Finn Cole stars in Last Breath
Suit - vintage Tom Ford Vest - Sunspel, Watch - Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Boutique Edition
Photography - Alex Beer
Creative Direction - Michael Gray
Styling - Tom O’ Dell
Styling Assistance - Amber Cox
Interview - Jessica Punter
Grooming - Nadia Altinbas
The gripping true story of survival at the bottom of the ocean
There are plenty of well-paid jobs, but no amount of money would convince us to trade places with the crew of the Bibby Topaz in Last Breath. Every day in the North Sea, saturation divers tend the miles of oil and gas pipelines that snake over the sea bed, working at depths of up to 300 metres, and living in hyperbaric chambers for 28 days at a time. Last Breath is based on the true story of what happened to the crew on one fateful day, and the 2019 documentary by the same name.
Peaky Blinders’ Finn Cole plays saturation diver, Chris Lemons, alongside Woody Harrelson (Duncan Allcock) and Simu Liu (David Yuasa), who find themselves facing impossible odds when a routine job goes wrong. Nail-biting tension from start to finish, with live underwater scenes, skillful sound editing and camera motion, Last Breath draws the viewer into the perilous world under the sea. Finn Cole opens up about his immersive experience making the unbelievable story of Chris Lemons’ struggle to reunite with his team after being cut off.
When did you first learn about the crew’s incredible story?
I actually watched the documentary, out of the blue, with a couple of friends at home.
It’s right up my street in terms of subject matter. True films are very exciting. Then I sent it to my dad, who's a really keen diver, and he was just blown away by the story. Then a few weeks later, I got an email from my team with the script saying check out the documentary, it’s a true story, they’re making a movie about it. I was like, I know it’s a true story. It felt like chance, a good opportunity, and well prepared for it, it felt like a fortunate thing to come together. So, I jumped in. Next thing I know, I'm on the bottom of a tank in Malta.
What did you most want to ask Chris Lemons about his experience?
I spoke to Chris and got to ask those questions about the beats leading up to the accident. Sat divers don’t see the job as a risk to their lives, because they are so knowledgeable, and professional and experienced. As Chris said, “we don’t have problems, we have solutions.” The whole point is to get the job done without a hitch. They are stuck in these chambers at 100 to 300 metres for a month, and what that does to a person is interesting. He had eight minutes of oxygen left in his backup tank. He lost connection with the ship, so he knew he was going to die. He said he panicked, then he had a couple of minutes of deep emotion, apologising out loud to his loved ones, and then a few final minutes of complete relaxation, and something he says he’ll never forget. He had come to accept his fate, and what the brain and the body does in that scenario is something only he and a very few people on this planet know.
Suit, shirt & tie - Ralph Lauren, Spectacles - E.B. Meyrowitz 'Tarfaya' acetate sunglasses
“It felt like chance, a good opportunity, and well prepared for it, it felt like a fortunate thing to come together. So, I jumped in. Next thing I know, I'm on the bottom of a tank in Malta”
How did you prepare for the stressful diving scenes?
The scariest part was getting the helmet on for the first time because it’s very claustrophobic. You’re clamped in, and it’s very difficult to take off by yourself. We got advanced dive training and we did scuba, and then we started using the real saturation equipment, so we slowly built up to that. By the time we actually had to shoot anything, it was all ingrained. We were shooting at 11 metres, in a huge tank, so you can come up and down without risking any pressure damage. The training was so aligned with the actual skills you need as a diver. With saturation control, they monitor how much air you’re using, so they can hear, and they can see if you’re moving too fast or breathing too heavily. You’re never trying to rush along. That is a meditation in itself. You have to be totally focused to do something like that, whether it be on camera or whether it be in real life. It’s very, very calm.
What did you and your co-stars do to recreate the tight bond between Chris, Duncan and David?
Speaking to real saturation divers, you have to be someone that can get along with people. You have to be someone that enjoys being around others and being close to each other, because if you’re difficult, you don’t get called back. The three of us bonded on the fact that we all love making movies, and this was such an exciting new challenge. Woody and Simu both lead by example and that’s inspiring. If you look at their careers, they’ve always tried to do something different and tell a new story and we bonded on that. We had the same interests and we’re also quite competitive. Woody would always get the team together, and we played a lot of Padel on the weekends and on the weeknights after work. Working on location in tight spaces, you have no reason but to bond.
