#31 - MICHAEL SOCHA

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What I do naturally is just try and enjoy myself on set.
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I'm a bit of a joke, I suppose, and a bit of a piss-taker.
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Well, I think that's the way I would cope with movie nerves,
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because I'm terrified, ultimately, all the time.
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Other than action, and then I'm just sort of in a weird sort of blissful state,
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and then they go caught, and then I'm back to being a bit of an obad, I think.
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Hello, Michael. Welcome to Afterpicture. How you doing today, sir?
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Yeah, Remor, I thank you. Can you really ice cream van?
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I can't. You know what? I can't air a little bit of an ice cream van.
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Give us a second. I'm going to go and get an ice cream.
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Yeah, I'm good, mate. I'm good. I'm really good. How are you doing?
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I'm doing very well. It's a real pleasure to have you on the show,
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because I've been aware of your work and I've found of your work for years.
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I mean, going back to the Shea Meadows, this is England days.
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So, yeah, such a pleasure.
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Oh, nice one. Well, thank you for having me. Cheers.
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No worries. So, I mean, to give people the idea of the stuff you've done,
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I mean, you've worked with so many people. I mean, I just mentioned Shane there,
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but the breadth of work you've done across your career is fantastic.
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You know, this is England being human as well.
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Another fantastic show. You know, once by the time of Wonderland,
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Chernobyl, the toxic town, Gallows Pole. I mean, like, you know, your work is fantastic.
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And of course, you've got the cage coming out with Sheridan Smith.
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I guess that's your next big thing you've got coming out, is that right?
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Yeah, I'll be out soon, I think.
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Yeah, end of the month, I want to say.
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Yeah, is it the 20th? Are we allowed to say 26th?
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I don't know. That's it.
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That's what Lydia said. So, I think we're good.
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We're all right with that one. Cool. Yeah, 26th, then.
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26th of April.
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We're all good. Yeah.
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So, yeah, I mean, you're an actor who seems to, you know,
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know very much what they're doing and is, you know,
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is obviously greater what you do.
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And I guess there's a kickoff question.
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Quite, I guess quite a broad question.
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But like, what would you say makes a good actor?
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What would you say makes a good actor?
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Well, I mean, I can only say what I think,
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what I enjoy when I watch an actor is basically,
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I've got to believe him.
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I think what makes a good actor is somebody that an audience will believe
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in sometimes very bizarre, odd, unrealistic circumstances sometimes.
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I mean, that's just me.
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That's what, when I look at actors and I make a judgment,
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I suppose it's always about whether I believe them or not.
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That's the key thing.
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So, if believability and kind of authenticity is the key.
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I think so. Yeah.
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And is that what you strive for across like all the work you've done?
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100% I think I always try and make it as believable as a can.
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But I suppose when I approach a role,
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I always try and believe what's being said to that character
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or myself or whatever I want to do to him.
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So, I think a lot of the time,
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if I'm working with a really good actor and I can really believe what they're saying
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and I'll try and respond adequately and appropriately to the situation.
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And that's how I've always tried to do things.
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And I think that was sort of taught to me when I went to the ITV workshop years ago.
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It was all about believing what's going on.
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And there's the old saying acting is reacting.
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But I think a lot of the time it's true.
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If you can just really figure out,
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I'll create a way to believe that you're in the same situation as you character
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than I could be audience do believe you.
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Yeah, because you started acting for quite an early age, I want to say.
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Because you brought up in Derby and then you discovered acting quite an early age.
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I mean, how did you discover it?
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So it's a really long story.
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But there was a school production of books in my life when I was in
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year six, I remember it.
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And I really wanted to play Bugsy.
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But I didn't get the part of Bugsy.
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I got a part of Knuckles, but I enjoyed that.
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I had a great time and it was something that I'd never done before.
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And I'm not from like an acting background or it wasn't anything that I'd even thought about.
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Until I saw the Bugsy Milo musical and they were doing it at a school and I was like,
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I wanted to, I remember watching the film at school.
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The teacher was like, right, we're doing this this year.
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Watch this film.
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And I remember me and my best mate at the time were just, that's so cool,
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just bloody gangsters and guns.
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And then I auditioned for it, I didn't get it.
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And I was really disappointed actually.
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And I couldn't wrap quite a grip on why I was so disappointed.
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But me mum, then she looked at the Derby even in telegraph and saw that there was a
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an amateur dramatic production of Bugsy Milo and I should go for it.
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It just wasn't really my world when I was 11, 12.
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It just wasn't, I think that I don't know, considered or thought.
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It just went really like cool, I don't think, when I was that age.
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But I auditioned for it anyway and I got the part of Bugsy and then that was it.
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And I just, I started doing plays.
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I started, I did a couple for the Derby Youth Theatre.
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And then when I was 14, I auditioned for the, it was then called The Carlton Workshop.
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And eventually I'd got in.
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I didn't get in the first time.
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They put me in the reserve group whatever it was.
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And then I remember getting the information.
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I think it was like new years one day, one year.
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And they told me that I was in the group when I was just, I was buzzing.
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And then from there, I learned so much and worked so many amazing actors.
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But a lot of casting directors and directors would use the workshop to get the kids.
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And I think I was really lucky at that time there was a lot of independent films
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knocking about in short films and I'd done enough by 18 to get an agent who I've been with ever since.
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And would you say acting became a kind of escape for you?
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Because reading about how you started and where you came from in Derby,
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quite a very working class environment.
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Sometimes could be quite a tough environment for what I understand.
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Did acting kind of provide a kind of escape from that sometimes?
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Or 100%.
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Like I said, I was quite, I was embarrassed when I first started acting.
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Because I mean there was sort of football or boxing or
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other sort of things that you do outside of school that were considered normal.
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But I quite enjoyed acting.
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And between the sort of group of friends that I had, it wasn't normal.
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And I was quite embarrassed to begin with.
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But eventually it was just like who I was and what I like doing.
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And there isn't very many opportunities for that sort of stuff in Derby.
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I mean there is acting classes, but you have to pay for them.
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And I'm always under the impression that
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especially when you're young you say sort of kids that have got a bit of die,
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we've got a bit of money behind them who's found me can sort of
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afford a spot in a, you know, I don't know, a theatre school or whatever you
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want to call it.
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I just, yeah, I was just a little bit, it was a bit hard.
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It was another thing to do and people never really got it until I got
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a bit older and it was just like I said, it became part of who I was.
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And you mentioned there the workshops you did because I know that you went to,
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so I think when you were 14 you eventually went down to Nottingham
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and joined the television workshop there which was kind of quite famous.
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I mean a lot of actors came for there like Samantha Morton and Vicki McClure.
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I mean, what did you learn there?
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What did that teach you about acting?
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Again, it was the truth behind acting.
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But also it was the fun and being around like-minded people and people with
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the sort of similar, with the similar backgrounds of yourself.
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But we do, you do plays, you do, you really sort of get to the bottom of every intention,
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of every scene.
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You do the work a lot at the time, but also you know, you'd be taking on weird camps,
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not weird camps, but like, you've been taking on trips to go and see this play or
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you know, a musical group come in and teach out and play drums.
