'Pistol': Anson Boon is looking forward to John Lydon's reaction (exclusive)

Watch: Anson Boon discusses John Lydon's response to Pistol

Actor Anson Boon is 'excited' to hear John Lydon's reaction to his portrayal of the Sex Pistols frontman in new Disney+ drama series Pistol.

The 22-year-old actor tell Yahoo that he was 'chuffed to bits' when Lydon vowed to actually watch Danny Boyle's six-part series, having previously dismissed it as a 'middle class fantasy'.

Boon said it wasn't a surprise for Lydon to speak out against the project — not least in the wake of an unsuccessful lawsuit he filed, attempting to prevent Sex Pistols music being used in the show.

Read more: Sex Pistols to re-release God Save the Queen for Platinum Jubilee

"I think the reason I'm such a big fan of John and so many people are is because of what a contrarian he is, and that's what made him so special and so unique at the time.

"I just really wanted to do him justice," said Boon.

The actor added: "Learning about him and reading all of his books and spending so much time with him in my head, I reckon has put me in the top percentage of his listeners on Spotify.

"I'm truly such a big fan of him and I just felt this intense responsibility to do him the justice that I think he deserves."

Read more: Maisie Williams unrecognisable in Sex Pistols drama

Based on the memoir of Pistols guitarist Steve Jones — played in the series by Toby Wallace — Pistol traces the origins of the band through the punk scene of London in the 1970s, with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's clothing boutique SEX at its epicentre.

Boon, who previously appeared in the alligator-based horror movie Crawl, arrives with great fanfare at the end of the first episode, which sees McLaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) draft in Lydon as a vocalist for the burgeoning band.

He said he is excited for Lydon to watch the finished product, regardless of his public distaste, as he trusts the depth of his research.

Boon said: "I've left [Lydon] all of these little clues in my performance, things that he will know that only someone who really read his books and did his research will know about him.

Read more: John Lydon reveals why he went on The Masked Singer

"I made sure all the food that I was eating was right and all the props in his bedroom were right and every single last safety pin on his jackets was right.

"I'm excited for him to see it. I won't be surprised at anything he comes out with, but I'm just excited."

Boon's co-star Jacob Slater was able to take advantage of the expertise of his real-life counterpart, describing Pistols drummer Paul Cook as being 'hands-on' with the production.

Slater added: "I was listening to the songs and trying to work out what he was doing. I'd think that I had got it right, then he'd come in and say 'actually I'm doing this'. He was great.

"Having him there meant that I could do him justice. He was a real gent. A really nice guy."

Read more: John Lydon isn't a fan of the Queen's English

Meanwhile, Louis Partridge had a different challenge in taking on the role of bassist Sid Vicious — the spectre of Gary Oldman's acclaimed portrayal of the late guitarist in 1986 film Sid and Nancy.

"I think I disassociated myself from that really early on. I'm not going to try to come up against Mr Oldman. That's a losing battle," said Partridge.

He added: "I quite like the fact that I don't feel like I'm rehashing something that he has done. It feels like a different version of Sid. We're seeing a bigger span of his life.

"I think, to be honest, he's a more fully-formed character. You see the evolution of him and where he came from, which I think gives context for what he became."

Read more: New movies and TV on Disney+ UK in May

As well as the line-up of the Sex Pistols, the series features appearances from punk figures including Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders (Sydney Chandler), Jordan (Maisie Williams) and music critic Nick Kent (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo).

Pistol will be available on Disney+ from 31 May.

Watch: Trailer for Sex Pistols drama series Pistol