Christian Cooke vs. The Machine: A New Kind of Leading Man

In Rematch, Christian Cooke steps into the mind of Garry Kasparov for Disney+ — reflecting on pressure, performance, and the rise of AI in one of the most quietly gripping roles of his career.

Words - Tajinder Hayer

Photography - Fabrice Jacobs

Styling - Magdalena Marciniak

Hair- Ronnie Woodward

Grooming - Yin Lee

Christian Cooke has always been an actor with an instinct for challenge. Whether across genres or mediums, there’s a considered boldness to his choices—a refusal to settle for easy or predictable. In his latest role as Garry Kasparov in Disney+’s psychological thriller Rematch, that refusal becomes a driving force. Set against the real-life 1997 chess showdown between Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue, the series reimagines one of the most iconic man-versus-machine clashes in modern history. Cooke doesn’t just play Kasparov; he mines the mind of a man confronting not just a machine, but the encroaching tide of artificial intelligence and the psychological toll of legacy, intellect, and pressure.

Cooke first learned to play chess while filming in Israel for The Promise, a moment that, years later, would circle back in poetic fashion when he was cast as the world chess champion. He remembers that moment of connection—the lessons shared with producer Hal Vogel, and the early stories of Kasparov’s genius. "I had heard of Garry Kasparov but didn’t know much about him," he recalls. "Hal told me about a documentary he made years ago on Garry, and that was my first proper introduction."

What followed was less a transformation than an interpretation. Cooke is clear that he didn’t aim to imitate Kasparov. "I don’t look like him, and imitation can be dangerous," he says with conviction. Instead, he immersed himself in the rhythm of the real man’s physicality—watching footage, noting the flick of a hand, the pause before a move. "The chess scenes are where I pay homage. The gestures, the posture, even the way he exits the match. That’s where I focused on bringing him through."

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In Rematch, the chessboard becomes a crucible for the birth of AI—a symbolic and very literal battlefield. For Cooke, the role demanded an unusual kind of choreography. "There were chessboards in our hotel rooms. We’d meet up and rehearse sequences like a dance," he says. The show’s long, continuous takes meant he had to master thirty-move stretches at a time. “It was like muscle memory,” he explains. "The longer the takes, the more you had to live in it."

And yet, the stakes of Rematch go far beyond a game. For Cooke, the deeper challenge lay in capturing Kasparov’s inner fire—his absolute precision, the fire behind the calculation. "You’re playing someone who was the best in the world. There’s this psychological weight to that," he says. "But the show’s bigger message is about the moment we began to really face what AI could become. It’s a story that feels even more urgent now."

Cooke speaks about technology with cautious optimism. He understands the nuance. "AI is accelerating," he says. "And it began, in some ways, with this very match. Kasparov was quite progressive. He saw the value of intelligent computing. But Rematch asks us to consider our relationship with it now. Where do we go from here?"

As an actor who is also a director and writer, Cooke’s insight stretches beyond the frame. His feature film Embers, which he wrote, directed, and produced, premiered at Raindance and earned a nomination for Best UK Feature. His directorial debut, the short Edith, was longlisted for both BAFTA and BIFA awards. But does being behind the camera change how he acts? "Not really," he says. "I think it changes how I behave on set. I ask a lot of questions. I stay around when I’m not in scenes. I love the filmmaking process."

What it does change, however, is his sense of curiosity. "I might choose a project because I admire the cinematographer or want to learn something new," he says. "Acting, for me, has always been about growing. It’s never just one thing."

That spirit of curiosity is woven through his performances. Whether in Sundance-winning ensemble films like Plainclothes, or period pieces like The Promise, Cooke gravitates toward roles that let him dig. “I do love stories based on truth,” he admits. “There’s something powerful about knowing it really happened. But ultimately, it’s always about the writing. The strength of the character. If I can do something with it, and if I’ll have fun.”

Even so, Cooke doesn’t measure his success by volume or visibility. “Legacy isn’t really what I think about,” he says. “But if someone watches something I’ve done and feels something real, or is challenged by it, that’s enough. Quiet impact is still impact.”

Style, for Cooke, is similarly intuitive. He’s not one for elaborate rituals, but admits that dressing well helps him feel grounded. “Chess is ritualistic,” he notes. “And I think in our daily lives, especially as actors, we need rituals too. Things that remind us who we are when everything is shifting.”

In Rematch, pressure is constant. Every move is a performance of power, of restraint, of doubt. It’s a world of precision and psychological control, but Cooke relates to it. “As an actor, you’re always navigating pressure. The pressure to perform. The pressure to adapt. It’s about finding your centre even when everything’s moving.”

Has his process changed across formats? "Not really. Between 'action' and 'cut,' it’s always the same. You show up. You do your best. And then something magical happens in the edit that you have no control over. That’s the beauty of it. The mystery."

As for what he wants audiences to take from Rematch, Cooke doesn’t hesitate. "I hope people walk away thinking about their relationship with technology. How far we’ve come since 1997. But also, how essential human connection still is. Garry Kasparov wasn’t just playing a machine. He was trying to prove that instinct, emotion, and experience matter. That we matter."

In many ways, Cooke’s career echoes that sentiment. He’s not just a performer, but a craftsman—shaping narratives with precision, curiosity, and care. Whether across a chessboard or behind the lens, he’s a storyteller obsessed with the human edge. And in a moment where machines might soon outplay us, that might just be what makes him irreplaceable.

Rematch is streaming on Disney+ now.

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