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It was just, there was all sorts of activities going on at workshop and it was all
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for free, you didn't have to pay for it.
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But I think at the bare bones of it, it was just learning how to
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how to put yourself in that situation.
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But you tried different techniques, you never go with different things,
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but at the core of it all, it was just sort of putting your own personality in the scene.
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And it was only when you were, it wasn't that long after that that you landed your first,
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I guess you could say, major role in this is England, right?
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As Harvey, I want to say you were about 18 when you did that?
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Well, when I did the film.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, I think I was 16, 17, 16, 17, which is, yeah, which is amazing.
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I mean, am I right in thinking that Shane, that you didn't even have to audition for Shane
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for that role? It just kind of came together.
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I didn't have to audition.
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I remember Ian Smith at the workshop was saying, oh, you've got a part in the film.
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So this is the other thing.
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I think when I went to workshop, there was no real,
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it wasn't like something you'd go to and think I'm going to be in films.
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It was sort of then you went to for a, for a fall.
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It was something you went to because it was, it wasn't escape.
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It was somewhere to go, somewhere to have a laugh with, with friends,
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alongside doing something that you really love.
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So there was no real expectation for getting roles.
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It was just something you did for purely for fun, with
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there was no real risk to not immediately.
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It had nothing to lose.
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It was all just, you go there, have some fun.
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You might get cast, although I just keep going.
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You love fun anyway.
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And Ian Smith, I think that word with Shane,
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and was like, I'm after, like Shane said, it was after a certain role.
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And Ian was probably like, I've got the guy for you.
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And then they ended up on, on, this is England.
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But that was the first set I'd ever been on.
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And I had no idea what to expect.
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What to expect.
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I've been, I didn't know me where around the set.
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I really remember once I'm handing me coats to like a focus puller or something.
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They're like a warm coat.
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I didn't know what to do with it.
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I knew that I couldn't wear it for the scenes.
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I was like, can you take that?
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I don't know what to do with it.
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And just not known.
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I didn't realise that people did it for work.
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I didn't realise that all these people, all the crew did it as a job.
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I thought it was just a hobby that everyone quite enjoyed.
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That everyone did in their spare time.
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They've got a few weeks off.
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So let's make a film.
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I didn't know the people really got paid for it.
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But it was, I mean, I did, I think, three days on the film, this is England.
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And it was just fun.
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But also, it was a, what I've eventually learned was it was a different environment.
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It wasn't, I was lucky that I learned a lot of sort of script work with a workshop.
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But on this is England, there wasn't no script.
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But again, that was what workshop taught.
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It was improvisation.
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One of the first things I ever did,
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where I mean, even the audition process for workshop was all improv.
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We'd just go into a circle and you'd try and persuade someone to get out of a chair.
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Or you just have a laugh.
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You learn to have quite thick skin, I think, in that environment.
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Because being that sort of young kids in an improvisational setting,
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you're going to start taking a piss out of people.
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You're going to sort of dig up people's locks, I suppose, and whatever.
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Well, you learn to have quite thick skin and be able to take one for the team for the sake of art.
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Because what's interesting to me, one of the main interesting things to me about
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like your work on this is England and with Shane, is that as I understand, Shane's sets are very,
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they're interesting because there's a lot of improvisation, as you say on set.
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There's a, they're famous for kind of the improvisational qualities and,
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and the work he does with his actors.
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I mean, what did you learn from Shane?
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Like, I mean, across all the work you've done together because you've,
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you obviously went on and had a great, you know, partnership beyond the film.
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But what would you say you've learned the biggest thing you've learned from him?
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Welcome. So actually, Shane gives you a lot of time.
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Shane, what I learned, I suppose more recently, Shane, I don't think he wants you to do something
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that you're not capable of doing in your normal life.
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It doesn't really expect you to act.
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As obvious as this may sound, he sort of wants you to beat.
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So he'll, he'll want, he'll either work from taught you sort of, you'll draw from who you are
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and whether you're able to sort of beat who you are on camera as opposed to be,
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as opposed to being somebody, somebody else.
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And when I watch Shane's work, you just see the truth that aren't every film who's ever done.
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You always see just cracking performances.
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I suppose the, the madness in the ordinary as a viewer, and that's what I find for
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and I really enjoy watching. I can watch people, I don't care about storyline,
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if the people that are in it are brilliant or I believe the people that are in something,
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I don't need a brilliant storyline.
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So would you say that kind of authenticity that we talked about at the start,
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what you wish you were striving for as an actor, would you say that Shane shares that
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and that's where you kind of maybe learned about that?
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Yeah, 100%. I mean, through both the workshop and Shane, yeah.
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And it's sort of like if, if I was to ever direct something,
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I'd like to do it the way Shane does it.
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But Shane, like, when I did this in England, both a film and the TV show,
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I didn't really pay much attention to the sort of direct and aspect of things.
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But when I worked with him most recently in the Gallows poll on the prep for it,
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I realized how much Shane knows about everything when it comes to film.
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Do you know what I mean? He's an expert in all things related to film.
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I think he's just got a real keen interest.
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And like, I remember that, I remember Shane and the D.O. Pete just getting out all these
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lenses and it sounded like lighting because I didn't have a clue what they were talking about.
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But Shane knows everything, like, you know, in all the lenses, he knew what sort of light he was
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after. And I never really considered it up until when I did the Gallows poll and I was like,
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this man knows his stuff. But every intricate part of film in this man knows about.
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But I suppose when I was younger, it was more, I just, I turned up on set, I did me acting
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in a no-one home. I didn't really consider the other departments as selfish as that reason.
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But then like, you're an actor who also, I mean, when I was sort of digging into the,
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you know, the interviews you've given about your process over the years, like, I know that you're
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a big fan of like research, like you talk about Shane knows his stuff. And for what I understand,
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you also like to know your stuff. Like, I think Gallows poll was six months of research in prep
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before you started shooting. Is that right? Yeah. So when it came to, because I wanted it,
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as I wanted David Hartley to be, I needed to know about what it was like living at that time.
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I needed to, if we're living on a farmstead, I don't want to be scared of a chicken. I wanted
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to be able to, if the occasion ever arose that I needed to pick up a chicken, I wanted to
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competently pick up a chicken. So I ended up working on a farm for a little bit, sharing sheep.
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And sometimes the old school where shit like scissors are big scissors.
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I'm about to, but as a, as a whole cast, we had to learn about the sort of history of the time,
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which I love history anyway. I had to get bigger. I needed to sort of look a little bit more
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imposing. So I was picking the gym and drinking loads of protein shakes. And also, I started
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getting into long distance, walking because David, the story, as he walked from Birmingham to
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Halifax, that's a long old young. So I started doing a bit of that just to sort of get an idea
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of what that would be like. And then it became a real passion of mine. But, but Shane's really
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accommodating. He was like, yeah, that's a great idea. Let's do it. And Shane had come on walks,
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with me. And yeah, there was quite a lot. There's quite a lot of prep for that. But it was
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all just fun. Do you know what I mean? It's everything. All the prep that came with Gallows'
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pole, I just really enjoyed. Farmer's so very lucky that I just got to a load of stuff that
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was dead into it, history, looking after myself and walking far. Yeah. And is it always a fun
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process for you? Is it research always something that you enjoy? Yeah, it is. I mean,
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there is times when I get scared still. I get very nervous before a project. Like, I start my
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first day on this job now as I'm Monday. And we're prepping at the moment. I'm doing vocal coaching
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and sort of looking into the history that I'm on doing. At this point now, I've got a couple of
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days in a week and then I start, but I'm always terrified. Apart before I go on set, I can't sleep.
