JOE Marler is making moves to land a new career following his success on Celebrity Traitors.
The former rugby bad boy revealed hopes of living out his childhood dream – six years after retiring from the sport.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun about the new “Pass the Pringles” campaign, Joe told how he is actively looking for jobs in the acting world.
He has even hired an agent to get him auditions – with dreams of following in the footsteps of British stars including Gary Oldman and Vinnie Jones.
“Growing up, I always knew I’d love to be an actor. I loved all the attention. It fuelled my narcissism,” says Joe, who played international rugby until 2024.
“Rugby sort of got in the way. I ended up being half decent at it and in a way, it sort of became my stage where I could play a character or an exaggerated version of myself.
BANISHED
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“When that ended, I thought – what do I do next – and I was lucky to be picked for Celebrity Traitors.
“The opportunities that have come off the back of that I’m grabbing with both hands.”
He joked: “I’m saying yes to any work because I haven’t got a job. I’ll take anything, if I’m honest.”
Joe added: “I’m following my wife’s advice of ‘go make hay while the sun shines because you’re going to be irrelevant era’.”
Despite the 35-year-old’s self-deprecating humour, he is serious about his intent to star in films or television by rebranding as an actor.
Dad of four Joe said: “I’d love to become an actor. I’d love to follow in the Vinnie Jones steps.
“I don’t know how easy that would be because film and TV has changed completely from what it was before, with there being so many different streamers.
“So I’m just trying my hand at loads of different things. I enjoy doing the TV stuff. It’s good fun. And just making the most of it whilst I’m in my relevant era.
“My agent is very good at opening those doors, but I can’t say too much yet.
“Someone I look up to is Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. He plays himself so wonderfully.
Joe first announced international retirement in 2018 but returned in 2019 to play in the World Cup.
He retired again after the tournament, but reversed his decision and ended up officially calling it quits in 2024.
Soon after, Joe became an instant hit with viewers when he appeared in Celebrity Traitors earlier this year.
He made it all the way to the final, but was wrongly voted out by his fellow Faithfuls.
Joe admits he was “terrified” when filming began on the first celebrity series of the hit BBC show.
“I was riddled with social awkwardness,” he told us.
“Mainly because the majority of them knew each other so I had to convince them I was actually part of the cast and not part of the crew.
“No one was listening to me for ages. I didn’t blame them because I weirded them out.”
In Pringles’ new campaign, Joe speaks out about the fact 82 per cent of Brits admit they feel awkward in social situations.
A study showed 68 per cent of Brits take their phone out purely to avoid eye contact in public, while more than a quarter have walked to the next bus stop or station to avoid bumping into someone they know.
Easiest ways to break the ice include sharing snacks, so Pringles launched The Social Snacking Experiment – a playful social experiment that celebrates the power of passing a tube to spark playful, feel-good connections and turn everyday encounters into meaningful shared moments.
- Joe Marler has teamed up with Pringles to support its new “Pass the Pringles” campaign. As part of the content, he and Joe Baggs take on a playful mission to break Britain’s social awkwardness, encouraging strangers to ‘Pass the Pringles’ and spark unexpected moments of connection. Watch the video here.