When agreeing to meet the human-dog hybrid Kvasir, also known as Paul Tallis, I’d foolishly suggested meeting for a quiet drink at a local gay pub. But that’s not the smartest move when hanging out with a pup who also rides motorbikes—he prefers the fresh air. So after he pulls up to a car park in London’s Soho on his Kawasaki, I suggest we go for a stroll. Given his thundering arrival in full leather garb, it’s not surprising he was cast in the kinky new BDSM rom-com, Pillion.
Based on the book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, Harry Lighton’s big screen adaptation follows Harry Melling’s Colin as he enters a power play dynamic under Alexander Skarsgård’s Ray, a dom and biker gang member. Amongst this group you’ll spot Kvasir, who spends most of the film in his own black and green neoprene dog mask.
An often misunderstood kink, Pupplay—the act of role playing as a dog, usually in sex—has only grown more popular within BDSM spaces, especially for gay men. It hadn’t been the subject of much attention recently, until a video at the Cannes premiere of Lighton’s film earlier this year: Kvasir was there, in his mask, alongside the glitterati of Hollywood. When Skarsgård was handed a mic after the film to comment on its reception, he woofed and passed the mic to Kvasir, who woofed right back.
During a casual walk through the park, I asked Kvasir about all things pupplay, Pillion, and perfecting bootlicking.
James Dean: Pupplay isn’t in the book. Was that something introduced after you took on the role?
Kvasir: Well, I went for a drink with Harry Lighton dressed in kink gear and we talked about what it’s like being a biker. He noticed I was a puppy, and that’s when he told me to apply for a part in the film.
When did you know you were into kink?
I think I was around the age of 12. My Dad was in the army, and I would dress up in his gear. I’ve always had a thing for uniforms.
And how did you become a pup?
2012. I saw some pics on the internet. I thought “this looks kind of cool,” and one of my friends who ran a bar was a pup, so together we set up a Welsh pup group. Gradually, it took over from there.
How do you pronounce your pup name? It’s based on a Norse myth, right?
Alex actually asked me how I pronounce it. I said “You’re Swedish, you should know!” I still don’t think he got it. You can do silent “K” or silent “V” — I go for the silent “K.” It’s a Norse god for wisdom, and I think of myself as a Norwegian elkhound as my persona.
What does being a pup mean to you and how does that headspace manifest for you?
I sort of consider myself more as a dog than a puppy. I’m more mature and protective, whereas pupplay feels more playful. For me, it’s a little bit about escapism. I can leave other things behind, like my work life, and some of the issues I deal with from it. It’s like 50/50. My identity is “human-dog”. I don’t want to do it full time, obviously. It just helps me relax.
Pillion shows Colin’s early days of experiencing the BDSM world. What did your early days in kink look like and did you relate to him in any way?
Well when I first got on the gay scene, I was looking for an owner — as most puppies want an owner. I was collared for a couple years. When that relationship ended, I decided to be a stray dog. The chain is mine. The lock on it is mine. I mostly wear it as a fashion statement, but I also like people to know I’m a dog and that I’m kinky.
Both the film and book are about understanding wants and needs out of a kink relationship. How would you say this representation of kink might affect viewers?
I think this film lets you reflect on things like having a choice in what kind of play you want and how submissive you want to be. I know someone who said they hate how Ray is in the film.
Yeah, I’ve spoken to doms before who think that being a dom means getting what they want, with disregard to the subs’ own needs.
Some people who see themselves as doms may react to how Ray behaves, and how that’s actually a bad way to be a dom. Some may look back to see they did behave like him in the past, but now they’ve learned to do better.
Usually whenever you see kink portrayed in the media, it’s always done in a comedic way. What I like about Pillion is that even though it’s not an ideal kink relationship, it’s not completely negative, and there are elements of positivity in the film.
The gang in the film are very sexually liberated with one another. What was that experience on set like for you — especially as a first time actor? I’m thinking a lot about that camp scene.
Because some of us knew each other, and we were all comfortable being out—being kinky—it made everything a lot easier on set. It’s also funny, as for the past few years I’ve been running a bondage camp on a naturist site. So I was already more than comfortable being naked with others around. I had literally just come back from that camp to start filming, so it felt like I went from one set to another one, although the Pillion set had women on it.
Do you have any on-set stories you can share?
I don’t normally wear a chastity cage, but I thought it would be a nice extra element of kink in the film, so I wore one during one scene. For some reason, the keys to that cage had disappeared from my bag. Everyone was panicking, but I was like “this is not a problem.” They found the keys, but I’d already squeezed out of it by then.
“Alex was calling me ‘Dog’ in a very dominating way. He made me feel like he wanted to make me drop to my knees and be a good boy.”
kvasir on shooting a scene with alexander skargård
I’m obsessed with the video of you and Alexander Skarsgård at Cannes. How did you feel about that moment?
It was insane. Before the red carpet, I said to the others “we are only going to get this chance once,” so I knew I was “pupping up.” As everyone started clapping, I put my pup hood on, and Alex started pointing to me. Harry dragged me down, and we shared that moment.
How was it to receive that standing ovation?
Really awkward. I couldn’t help think: “When are they going to stop clapping?”. At least I knew they liked the film.
What was working with Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård like, in terms of introducing them into the kink world?
I got to meet Harry really early on, before we even started filming. I was asked if I wanted to take someone from the cast out on the back of my bike, so I brought him along with me. We knew one of the scenes he would be doing would involve bootlicking, so a friend put on his boots and I demonstrated for Harry so he could take notes.
Alex—who I hadn’t met before filming—wasn’t aware that one of the roles was a puppy. Whilst it was new to him, he’d already worn a collar in Infinity Pool, and he was very into it. Before a scene we shot, which didn’t make the cut, he asked what to call me. I didn’t know what name to give, so I just said “call me Dog.” It was at that point, when he was calling me “Dog” in a very dominating way. He made me feel like he wanted to make me drop to my knees and be a good boy.
Thanks Kvasir! Woof!
Woof!
‘Pillion’ is in UK cinemas from Friday November 28. It opens in US theaters in early 2026.