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It takes me a few weeks to get into a project and feel at home. If that ever happens at all,
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I'm always quite scared. But I think the research sort of dulls that pain a little bit of,
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not necessarily pain, but sort of eases the anxiety a little bit. And at least I know,
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it's a certain degree where the character's coming from. And what else do you sort of do,
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the sort of, I guess, the fear and the nerves? Do you have any kind of beyond research?
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Do you have any other kind of strategies, I guess, or any kind of things that you've developed
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over the years to deal with that? I think what I do naturally is just try and enjoy myself on set.
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And I mean, I'm a bit of a joke, I suppose, and a bit of a piss taker. It's sort of in between
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these, in between the set ups or whatever it is. I don't know, I'm taking the piss a bit.
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I try and enjoy myself, but hopefully I'm not a distraction to other people's work, but I try
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and remember that this is and always should be fun. And I'm blessed to do a job that I don't hate.
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So I think naturally I'll find myself quite distracted and maybe a bit distracting.
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But I can act as the way I'm coping with my nerves, because I'm terrified, ultimately all the time,
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other than when the camera, other than action, and then I'm just sort of,
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and then I'm at peace, and then I'm in a weird sort of blissful state, and then they go caught,
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and then I'm back to being a bit of an odd bed, I think.
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Well, that kind of energy, that kind of camaraderie, is something that you really feel on things
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that you've done like this is England, like the whole cast of this is England, even though there's
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tension and drama in there as well. I mean, it feels watching that, there's such
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camaraderie between you all. I mean, what would the cast like to, and people like Thomas
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Turgus and Joseph Gilbert, I mean, what would the cast like to work with on that?
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I mean, I think that might be me. Problem you say I've worked with on them sort of environments where
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it was just one big laugh, it was a big giggle. I mean, obviously there's a lot of drama, but
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we had so much fun, and everybody in this is Englander, a really good mix of mine.
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Well, I still keep in contact with now. Tom O'Tear, I speak to all the time,
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we meet up at Meadow Hall often for a coffee or whatever, because that's the sort of halfway
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spot between Derby and Grimm's Beat. Shimi, I spoke to Vixie the other day.
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We're all just friends, and there was a real bond there, there was a real tightness,
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because we're all children, really. We're all children, and we sort of grew up together
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in this sort of mad environment. So yeah, it was, it was maybe, maybe I took a little bit of a,
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I maybe I'm sort of acquired something, this is England set that just never disappeared,
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and that being sort of having a laugh on set a lot.
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And how important do you think it is to have a laugh on set when you're working, or when you're
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on set? I mean, I'm only speaking for myself really, but I have to, I have to, because
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there's some really, sometimes you have to do some quite dark stuff, and a for me to deal with it,
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I have to sort of do the dark stuff and then just go back to being myself. I can't sort of
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linger in that darkness, but it's, I do, like the either side of the work itself, which comes
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quite a lot, I mean, you'll do a take, call them reset, then you do a take, and then I'm in a
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flow, but then there'll be a reset, and then it's like, okay, we've got 30 minutes, maybe,
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up, 5 to 30 minutes of sort of normality, which I enjoy, I have to go, I have to go away from
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the work, be Michael again, and then I can add a quickly go back and be whatever character I
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can't linger in a character, I think I get eddake, I've tried to, I'm about eddake.
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So the whole kind of method acting school, it doesn't really appeal to you in that sense of
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staying in character, the way that people think of method acting when you're staying character,
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when the camera's not rolling, that doesn't appeal to you.
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So I can't knock actors who do it, I think fair play, if that's what you want to do,
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but I did have a conversation with an actor very recently, and he was, I was talking about
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the method acting, and I said, it's not really from me, and then he asked me, he goes, well,
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when you're learning your lines, you're in character, I said, oh yeah, you said, when you're
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just about to do a take, you get an inter character, I said, yeah, right, I'm, and then he says,
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well, what are you doing there? And I thought, oh wow, okay, and my method acting, he goes, well,
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maybe, but you're not doing it all day, for then brief little moments, you are a method.
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So I thought, oh, okay, that's quite interesting. So I mean, I remember on the, on the
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gallows pole, remember we were doing workshops for, for the show, I was, I was, I was getting
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myself into a bit of a state, and I was sort of deliberately keeping myself away from the cast,
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and I was deliberately locking myself up, and we were working in this, um, my office space,
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and I, a lot of the door, and I didn't like the door, but the door, and just got myself into it.
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I don't know, that's an act of state. And it honestly gave me a day. Do you know what I mean,
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I went home feeling like shit, and I, I'm not sure that it necessarily helped, but I'm not,
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I'm, I wouldn't know an alternative because I can't, I can't turn back time, but,
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yeah, I don't know, I, I love me acting, I love playing a character, but then I also
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quite enjoy being me again after. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know when to switch it off and then
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go back into it. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's, but again, I can't knock any, I can't knock
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another person's method. They've got to, and that's something I've, I've sort of,
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as a, as I've worked on more jobs, I've realized that just because I don't do it that way,
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it doesn't mean that that's a bad way of doing it. It's just not the way I do it. Um, so yeah,
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each of their own is just maybe not necessarily for me. For sure. And then around the time of
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this is England, when it went from movie to series, I mean, another, you know, great role that
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you took on was Tom in being human. Of course, Tom the werewolf. I mean, how did that
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role come about? I can't really remember to be honest with you. I know that I got that job
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during, I don't know if this is in England 86 or, or 88, I think it was 86, but it was like,
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because they're not really done much. I've done like the odd episode here and there of something,
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but I'd never really had like a, like a semi-regular part. So when I got the part, it's sort of like,
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am I an actor now? Is that what I'm doing? Am I, am I, is this how I'm paying bills?
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I mean, I was buzzing to get it. And it was good because the character was so different to,
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to, um, Harvey. I just, it was, it came at a time that was just sort of perfect for me because
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I went from sort of one extreme to the other. Yeah. And of course, you know, another great writer,
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who was the showrunner on that with Toby Witthouse. I mean, you've worked with so many great writers
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and directors of your career. And then he's no exception. I mean, what was it like sort of
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speaking his words and playing that part, you know, under his, the umbrella of him being the showrunner?
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I mean, I guess compared to someone like Shane. What was that like?
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So yeah, it was completely different because I'm on a set now where I'm surrounded by vampires,
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ghosts and werewolves and prosthetics and, and special effects. It really was one extreme to
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the other, but it was, and also it was just because there was a script, which you know, I mean,
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I'm working up it up a script and then I had to sort of tackle, um, hey, fun. Like it always is,
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it was just a load of fun. I got to run around as a, as an aware puppy. And again, I mean,
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even though it was a completely different character to Harvey, it was still sort of trying
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to draw a draw on a vulnerability that was probably within me anyway. You're not a meme.
