For More David Jonsson After 'Alien Romulus,' Watch Him in This HBO Drama (original) (raw)

Gus Sackey (David Jonsson) with blue hair in Industry Season 2

Image via HBO

Published Aug 25, 2024, 7:51 AM EDT

Jake Fittipaldi is a Freelance Features Writer for Collider based in Philadelphia, PA. When not in the weeds of an Adobe Premiere Pro project, you can find Jake raving online about HBO's newest limited series or in line at the concession stand of his local movie theater. For as long as he can remember, Jake has been absolutely consumed by all things popular culture- particularly film and television. He still recalls peeking around the corner as his older brothers watched House of Wax (2005) and playing the VHS tape of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) on a never ending loop. Jake is most interested in film and television's ability to convey complex human experiences and emotions even he himself cannot understand.

Summary

David Jonsson's performance in Alien: Romulus breaks stereotypes with nuance and expressive body language.
Gus Sackey, Jonsson's character in Industry, challenges toxic work culture with a refreshing arc.
Despite leaving Industry for other projects, there is still hope for Jonsson's return to the show in a future season.

Following the major box office success of **Alien: Romulus**’ first weekend, fans have been championing the film for its stellar cast of young performers — among them, Cailee Spaeny of A24’s second-highest-grossing film of all time, Civil War, and David Jonsson, an up-and-coming star most known for his role in HBO’s Industry. In Alien: Romulus, Jonsson takes on the challenge of playing Spaney's android companion Andy, who is tasked with protecting her from the terrors of Xenomorphs and facehuggers. While it could have been easy to lean into the robotic elements of a non-human droid's behavior, Jonsson's performance instead embraces nuance and expressive body language to break free of acting tropes commonly seen in these types of characters.

Though Jonsson's role in Industry may sometimes seem robotic in his tunnel-visioned determination for success, he could not be any more different from his character in Alien: Romulus. In this world, Jonsson plays an overconfident, conservative, and rather wealthy stock trader named Gus Sackey whose drive to always be the smartest man in the room oftentimes gets him in trouble with his chaotic cast of coworkers. While Gus's story may appear to have ended in the final moments of the second season, the release of Alien: Romulus coinciding with the currently airing third season of Industry is a perfect reminder of how much he added to the show.

Release Date

2020 - 2027-00-00

Network

HBO

Directors

Isabella Eklöf, Tinge Krishnan, Ed Lilly, Birgitte Stærmose, Zoé Wittock, Caleb Femi, Mary Nighy, Konrad Kay, Lena Dunham, Mickey Down

Writers

Konrad Kay, Mickey Down, Joseph Charlton, Matthew Barry, Kate Verghese, Sam H. Freeman, Zara Meerza

Cast

Myha'la, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Colin Bennett, Dominic Mafham, Finbar Lynch, George Webster, Justine Mitchell, Louis Dempsey, Peter Stark, Priyanga Burford, Sarah Parish, Sagar Radia, Andrew Buchan, Harry Hadden-Paton, Richard Brimblecombe, Fady Elsayed, Max Rinehart, Allegra Marland, Trevor White, Nicholas Bishop, Gyuri Sarossy, Angela Ashton, Nicolo Pasetti, Kevin Shen, Faith Alabi, Naomi Frederick

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

Creator(s)

Mickey Down, Konrad Kay

In the World of 'Industry,' David Jonsson's Gus Is a Breath of Fresh Air

It is not just Jonsson's stellar acting ability that sets his character apart from the rest of the cast, as his arc throughout the entirety of Industry explores what happens when Pierpoint employees finally decide they have had enough of the abuse and toxic work culture. We first met Gus during his time working at the Investment Banking Desk (IBD) alongside a close friend and coworker, Hari Dhar (Nabhaan Rizwan). After Hari tragically dies from a mix of over-working exhaustion and industry-standard drug abuse, Gus's standing at the firm is called into question. Although executives at Pierpoint attempt to push him into a sales position, Gus ultimately is able to recognize their treatment of employees and the enabling of self-destructive behavior for profit is simply not worth it.

After leaving the firm at the end of Season 1, we follow Gus through a quick pivot into a career in politics, followed by him almost immediately losing his job due to a leak of confidential information. Although many would expect Gus to just about lose his mind after all the ups and downs of his career in such a short time, he ultimately ends his time on the show in high spirits, literally. Gus’ final appearance in Season 2 depicts him taking on a new job for the pandemic-born billionaire Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass) and flying with him in his private jet. As many of the main characters in the show continue to struggle through their traumas and anxieties at Pierpoint, Gus’ quite triumphant ending to his story provides the show with a much more refreshing take on character development.

David Jonsson's Character Goes Beyond Representation in 'Industry'

Before Industry, Jonsson had only worked in theater, and once noted that the show was “the first show that I actually really wanted to do” despite having offers for other roles on television. It is understandable why Jonsson would be so intrigued by the idea of playing Gus, especially considering the world that he would inhabit. Gus is the son of a wealthy diplomat, and he spent his educational years at prestigious universities like Oxford and Eton College, which ultimately prepared him for his time at white-collar institutions like Pierpoint. With the financial services industry being dominated by primarily white, heterosexual men, Gus' inclusion in Industry's ensemble makes for a particularly interesting perspective.

Not only does Gus break free of common media stereotypes that only allow Black men to be "seen in one way," but his storyline on the show goes way deeper than just a simple exploration of his identity. Instead of only using Gus as a way to have onscreen representation of minority groups, Industry proves it is more interested in telling stories of diverse characters that are way more complex than what television typically leans into. Of course, Gus' queer and Black identity are addressed and explored on the show, but they do not spend the entirety of his character development hyper-focusing on these parts of him. Instead, Gus' storyline throughout the show focuses heavily on the trials and tribulations of working in the financial industry, and how he was ultimately able to escape it.

There's Still Hope for David Jonsson's Return to 'Industry'

Harry Lawtyey, Myha'la Herrold, Marisa Abela, David Jonsson, and Nabhaan Rizwan in Industry Season 1

Image via HBO

Fans may have noticed the absence of Gus following the premiere of Season 3 of Industry earlier this month. In the previously cited interview with GQ, Jonsson explained that he ultimately decided to leave the show in order to spread his wings as an actor and take on other projects. With the success of Alien: Romulus and his performance in other film projects like Rye Lane, it's clear that Jonsson made the right decision to properly advance his career. Despite his success, the absence of his character has certainly left a huge hole in the heart of Industry.

Although Gus' final moments on the show could be viewed as the perfect ending to his story, there's certainly still room for him to rejoin the constantly occurring chaos in the world of Industry. When asked about a potential return in a hypothetical Season 4 of the show, Jonsson explained that he takes "one thing at a time" and will ultimately have to see if the timing works out. Despite not confirming whether he would be interested in making an appearance on the show again, fans can rest easy knowing that the possibility still exists. With Jonsson positioned to take on more high-profile roles in the film and TV industry, now is the perfect time for fans to look back on the role that thrust him into the mainstream.

Industry is streaming on Max in the U.S., with new episodes of Season 3 airing every Sunday.

WATCH ON MAX