If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the stain-remover pen and the tongue cleaner. We asked actor Dylan Llewellyn, who stars in Derry Girls (season three out April 12) and Big Boys (coming to Channel 4 in March), about the gaming headset, coconut hair mask, and memory-foam slippers he can’t live without.
I have been gaming since I was at school; I just love it. I started with a Game Boy, and I’ve owned most consoles since then, but at my heart, I’m a PlayStation person. Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-download game that is basically like battle royale meets last man standing, and when you play, there’s 150 of you all in the game. I was a fanboy already, but it was perfect during lockdown, which I occasionally found hard just like everyone else. It was a really good getaway for people cooped up at home, so I’d go online with my friends and we’d hang out and talk and play together. It’s a really great tool to rekindle friendships, as well; I sort of reconnected with a few mates during lockdown by playing Warzone and chatting to them all the time. I’m not at a professional level, but I’m pretty good; my team wins quite a lot — I think I have about 400 wins — but me and my mates do a lot of research on the maps, and we figure out strategies. I won’t share too much, but I have a good strategy that takes advantage of my sniping ability.
A headset is important for online gaming because you need a good microphone to communicate with your team. But you also need good audio quality as you’ll be reacting to where you hear a shot, like, “Okay, someone’s coming in from the left”. This brand makes really good headsets, and this particular car ear set is popular among a certain type of “gamer girl”, but I consider myself a gamer girl too actually. I just think this headset looks cool, and it’s good to stand out. I wouldn’t listen to music on these, though — I use my AirPods for that.
Hi, I’m Dylan, and I’m a chocoholic. It was so hard to choose one that I can’t live without because I like all kinds of chocolate. There’s so many variants — sometimes I just fancy a Lindt or some Galaxy or a square of Dairy Milk. I’m not one of those people who only likes certain brands. One of the reasons I like Buenos, though, is that they’re very similar texturally to Milky Way Crispy Rolls, which might be my absolute favourite, but they’re quite rare and hard to find. These have a lot of the same elements like the crispy wafer and the soft, almost nougat-y layer as well as the chocolate and the peanut-buttery center. It’s so good. I’m trying to cut down a little bit, but a Sunday afternoon cup of tea at my parents’ with some chocolate is the best.
Before I became an actor, I wanted to be a photographer. I’m dyslexic and went to a dyslexic school, so there was a real focus on creative subjects, and I actually did a GCSE in photography — it was the first thing I got an A in. I’ve never given it up. I’ve got a few cameras that I like to use, including old-school Polaroids and a Mirrorless one, but I prefer shooting on film above all else, specifically 35-mm. You don’t know what’s going to come out when you take a photo. It’s like Christmas getting to see the developed pictures; it’s always so exciting. Louisa Holland, who plays Orla in Derry Girls, got me into shooting on film — she had a camera like this with her while we were making series two of the show. I also noticed Jeff Bridges shoots on film; he takes behind-the-scenes pictures when he’s working on projects, and I wanted to do it, too. I like the idea of showing people what it’s like on set. When I get the pictures developed, I like to share them with the people in them, and I have them stored in albums too. The Pentax is very affordable and a good beginner’s camera. I got mine off eBay, but the classics are out there, and they go for quite cheap.
Comfort is key to being behind the scenes at work, especially on something like Derry Girls because we’d always film in winter. I’m actually wearing these now. They’re so comfortable because they have memory foam in the sole, and they’re so fluffy and comfy. I keep them on even when I go to drop the recycling off outside. I much prefer these to the slippers that have a back to them because they’re so much easier to just kick on and off, right? Anyway, the cast liked them so much that when we began season three, I got each of my fellow Derry Girls a pair as a sort of welcome gift when we were all reunited. Actually, I forgot to get Nicola Coughlan a pair because she came to filming a little late due to her Bridgerton schedule, I was very apologetic.
They’re from Hot Hands. Our costume department got me into them when my hands were freezing. The thing I like about them the most is that they last for ten hours, which is really useful when we’re filming. They take a minute to heat up — you sort of shake them, and the heat builds and builds.
I like my curly hair, but it can certainly have a mind of its own sometimes. It can get pretty fluffy. I used to really hate my curls — I felt like an old lady or something — and I often tried straightening it out. But now I am proud of them, and I use this product to give me much more texture. I’ve actually only recently started using this, maybe in the past couple of months. My friend Jess said to me, “You need to get a product that’s designed for curly hair”, and she recommended looking for something with coconut oil in it. I ended up trying this out and love it. It smells so good, too, which is a bonus. Sometimes I have to do red carpets or events and I will put wax in, but I think I’ll be using this instead next time. It’s really hydrating, and I like the way my hair looks with it in. Sometimes in hair and makeup, the team will recommend products to me, but I always forget to write them down.
I have this as my nighttime tea because regular tea and Earl Grey have too much caffeine in it. It’s too risky. Peppermint is just a proper chill tea, and it’s so refreshing, especially if you’re going to brush your teeth soon after. It helps me switch off and relaxes me before bed. Pukka’s mint tea is good because it’s triple-mint, so it really has loads more flavour. I’ll make a cup and watch Netflix; at the moment, I love the animated show Arcane.
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