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And because you mentioned genre, I mean, because you've worked again, like so many different
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writers you've worked, if you also worked across so many different genres, like with Shane,
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kind of social realism and then being human, it's, you know, it's horror and comedy and fantasy.
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It's such a mishmash and then obviously things like, you know, once put a time, you know, again,
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like kind of fantastical. I mean, do you enjoy the kind of genre hopping that you've done?
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I mean, do you have any favorite genres that you've worked in?
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No, I really don't. I don't have a, I don't have a fate. I mean, I'm lucky to have jumped
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between genres, I suppose. But it's never something where, um, sort of made a conscious choice or said
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to me, agent, okay, it's time for fantasy or let's get back into some sort of gritty stuff.
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It's, it's a matter of reading and going up, wow, okay, yeah, I want to do this.
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And it's audition for that one. I enjoy all aspects of, um, of acting, I suppose. I enjoy
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playing comedy. But I tell you what happens with me is that I enjoy to say if I've done a comedy,
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I think right, it's time to do a bit of, I won't, I won't go right. It's time to do a bit of drama.
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I sometimes go, it's not up to me. I don't get the choice. But I'd like to do a bit of drama. It
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seems that once I've done a certain drama, I want to move on and try something else. But I'm happy,
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sort of mixing and jumping in. Yeah, I enjoy all genres, I think.
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And then the cast of being human. I mean, you again, another fantastic cast. I mean, what was it
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like bonding with them? I mean, like the setup being, you know, you guys were all basically
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housemates and living together. I mean, what was it? Does that, how it felt when you were making that
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show, that closeness? So I was scared before I joined a bit being human because it was a well-established
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show with a well-established cast. And I'd just come from this as England where even before you start
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filming, you're having mad bonding days and you're going out and you're sort of doing a little bit
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of character work and just, you know, I mean, we're all in the sort of same boat. And I was a little
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bit nervous to go on that set because I just thought these are a bunch of people who have been
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doing the show for a couple of years. I'm just, I don't know how I'm going to fit into this,
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but they were all absolutely beautiful. They sort of welcomed me with open arms and I had
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loads of fun with them. And they let me do you feel welcome? 100%. Yeah. Yeah, they were brilliant.
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And really bloody good as well, really good actors because that's the thing in it. It's
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had you be how in that sort of environment, in that world, to say those sort of lines with conviction
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and truth, that was the hard part, I suppose. And that's the, yeah, I think to be able to
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sort of be truthful in that environment because it's, you can sort of put yourself in certain
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environments and sort of say, I've sort of been there. I've done that, but I've never been a
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vampire chasing werewolf before. So bringing that kind of authenticity, like we were saying, to
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the kind of fantastical and kind of preposterous, like vampires and werewolves was that that was
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the challenge. That was the challenge. Yeah, but then you just got a, as an act of belief,
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do you, you're a vampire hate in werewolf? And then, and then sticking with the kind of fantastical
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genres you worked in because it was, I want to say it was shortly not too long after then that you
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went across the, you know, the seas to America to Canada to do once upon a time. That was,
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that was not too long after. I mean, what was your experience like working on that? I mean,
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going from kind of British homegrown projects like this is England being human to kind of big,
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you know, American, Canadian, you know, shoot and production. What was that like?
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I remember getting that I remember putting myself on tape for at first.
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And then the manager going, oh, the really into you, you need to put yourself on tape again,
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but at the office because I think I was using my phone or something like that with my friends,
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a flattened clap them and then do like, right, we just make a better tape for a, for a pilot.
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I didn't even know what pilot was. I didn't, I didn't know the clue what I was doing. So they flew
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me over and then we did a, we shot a pilot for I think about 11 days or whatever it was.
414
00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:08.640
And it was the first time working in a, like a green screen studio.
415
00:30:09.840 --> 00:30:15.120
And then I learned with a pilot, it might not go ahead. And even if it does go ahead,
416
00:30:15.120 --> 00:30:21.200
it might not use you. So I was like, okay, call whatever that was fun. And it was the first
417
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.480
time I'd flown business class on a plane and it was all just, wow, this is fantastic. It
418
00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:32.320
gave me a knots on a plane. And then I got back to England and sort of forgot about it.
419
00:30:32.320 --> 00:30:39.520
And then I was working on a job called Silent Witnesses and Silent Witness. And then the agent was
420
00:30:39.520 --> 00:30:46.640
calling me about three in the morning. I was in a hotel room and I had a group call with me,
421
00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:50.880
agent, me manager and the like, they're going ahead with the series and you're going to have to
422
00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:57.840
relocate to Vancouver, which were all sort of new foreign terms to me. I never, I didn't know
423
00:30:57.840 --> 00:31:06.720
what relocating meant. I didn't know what, what, what, what it entailed. So then I went over and
424
00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:13.600
yeah, stayed in my group of two years doing an ABC show. Incredible. And then like the press
425
00:31:13.600 --> 00:31:19.680
aspect of it was just something I never experienced before that going to a Comic-Con in Sunday A
426
00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:27.920
going to New York and seeing, I don't know, all sorts of posters and it was, yeah, crazy.
427
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:32.880
I really, my time in my life. Would you say it was a bit kind of overwhelming?
428
00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:38.480
100% yeah, because it sounds like a lot. Yeah, I didn't, I didn't have a clue. I didn't,
429
00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:48.480
and I think the, I loved the character. The character I played was just incredible. I really felt
430
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:53.600
from I thought it was funny. I understood where he was at. I loved playing that character.
431
00:31:53.600 --> 00:31:58.320
But the either side of it again is like an aspect that I was a bit unfamiliar with.
432
00:31:59.360 --> 00:32:05.920
I like to be on my own in a, in a city and understanding a set properly, understanding that
433
00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:10.720
this is what could happen. You could be a, you could be an actor and then be taken away from everything
434
00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:20.480
that you've known and drive yourself into work and this is a way of life. I think it was sort of
435
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:27.360
like a slow progression from this is England to being human to once upon a time. It was like wow,
436
00:32:27.360 --> 00:32:33.600
okay, so if you want this, if you want this career, this is what could happen. You could end up sort
437
00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:38.080
having to deal with your own, having to deal with isolation and being on your own
438
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:45.280
alongside doing the stuff that you really love. And was that isolation, did that sort of give you
439
00:32:45.280 --> 00:32:49.760
paused, whoever you would continue down that road? Because, you know, as you say, like, because you
440
00:32:49.760 --> 00:32:53.440
would, being human in this England was so much like British homegrown projects. And then once
441
00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:58.480
about time was this massive American kind of, you know, show. I mean, did it kind of give you
442
00:32:58.560 --> 00:33:05.200
pause that kind of, some of those sort of challenges? It's sort of reflecting that I understood it
443
00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:10.800
to be honest with you. At the time, I just, I just, I didn't really understand why I was feeling
444
00:33:10.800 --> 00:33:21.520
sometimes a bit sad. And I was young as well. I was, I was, I know, 24, 23, 24 when I got the job.
