TOWIE star James Lock sets his sights on becoming Essex's answer to Jason Statham as he lands gangster film role after 'outgrowing' reality TV

He found fame on Britain's longest-running reality TV series, The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE). 

Yet James Lock has now turned his back on the small screen in favour of a film career, landing a lead role in the upcoming British gangster movie, Killing Time. 

James, 39, is set to feature alongside independent film-maker Michael Head and thespians Simon Callow and Alan Ford in the flick, which is a modern twist on Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter, following two disillusioned hitmen confused by both the job they are on and the world around them.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about his career pivot, James explained: 'I've been trying to break into the acting industry for a long time. 

'But as much as TOWIE has been a fantastic platform, when you're trying to move in certain directions, like acting, it holds you back a little bit. 

'People are a little bit reserved about taking you seriously. They seem to think you have no talent and you're not intelligent.'

 However, director and actor Michael has taken a chance on James, with his Guy Ritchie style film, with James explaining: 'This is very in depth acting. It's a very in depth script, it's very heavy dialogue.

'I think it's really going to either expose me or champion me. So there's a lot of pressure on me with this, but I like to be thrown in the deep end.'

Describing his role, he continued: 'It's like a Jason Statham character - with a bit more hair! But I [want] to get the acting attributes of someone like, a Gary Oldman, or a Ray Winstone.

'I had a joke with Michael about me and him being the new [Martin] Scorsese and [Robert] De Niro, which he quite liked, of course.

'But yeah, if we could reach those heights, that'd be unreal.'

Discussing working alongside Snatch star Alan and Olivier Award winner Simon, James continued: 'I always find the more famous people are, the more humble they are.

'When I turned up on set - I'm a very confident person - but I was a little bit scared to meet them. But they're so humble, and they make you feel very at ease very quickly. 

'I was talking to Alan and I was telling him about my TOWIE background and he was laughing but he wasn't snobby.'

Yet after 10 years on TOWIE, James walked away in 2023 and is insistent that he won't be returning. 

'I'll never go back,' he vowed. 'All due respect to TOWIE - fair play to the show going on for as long as it's gone - but I've outgrown it. 

'I think I ruffled a few feathers when I left there anyway, but I've outgrown that, and it's gone in a very different direction.

'The TOWIE today is not the TOWIE that I signed up for. The golden years are gone, you know every dog has his day... I feel like I came away from it at the right time.'

During his time on TOWIE, James struck up a close bond with co-star Jake Hall, who was tragically found dead with head injuries in Majorca after running through a single-glazed glass door in May. 

Jake's sudden death sent shockwaves through the TOWIE family, with James saying it had made him reevaluate life. 

He explained: 'We all think we're invincible, especially at like at our age, and no one ever thinks they're going to die.

'So when something like that happens to someone that was very close to you, and someone so full of life, you never expect it. It is a shock.

'But the same way it really does make you appreciate life and take a step back and think we all need to be grateful for what we are and, and what we have.

'It's very sad and he will be missed. He was always a life and soul of the party and a very big character, and he was a great character on TOWIE too.' 

During their time on the ITV series, James and Jake both featured in several storylines about their love lives. 

Yet while James has a string of famous exes, including the likes of Yazmin Oukhellou, Danielle Armstrong and Chloe Brockett, he revealed he's now embracing being single.  

'For me to fully focus, I need to be single,' he explained. 'I need no distractions to focus on myself at the minute and my businesses and the film. 

'Don't get me wrong, if someone came along and they were going to add to my life, help me build and stuff [I'd be open], but it's difficult. 

'And I don't want to put that pressure on someone so I've not even entertained it.' 

As well as working on his new film, James also manages online coaching and home fitness brand, Lockie Fitness. 

'I'm really going to corner the fitness industry because it's not just like white labeling [rebranding another company's product] I'm very invested.

'I'm very invested in mental health and physical health, and everything that I do is based around that.' 

James has also launched Cerra, a brand of premium, blue-agave-based flavoured and infused tequila. 

Feeling positive about what the future brings, James concluded: '2027's going to be a very big year for both my businesses and acting!'