Imagine you have to sit in a decompression chamber for 28 days straight; who are you bringing in with you for company?
I'd probably pick those two guys, because I got pretty close to them and they were a good laugh, so they would be up there. I kind of want to say one of my four brothers, but they’d probably wind me up too after a while. You never want someone who talks too much, or someone who doesn’t talk enough. I’d probably have to pick someone who could teach me something, so I can make the most of the time, some kind of a professor or someone I could study with, that would be interesting.
The underwater scenes in Last Breath are pitch black, did you get to see anything whilst diving?
A really fun part of the training was getting to do a couple of really deep dives around Malta. It’s a really cool place to dive, there’s lots to see. There’s really cool wreck of a container ship, or a merchant ship, that sunk during WW2. On one of the night dives, I got to see and hold an octopus - I’ve never done that before.
Suit & shirt - Edward Sexton, Tie - vintage, Watch - Dennison, Spectacles - Cubitts
“A really fun part of the training was getting to do a couple of really deep dives around Malta. It’s a really cool place to dive, there’s lots to see”
What’s more intimidating: being underwater with just a tank for life support, wearing nothing but tight swimwear on stage, or going head to head in a scene with Cillian Murphy?
I’d say working with someone like Cillian would cause the least anxiety. Because you know that when you step on set with an actor of that calibre, like with Woody, like with Simu, you're protected because you know you can rely on them and that’s an absolute luxury. It makes the job a lot easier. They’re going to make you look better, because they’re so fantastic. For my stage debut for Red Speedo, in a small theatre in London, I’d say the first day of the previews was terrifying. But then after that, it immediately got a lot easier, and a lot more fun. And, I love being underwater and I love diving.
Are you a Speedos person? What type of swim shorts do you usually pack?
I’m on a beach right now. I’m wearing a pair of swimming shorts, a pair of sunglasses, a hat and a stripy T-shirt. I might have to pull the Speedos out this summer. I’ll see how confident I’m feeling, and how bad my tan lines are, and if there aren’t too many paparazzi about.
What kind of vibe do you like for your red carpet looks?
I love designer suits; well cut, well-tailored, classic suits. I love a double breast. I really like looking at the detail in the materials, and I love handing some of those decisions to other people as well. Part of the styling process, and the job that we do is very collaborative. More recently, I like little pops of jewellery. At the premiere, I wore a Tiffany brooch, and it was stunning. I was really happy with how it photographed. I feel like as I get older, I’m a bit less interested in trying things, because I know that suits work, and I know that I like them.
You’re turning 30 this year, have you got big birthday plans?
That's a really good reminder. It's not til November, so I’ve got some time. I’d like to rent a house in the countryside and have all my people come and stay, that’s usually how we do it.
Jacket, shirt & trousers - Ralph Lauren, Bracelet - Prēvaut wrapped hexagonal white gold and leather bracelet, Tie & Ring - vintage, Watch - Zenith Chronomaster sport watch (Holding) - Glasses - Moscot
“I love learning new stories, visiting places, to learn new skills, and becoming a jack-of-all-trades”
You’ve done TV, film and theatre - if you could only pick one for the rest of your life which would it be?
It’s a tricky question because the joy comes from being versatile and being able to try all three, that’s what being an actor is about. But, I would have to say film. I love learning new stories, visiting places, to learn new skills, and becoming a jack-of-all-trades.
You’ve made excellent TV viewing (Peaky Blinders, Animal Kingdom) - what’s on your watch list?
I try and watch everything that’s nominated, so I have an idea of where the awards go. I like to watch everything that my mates are talking about, so Severance is next on my list. I'm watching a lot of horror, because I want to learn a bit more about the genre. I’ve just finished Say Nothing about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Incredible performances from a new, fresh group of actors who are going to be wonderfully successful. I love to see people my age doing cool stuff. It gives a sense of what’s out there and what's available, and you start to dream about what we might be able to do in the future.
Watch Last Breath, in cinemas now.
Follow Finn Cole on Instagram.