445
00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:27.200
And I was just, it was all quite overwhelming. It really was overwhelming.
446
00:33:27.760 --> 00:33:32.560
Yeah, it's sometimes a little bit difficult to deal with, but if I learned from it, I learned,
447
00:33:33.760 --> 00:33:37.840
I learned some hard to deal with the way I am alongside the work.
448
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:42.880
But you didn't feel like it was maybe for you as well at the same time. That kind of,
449
00:33:44.800 --> 00:33:48.960
I loved the work. But maybe I didn't realise how
450
00:33:49.760 --> 00:33:55.200
lucky I was to be able to do the work. I just, I just, it was a really sort of
451
00:33:56.320 --> 00:34:01.280
odd time for me, I think, being over there. There was so many things that I loved, but then
452
00:34:01.280 --> 00:34:07.360
a few things that I struggled with. But I think as of grown older, and I've worked on
453
00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:12.560
other productions, I sort of get it a bit more now. I sort, I understand. But also, I think,
454
00:34:12.560 --> 00:34:16.800
kind of, who I am now, where I don't think I did back then, sort of grown up a little bit,
455
00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:23.280
I figured out who I am, which I think it's 24, 23, 24, I don't think I did.
456
00:34:26.160 --> 00:34:29.520
Well, I mean, I've got to ask you, but another project that I've yours, that I'm a big fan of,
457
00:34:29.520 --> 00:34:34.480
one of the one more recent projects he did was Toxic Town with Jody Whitaker, another brilliant
458
00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:38.480
piece of work. I mean, as I say, you've carved out your career working with some amazing writers,
459
00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:42.480
and Jack Form was the writer on that who obviously then went on to do adolescence, another brilliant
460
00:34:42.560 --> 00:34:46.160
show. I mean, and he had worked with you on this as England, you know, written this as England.
461
00:34:46.160 --> 00:34:51.040
I mean, what is it about Jack that makes him such a special writer as an actor to work with?
462
00:34:51.600 --> 00:34:58.240
I think Jack is a, a grafter. I think Jack puts a lot of time into whatever project he's working on.
463
00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:07.120
He knows the stuff. I remember, like, Jack with, when I first met Jack on this as England, he was just
464
00:35:07.680 --> 00:35:13.520
fully immersed in the projects. To the point where he wanted a little part in it, he played
465
00:35:13.520 --> 00:35:22.000
carrotball in the, in my party scene, but Jack, he writes some, but I've never seen anything that
466
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:30.320
Jack's written that I'm not enjoyed, but I don't know. It's just maybe a magical gift for Jack.
467
00:35:31.120 --> 00:35:37.280
I always find being attached to anything that Jack's written, and you're very fortunate.
468
00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:39.120
You're lucky, and you know you're in something special.
469
00:35:40.720 --> 00:35:44.160
And if you followed on his career, I mean, I'm guessing you've seen adolescence, right?
470
00:35:44.160 --> 00:35:48.320
Yeah, of course. Incredible piece of work. I mean, what did you make of that?
471
00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:52.560
Yeah, I loved it. I texted because I'm good friends with Steven, and I texted him and
472
00:35:52.560 --> 00:35:57.040
made it after. I think I watched it with my mom, because this is exactly what happened with me,
473
00:35:57.200 --> 00:36:00.560
once we'd watched it, me and my mom had a really long conversation. And I said,
474
00:36:00.560 --> 00:36:05.680
that's Steven. I was walking around Liverpool, actually. I was at a museum, and I saw a picture
475
00:36:05.680 --> 00:36:09.600
Steven, and I was like, I'm going to talk to him about a lesson to the set. I was showing the picture
476
00:36:09.600 --> 00:36:13.600
that I've just seen in the museum, and I talked to him about a lesson. And he said, that's exactly
477
00:36:13.600 --> 00:36:19.200
what we want. We want people to talk about it. It's, that was a piece of genius. I loved
478
00:36:19.200 --> 00:36:23.920
other lessons. It was no surprise, wasn't it, when it just swept all the Emmys and like,
479
00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:27.680
you know, Steven Graham getting all this, you know, as he should, you know, all this, all this
480
00:36:27.680 --> 00:36:30.880
attention and accolades. I mean, you know, because, yeah, as you say, you worked with him on
481
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:34.480
this as England. What kind of sort of working relationship does you guys have, or like, you know,
482
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:41.760
have happened over the years? So I didn't have any scenes with Steven in 86, or any of
483
00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:48.720
that this is England, but it was a round. But I didn't really see much of him. And I knew
484
00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:54.880
of Steven. I know of his work and we had a lot of mutual friends. And then he cast me in a thing
485
00:36:54.880 --> 00:37:00.320
called, uh, what like a pamphot years ago, which was a sentimental wrestling movie,
486
00:37:01.040 --> 00:37:08.320
which was just a whole heap of fun. Um, and then he also, he, he ran, because I had a little
487
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:13.680
part in time, which was amazing. But he rang me up to ask if I'd do this little part in,
488
00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:20.960
I was like 100%. But I think Steady is one of those sort of people that, that is a, a
489
00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:26.080
brilliant, brilliant act of course, with brilliant person. He's so kind. He's somebody that I look
490
00:37:26.080 --> 00:37:34.160
up to in many levels and I look up to his, his work and, and that who he is as a person.
491
00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:42.720
He's just a really generous, kind, beautiful mouth, um, and puts our people first all the time.
492
00:37:44.560 --> 00:37:48.960
But yeah, he's a, he's special that man. Just on watch is, is a very special man.
493
00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:53.520
Truly. I mean, it's funny, because we had Eddie Marzan on the pod recently, you know,
494
00:37:53.520 --> 00:37:58.160
another fantastic actor, his work to Steven. And he was telling me that, uh, when him and Steven
495
00:37:58.160 --> 00:38:01.440
had scenes together and stuff like gangs in New York, they couldn't look at each other in the eye
496
00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:04.880
because they would just start cracking up. Like, there's, he seems like it's got a very great
497
00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:09.040
sense of humor as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, he's somebody who enjoys it.
498
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:13.920
Do you know what I mean? It's, there's no airs and graces with Steven. He's not an actor
499
00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:18.160
pretending to be an actor. He's an actor as a good time and he's also grateful for being an actor.
500
00:38:19.200 --> 00:38:25.920
He's, and I think he can't, I, I, I just think he has fun. I think he has great fun on sets.
501
00:38:25.920 --> 00:38:29.680
He understands the work. He's bloody good at it, but he has a good laugh and all, which I think
502
00:38:29.680 --> 00:38:35.680
is so important. Yeah. He can feel that in his performances and the energy. And, and then go
503
00:38:35.680 --> 00:38:39.200
about to Tox Town though. I mean, were you aware of that story when you signed on to the project
504
00:38:39.200 --> 00:38:44.800
or was it? No, it was a news to you. I didn't have a clue now. I didn't, but then I did
505
00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:53.600
me research and find it all sort of disgusting. But I think with that one as well working with
506
00:38:53.600 --> 00:39:00.640
Jolie Whitaker, who is another person who's just an amazing actor, but also understand of this,
507
00:39:00.640 --> 00:39:07.600
it's, it's something where it should, that should be enjoyed. I became friends with Jolie as well.
