcomer of the year.

We spoke to Williams about his breakout role and the journey leading up to playing the movie's lead. Set almost three decades after Cillian Murphy's 28 Days Later protagonist Jim woke up in a world overrun by a zombie plague, the 2025 sequel catches up with the humans existing among the infected, focusing on one community living on a small island protected by the tide. There lives William's teenage character, Spike, who knows only the rage-infested world he was brought up in.

Born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, Williams showed an interest in acting from a very early age, wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, Alfie Dobson. "I think I was seven when I went to my dad and I said I wanted to do what he does," Williams tells GamesRadar+. The star went on to appear in a string of commercials before landing his first role in a movie called Phallacy alongside Stephen Graham. However, that film never made it to the screen. Then, a few years later, Williams booked his breakout role in 28 Years Later.

Role Call

Landing the horror sequel was no easy feat. The process was lengthy, with Williams having to audition many times. But the star says he will never forget when he found out he got the part. "I think that's going to stick with this for the rest of my life," says Williams. "I was really excited, and I was just surprised." The star says the moment was "life-changing," and his loved ones were equally overjoyed. "My family was jumping all over the place like rage-infected apes," Williams jokes.

Spike was born after the events of the original movie. This means that, differing from his co-stars Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who play his parents, Williams had the rather difficult task of playing a character with absolutely no connection to our real world. Williams had to get into the mindset of a boy who had never seen a phone, gone to the supermarket, or even attended a normal school. "I just put myself there. I read the script over and over again. I was just thinking he hasn't seen anything. This is entirely new to him," Williams explains.

"We had a two-week rehearsal before we started filming, where me, Danny, Jodie, and Aaron sat down, and spoke about the back stories of the characters… so that helps come up with the background story of the early part of Spike's life." Williams says working with Comer and Taylor-Johnson was "fantastic" and that "Aaron Taylor-Johnson felt like my actual dad." However, in 28 Years Later's upcoming sequel, titled 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Spike will be surrounded by a new set of characters guided by Jack O'Connell's crazed cult leader Jimmy Crystal.

Temple Run

What is more impressive than having your first breakout film be both a follow-up to one of the most beloved horror movies and directed by Trainspotting helmer Danny Boyle? Filming its sequel right off the bat with another director, Nia DaCosta. "Nia is absolutely amazing, and it was great seeing the different styles of directing," says Williams. DaCosta's sequel takes place right after 28 Years Later's bizarre final scene, where we saw Spike meet Jimmy Crystal and his band of blonde-wig-wearing minions as they jumped into frame like mutant Power Rangers.

"It is weird. And I think it's meant to be weird, because Spike hasn't seen anything like this before. He's in this very gritty world," says Williams of that bizarre final scene. "Everything's very dark, and then this gang comes out, and they're wearing all this colorful clothing, doing back flips and stuff, and, you know, it's surprising." However, it sounds like the sequel is only going to get stranger, as Williams says viewers should be worried for Spike. "Yeah, the group is very, well, they're very messed up," warns Williams. "It's gonna be a wild ride."

Years and years

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits the big screen on January 16, 2026. But what's next for Williams? The star looks to be staying in the horror genre for the time being, which is lucky as he happens to "love horror," adding, "One of my favorite movies is The Thing." Williams' next movie is a supernatural thriller titled Banquet, directed by The Platform's Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. "After I finish this, I want to start exploring different genres. And maybe come back to horror when I'm a bit older, and I can hold a gun and kill some monsters and stuff."

Looking way into the future, Williams says he would like to have a career like fellow British actor Andrew Garfield, who has "done a lot of fantastic movies," or "versatile" Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. "There are fantastic actors in this industry, and I just hope to have a career like them," says Williams. "I'm not there yet, you've just gotta keep going."

Whatever Williams chooses to do in the future, it sounds like he has a great support system, which reaches out to his 28 Years Later co-stars. Williams recalls Taylor-Johnson giving him some invaluable advice on the set of the horror movie. "I remember Aaron telling me, 'Just make sure you do the right things, do the things that you enjoy. Don't just do anything, do stuff that you want to do.' That kind of stuff. And I'll remember that." One thing is for sure: we're rooting for Alfie all the way.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theatres on January 16. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, and keep up with upcoming horror movies on the way.

You can also read our breakdown of the Best Movies of 2025, and the Best Scare of the Year, too.