Will Poulter & Tom Sellers: 'This is the closest I'm going to come to falling in love with a guy'

The chef and the actor met when they did a photo shoot at Shortlist magazine for its Brit List feature in 2013

Sellers, right, says of Poulter: ‘We talk about everything together and give each other advice on girls and life’ (Joe McGorty)

Tom Sellers, 28

After beginning his training as a chef under Tom Aikens, Sellers (right in picture) worked at restaurants including The French Laundry and Noma before opening his own restaurant, Story, in 2013, winning his first Michelin star the same year. He is currently writing his first cookery book, 'Story'. He lives in London

The first thing I thought when I saw him a couple of years ago was, god, he's tall! The last time I'd seen him had been in his first film [Son of Rambow, when Poulter was 14], when he was, like, 3ft 5in. He was very laid-back, and we hit it off the second we met. I was dressed head to toe in D&G and Will said he was wearing a jacket worth more than him. It was for a photo shoot at Shortlist magazine, which was doing a cover on men to look out for. It was a long day, but we distracted each other, chatting about all sorts of stuff; I'm a big film buff generally, and I'd seen some of his films.

He told me what a foodie he was and that he kept trying to come to my restaurant but it was always full. So I said I'd arrange that for him, and we swapped numbers. He came to Story and then came back with his parents and brother, and after five or six visits we started hanging out and going for drinks.

He's an amazing talent. He's just filmed a huge movie called The Revenant; he plays Leonardo DiCaprio's protégé, so I started to joke with him, saying, "Are you going to push me to the back now you're friends with Leo?"

We went to a restaurant in Shoreditch when he was home during a break from shooting, and when we sat at the table he started talking to me with an American accent. I almost fell off my chair laughing. He wanted to keep the accent up as he was going back to film shortly, but I couldn't take him seriously. Will says he's not that affected by fame, but at times you have to do certain things to help him stay on track.

We talk about everything together and give each other advice on girls and life. Will is mature beyond his years. I'm impulsive and reactive and a very "just do it" kind of guy, while Will is more, let's think about this, let's make a plan first. But we have the same sense of humour and we're both at a similar stage in our own worlds, enjoying what's happening right now for us. I remember all of a sudden going from being just a guy to one who owns my own restaurant, then becoming a Michelin-starred chef. Wanting to achieve something and then achieving it poses lot of challenges, and it's nice to share that with Will, who's going through it too.

Recently I went through a personal thing, and he's been a great friend – the type of guy who, if you ring him to chat, he'll find the time to listen, and he gave the best advice he could. Afterwards he dropped me messages, checking that everything was OK; it's hard to come by that sort of friend.

Will Poulter, 22

An actor, Poulter got his break aged 14 in the comedy drama 'Son of Rambow', and has since starred in films including 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', 'Wild Bill' and 'The Maze Runner'. He won Bafta's Rising Star award in 2014. He lives in London

If I could be something other than an actor, I'd be a chef; I've got a big interest in food, I'm a proper fan boy. And when Tom told me that he was a film buff, our friendship materialised quickly.

We met in funny circumstances: on a shoot Shortlist did for its Brit List feature in 2013. There were all these cool, good-looking gentlemen, such as [musician] Jake Bugg, and there's me and Tom trying to look pouty and wondering what the hell we were doing there.

We started hanging out when I went to his restaurant a few times. I'm good at eating, and I've been there at least 10 times now; he can't get rid of me! I love how there's a narrative behind every dish on the menu, such as with his potatoes and coal side-dish; you can't cook at a top level without being inventive.

He has a reputation as a bad-boy chef, but that's a misleading impression, I think. He wants to fool people into thinking he's hard, but he's a softie and quite sensitive really, which is something I like about him.

As much as the banter is important, we share a lot else. He's been through so much in life already, and it's comforting to find someone around the same age as you who's also in a world which can be quite consuming and can actually change you for the worse. It's great to confide in someone who has the same insecurities and fears, but also to have someone to enjoy the ride with.

We've been to a few music festivals together, and seen bands such as [English drum and bass group] Rudimental. We talk music a lot: today we were discussing the whole hip-hop "beef" thing. I'm more hip-hop-oriented; he educates me about rock.

He likes to take the piss out of my film work. When we met up recently, I'd had a break from shooting for The Revenant and I had terrible facial hair. He didn't hold back – though he'd probably mock me regardless of what I did!

Neither of us has a regular nine-to-five, and we often encounter people such as old-school friends who struggle to relate to what we do and why, which is one reason we're talking about moving in together, which is exciting. We both work unpredictable and intense jobs, and we travel a fair bit, but we both understand what that's like.

Tom is the closest I'm going to come to falling in love with a guy. I went to his flat recently for dinner, and it was unbelievable: roast chicken with asparagus, peas, broad beans and ragu, with Jersey Royal potatoes. He normally reserves that for the ladies but I was lucky to have him cook for me; the fact he was able to do it after a bottle of wine was impressive – and very romantic!

'The Revenant' is out in cinemas on 15 January. For more about Tom: tomsellers.co.uk.