508
00:39:07.600 --> 00:39:12.400
But yeah, Toxie Town was brilliant. And I love working with Minke as well. The direct, she was
509
00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:18.880
incredible. And Amy Lee Wood, again, just another fantastic cast. Yeah, it really was and Dempsey was
510
00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:24.560
in it as well. Of course, I've got to be Carlisle. Yeah, he, you go back quite away with Robert
511
00:39:24.560 --> 00:39:28.320
Carlisle, right? Back to when you were, you know, just starting out in summer, right? That was
512
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:36.800
the movie you guys made. Yeah, I can believe it. I think Bobby was the, was the sort of most
513
00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:42.880
high profile actor I'd ever worked with on summer. And he was just, I think I always sort of assumed
514
00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:49.760
that high profile actors or successful actors or whatever it is were just a bit arrogant and
515
00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:54.960
up themselves, but he weren't. He was just, he was lovely. He was lovely. I remember he signed me,
516
00:39:57.040 --> 00:40:01.520
besides, because I didn't want to disturb him, but I'm not telling his trailer one day, and I
517
00:40:01.520 --> 00:40:05.520
just said, probably, do you mind me? We just signed this for him on the reality. It's like they
518
00:40:05.520 --> 00:40:10.800
probably only got me into his trailer every night. It was what I remember. There was a scene that I
519
00:40:10.800 --> 00:40:17.440
had to do, where I couldn't, you know, when you're asleep, when you're trying to be asleep,
520
00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:24.560
put your eyes at, like, moving. You know, I wanted to be asleep in the scene, but I was aware that
521
00:40:24.560 --> 00:40:30.000
my eyelids were doing the movie thing. I said, Bobby, I don't know how to stop doing this
522
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.640
weird twitching with my eyes, and he was like, calm down, just focus on one bit of your, you know,
523
00:40:34.640 --> 00:40:40.640
that sort of calmed me down. I think I got into a bit of a, a bit of a state about my eyeballs,
524
00:40:40.640 --> 00:40:46.320
moving. I was asleep. He's a beautiful man. Yeah, he's got, he's got it down, hasn't he?
525
00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:50.560
Everything from the eye acting to, you know, just acting. He's bloody good at that, bloody.
526
00:40:50.560 --> 00:40:52.480
Even his eyes are closed, he's bloody good at hip.
527
00:40:55.040 --> 00:40:59.280
And then another thing that sort of is fascinating to me, like, going back and looking at your
528
00:40:59.280 --> 00:41:02.240
career, I mean, because you're not only, you know, the amount of stuff you've done on
529
00:41:02.240 --> 00:41:05.920
screens big and small, but also, I mean, the music videos that you've, that you've done for
530
00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:10.000
bands over the years, I mean, you've worked with artists like Cassabian and, you know, like,
531
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:12.800
Jake Bug, you know, these great artists and you've paid in their music videos. I mean,
532
00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:15.280
are you a big music man yourself? Do you love your music?
533
00:41:16.640 --> 00:41:21.680
Yeah, I do, but there's always like a, so would do with the, the Cassabian thing.
534
00:41:21.680 --> 00:41:27.440
I worked with Dan Cadant, and he just asked me to do it. He sent me the song, was like,
535
00:41:27.440 --> 00:41:31.760
do you fancy this? I was like 100%. I think it's the only time I'll ever get to play
536
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:38.480
Richard III. So yeah, it gives a go. But Jake Borg, I was a massive fan. I saw Jake book for
537
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:44.400
the first time. It was Shane's 40th birthday party. I think it was. And Jake was, was there doing
538
00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:54.000
a little set. I was like, this is incredible. And then I did the, the, the, oh, God, the rudimental
539
00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:59.600
thing. That was sent to me as a brief. And it was a brief that I was fully on board with.
540
00:42:00.160 --> 00:42:04.320
And to be honest with you, I couldn't care less about the song. I was just like, whatever, whatever
541
00:42:05.120 --> 00:42:10.080
the director wants to say here, I'm, I'm going to latch onto it because the idea was great.
542
00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:17.920
I mean, I'm not really a dancer. I think that kind of shows in the music video. But
543
00:42:18.960 --> 00:42:22.880
yeah, I just like the message I enjoyed what, what, what Luke was trying to sort of portray.
544
00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:28.000
It's a great video. I mean, like that sort of stripping away of the kind of, because it's all
545
00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:31.920
about these men in a circle, basically, and the set up being that they, you know, they're kind of,
546
00:42:31.920 --> 00:42:34.960
they're going to talk about their issues. Instead of talking, they just start dancing and they kind
547
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:39.760
of start peeling back their kind of vulnerability. Yeah. Yeah. It looks like, it's a great idea.
548
00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:43.520
And it looks like it was good fun to film as well, because the dancers you guys do, you know,
549
00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:48.160
great. I mean, we had one day, we had one day rehearsals. And then we had one day to shoot it.
550
00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:53.520
And by the end of the rehearsal day, I was like, got this fine. It's absolutely fine. And then
551
00:42:53.520 --> 00:42:57.840
the following day, we had to shoot it. And I was, I was messing up a lot. I couldn't get my feet
552
00:42:57.840 --> 00:43:02.960
right. I think the way they've done it, the most sort of salvage, whatever bits I did remember
553
00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:07.920
from the actual dance. And then the Cassabian video. I mean, like you, it just looks like the most
554
00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:12.800
fun ever, like you and Lena Heady just like running around town drinking, eating curry and, you know,
555
00:43:12.800 --> 00:43:16.800
and getting drunk and you dress as rich as the third. I mean, that must have been a lot of fun too.
556
00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:24.000
100% and such was there. Yeah, it was, it was a beautiful day. I mean, I'm fortunate that I've
557
00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:31.440
worked with so many directors that I just, I just like, you know what I mean, it's like,
558
00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:37.840
even with the cage without, I just like him. I think he's passionate. And I just like the man.
559
00:43:37.840 --> 00:43:40.640
So I know that when I'm working with somebody like with the, with the
560
00:43:40.640 --> 00:43:50.640
Cassabian music, I'm working with the director that I get on with that trust. So I'm just willing
561
00:43:50.640 --> 00:43:56.240
to up on that. And how important do you think trust is where you as an actor, like an director
562
00:43:56.240 --> 00:44:02.080
between an actor and director? So important. This, I think there's sort of a mutual sort of trust
563
00:44:02.080 --> 00:44:11.680
and understanding that, um, like working without from the cage, it's like, I trust him to make
564
00:44:11.680 --> 00:44:18.560
the right choice, but I also trust him to listen to me if I've got an idea. I think some directors
565
00:44:18.560 --> 00:44:27.200
have got an idea that can't be messed with. There's no room for sort of compromise,
566
00:44:28.160 --> 00:44:32.160
but the certain actors, the certain directors that I've worked with over the years that are just,
567
00:44:32.160 --> 00:44:38.080
it's a mutual, it's a mutual endeavor. You're having, you're having conversations and you sort of
568
00:44:38.080 --> 00:44:44.880
meeting in the middle sometimes or, or because I trust them, I'm willing to sort of go to a place
569
00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:50.400
that I didn't expect or anticipate, but I love a guy because I trust you. You know what I mean?
570
00:44:51.040 --> 00:44:57.200
Hmm. Yeah, you'll go the extra mile in a sense. Well, more than I'll try a different way
571
00:44:57.200 --> 00:45:02.240
of doing it, even though at the time it might not have seemed, it might not have seemed, um,
572
00:45:04.160 --> 00:45:09.120
like consistent with the actors' journey or the way the things have got. And in my mind,
573
00:45:09.120 --> 00:45:12.720
I've sort of gone through the scene and I've gone, this is the way it should be done,
574
00:45:14.080 --> 00:45:17.360
character-wise. And the director will go, have you thought about this?
575
00:45:18.160 --> 00:45:23.680
And if I trust the director and I rate the director, then I'll go, I'll have a go,
576
00:45:23.680 --> 00:45:29.520
and sometimes an op-buck sort of morpher than the nodding, I'll go, wow, okay, I didn't consider
577
00:45:29.520 --> 00:45:32.480
that and I'm actually really glad you asked me to do it that way.
578
00:45:33.520 --> 00:45:38.560
Hmm. They'll give an idea in a direction that will just be completely kind of new and fresh.
579
00:45:38.560 --> 00:45:44.400
I haven't thought about it. Yeah. Which is why I love auditions, because if you go for,
580
00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:52.800
you get sent a few scenes, you maybe get sent the script, but you'll learn it, you'll put your
581
00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:57.920
import and you made your decisions. You go into your audition and the director will go,
582
00:45:57.920 --> 00:46:03.200
right, well, that's not how I saw it, try this. And then I'll try something and I'll be like,
583
00:46:03.200 --> 00:46:08.240
oh, wow, yeah, I didn't consider that. But that felt really nice. And that's what happened in the,
584
00:46:09.040 --> 00:46:14.400
in the cage audition with Owen and Shaheen. There's a few times I was like, I'd be thought about
585
00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:20.720
this and I was like, no, I hadn't. And it worked.
586
00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:26.320
And with the cage then, because we're, yeah, we're touching on it because that's the next
587
00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:29.520
project you've got coming out. What can we expect from it? I mean, because the premise alone is
588
00:46:29.520 --> 00:46:32.720
just, you know, it's quite exciting premise. What can we expect from the show?
589
00:46:32.720 --> 00:46:38.000
Well, just it is very exciting. It's a thrilling crime story.
590
00:46:41.600 --> 00:46:46.400
I remember reading the scripts and being like, oh, God, no, that's not going to happen. That's
591
00:46:46.400 --> 00:46:51.680
happening. That's happening. That's happening. And I was sort of, there's so many ups and
592
00:46:51.680 --> 00:46:58.400
downs. There's so many twists and unexpected highs and lows throughout. It's just a really exciting,
593
00:46:58.400 --> 00:47:02.720
it was a really exciting reading into film. It was really exciting because one day you'd sort of
594
00:47:03.520 --> 00:47:10.240
you down one avenue and then actually rock one hill. It was, I think it is one of them.
595
00:47:11.600 --> 00:47:17.360
Here we go. Sort of buckle up sort of projects. A bit of a roller coaster. Yeah.
596
00:47:17.360 --> 00:47:20.960
And of course, you're working your co-star and we've shared in Smith, who's just another
597
00:47:20.960 --> 00:47:24.640
fantastic actor. I mean, what was that experience like working with it before? Because I want to say,
598
00:47:24.640 --> 00:47:28.000
it's your first time working with her or Mike, have I got that wrong? No, it is the first time
599
00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:35.760
working with that. Yeah, that's just incredible. She's a British icon. And every project that she's
600
00:47:35.760 --> 00:47:40.880
ever done has always been amazing. And it was just nothing but fun working with Smith.
601
00:47:42.720 --> 00:47:46.560
She's another one of those actors that is really good at what she does and
602
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:52.320
and just enjoys it and I can have a laugh with. Thank God.
603
00:47:54.080 --> 00:47:59.440
She doesn't take herself too seriously. No, you feel that in her performances. The energy,
604
00:47:59.440 --> 00:48:04.160
she can balance so many different tones so well. The comedy and humor, but also the drama.
605
00:48:04.160 --> 00:48:09.680
She can do, when I watch her, I think she can do anything. Well, she can. But then also,
606
00:48:09.680 --> 00:48:13.600
she's very graceful in allowing me to be a bit of my bed on set.
607
00:48:14.160 --> 00:48:18.800
Yeah, she's wicked Smithers. She's incredible, incredible.
608
00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:23.920
Because also the two of you being Northern. I'm not sure exactly which part of the
609
00:48:23.920 --> 00:48:29.040
north she's from, but she is from the north. Don't cast. Yeah, I mean, you know, so close to,
610
00:48:29.040 --> 00:48:32.800
you know, because I'm from Sheffield so close to where I'm from. I mean, and I did want to ask
611
00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:36.400
what this actually because being like a Northern actor yourself and coming from a working class
612
00:48:36.400 --> 00:48:41.760
background, do you think it's harder for for Northern actors? Yeah, it's from the regions,
613
00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:45.280
maybe from a working class background. Do you think it's harder for them today still to break
614
00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:53.360
into the industry and get taken seriously? I mean, I've been really lucky that I've sort of
615
00:48:53.360 --> 00:48:58.000
maintained the career that I've been able to work. But what I do know that there's
616
00:48:58.720 --> 00:49:04.640
the rent, all that many opportunities, acting wise, where I'm from, or if there are, then it's
617
00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:11.680
maybe something that's quite expensive. The workshop that I went to, the one in Notting
618
00:49:11.680 --> 00:49:19.600
was free when I joined, and because ITV funded it, which ITV pulled that years ago. I think
619
00:49:19.600 --> 00:49:26.800
just as I was leaving it, they pulled the funded. But for those sort of places, those, I mean,
620
00:49:26.800 --> 00:49:30.320
especially workshops, you're involved between, in fact, I don't know anywhere that's quite like it.
621
00:49:31.280 --> 00:49:36.160
So I just think the opportunities aren't necessarily there, especially in Derby.
622
00:49:37.120 --> 00:49:42.480
Do you think the kind of the received sort of idea is that people need to move to London and
623
00:49:42.480 --> 00:49:48.480
move to like the big cities to like, to get work? So I don't know anymore, because I think when I first
624
00:49:48.480 --> 00:49:53.760
started acting, it seemed like the dumb thing. I remember moving to London when I was 19 and thinking
625
00:49:53.760 --> 00:49:59.040
this is where I've got to be. And I was up in the world with the DOP day before, yesterday,
626
00:49:59.040 --> 00:50:05.760
and he moved to London when he first left junior, whatever it was. And it was the place you had to
627
00:50:05.760 --> 00:50:11.680
be to work. But it seems like that it's not there anymore. The work isn't in London.
628
00:50:13.680 --> 00:50:17.920
Maybe the creators of worker in London, but the actual jobs themselves aren't necessarily in London.
629
00:50:19.680 --> 00:50:22.880
And so do you think there should be more opportunities for like, yeah, because if the resources
630
00:50:22.880 --> 00:50:28.480
aren't up in Derby or, you know, or donkaster or wherever, for young actors to get like experience
631
00:50:28.480 --> 00:50:33.200
and to get the training that they that they need and deserve, do you think there should be more
632
00:50:33.200 --> 00:50:39.760
opportunities for those areas? I think this should just be more support for the arts in general.
633
00:50:40.640 --> 00:50:48.240
It's sort of, it's not promoted enough, I don't think. Even at my school, I could only do one
634
00:50:48.240 --> 00:50:55.040
subject of art, which was drama, but I enjoyed all the arts. And if it maybe had about access to more
635
00:50:56.000 --> 00:51:05.040
sort of curriculum based art, I might have got a few more GCSEs, but it just seems that it's not
636
00:51:05.040 --> 00:51:10.080
really taken that seriously, but I find art so beneficial enough that I think I'm not the only one
637
00:51:10.080 --> 00:51:16.480
who feels that way. It's just not really backed. It's not really backed financially by the government.
638
00:51:17.680 --> 00:51:21.040
Do you see that changing? I mean, do you feel like things are changing for the better at all,
639
00:51:21.040 --> 00:51:26.160
or do you think it's still kind of, it's a slow process? I don't know. From what I gather,
640
00:51:26.160 --> 00:51:34.240
not much has changed. I still see sort of people crying out for art, or just access to art,
641
00:51:34.240 --> 00:51:40.320
or just a promotion of all the arts. It's just not within my ear shot, I don't think.
642
00:51:41.200 --> 00:51:45.520
And how important do you think art is just for, I mean, here's the big question,
643
00:51:45.520 --> 00:51:50.160
how important do you think it is generally? I mean, what do you think it does for people and
644
00:51:50.160 --> 00:52:01.120
helps them? I mean, speaking for myself, I find all art, whether it be music,
645
00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:13.520
drama, painting, poetry, whatever it is, I think to be able to express yourself artistically,
646
00:52:13.520 --> 00:52:19.680
I think it's just so good for your mental health. It can go to the gym, not my,
647
00:52:19.680 --> 00:52:24.320
what you read out a little bit, but if you can just sort of express yourself in,
648
00:52:24.320 --> 00:52:29.520
what I like to do with me and my friends, one in particular, I would just send it to the
649
00:52:29.520 --> 00:52:34.080
poetry and it can be as light or as dark or wet. It seems that if I'm feeling a certain way,
650
00:52:34.080 --> 00:52:41.440
if you're having a sad being between, to write it down in a sort of cryptic way, I find fun
651
00:52:41.520 --> 00:52:46.160
and sort of therapeutic. And again, I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way.
652
00:52:47.760 --> 00:52:50.960
Does it kind of like you were saying, Erno, about how when you started acting, it was kind of an
653
00:52:50.960 --> 00:52:56.640
escape. There's an escape as an aspect, but that which actually helps you deal with maybe what's
654
00:52:56.640 --> 00:53:02.080
going on around you and what you're feeling. Well, it's expression in it. It's actually been able to
655
00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:13.520
not necessarily voice, but express a certain emotion or feeling or whatever it is and put it
656
00:53:13.520 --> 00:53:21.760
out there. With acting, I'm able to play out emotions and get paid for it, where I think maybe
657
00:53:21.760 --> 00:53:26.880
sometimes if, well, most definitely, if I have to play certain emotions that I play on the screen,
658
00:53:26.960 --> 00:53:31.600
I might be locked up. Do you know what I mean? But that is my escape, that is my therapy,
659
00:53:31.600 --> 00:53:37.040
as cliche and as over said, as that statement is, it's just, it's the truth for me.
660
00:53:38.240 --> 00:53:41.280
And do you have a favourite out of interest? Do you have a favourite of all the performances
661
00:53:41.280 --> 00:53:44.560
you've given and all those expressions that you've just been describing? Do you have a favourite
662
00:53:44.560 --> 00:53:48.640
performance that you've given or maybe a favourite film that you've made? Do you look back
663
00:53:48.640 --> 00:53:56.640
on particularly fondly? Okay, so I think my favourite experience film is the most fun I've
664
00:53:56.640 --> 00:54:06.160
had to film and I say is this isn't 100%. But I did a job show trial where I played a murderer,
665
00:54:06.160 --> 00:54:15.840
I played a murderer, but I think that was the most fun playing that character. I enjoyed playing
666
00:54:15.840 --> 00:54:25.200
that character the most, I think, and show trial too. I think it was a character that,
667
00:54:26.080 --> 00:54:30.800
even though it was a real arrogant sod, just real fun playing him.
668
00:54:30.800 --> 00:54:35.520
And what, how, why was he so fun to play? Okay, so he was an arrogant thought,
669
00:54:36.080 --> 00:54:40.960
but it was all a front really for his massive insecurities and I like playing that aspect.
670
00:54:40.960 --> 00:54:45.760
Also, we had a reason, there's no reason for murder, there's no good reason for murder, but
671
00:54:46.560 --> 00:54:56.960
he murdered someone for a sort of morally ambiguous sort of reasons. If that isn't his
672
00:54:56.960 --> 00:55:05.200
own, the right thing to say morally ambiguous. It was a wrong, but he had his reasons for being
673
00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:10.240
a wrong guy, which I find really interesting. I mean, I don't mind playing a baddie as long as
674
00:55:10.240 --> 00:55:15.040
that baddie's got a reason for being a baddie and that reason sort of qualifies.
675
00:55:17.680 --> 00:55:24.720
Whether I agree with it or not is irrelevant, but I mean with that choice, but to play is so
676
00:55:24.720 --> 00:55:30.720
much fun. Going into those characters and finding, I mean, not to keep saying authenticity,
677
00:55:30.720 --> 00:55:36.080
but finding the reasons why the wise and the wherefores. Yeah, on that job, it was just,
678
00:55:37.040 --> 00:55:44.080
there was a lot of performance. So it's sort of, you get your rewards on them sort of jobs,
679
00:55:44.080 --> 00:55:53.440
you get, so you're being performative, but then when there's little moments of real vulnerability
680
00:55:53.440 --> 00:56:01.680
and insecurity. So I love that. I love the behavior and then the cause and vice versa.
681
00:56:02.880 --> 00:56:05.680
And is there anyone that you'd like to work with if you could get the chance?
682
00:56:05.680 --> 00:56:09.360
Because you've worked with so many amazing people as we say, like Shane and Jack,
683
00:56:09.360 --> 00:56:11.600
is there anyone out there that you'd love to work with if you could?
684
00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:18.240
I do can't be so very lucky that I've managed to work with the people that I have.
685
00:56:18.720 --> 00:56:22.320
And there are so many directors that I'd love to work with.
686
00:56:23.920 --> 00:56:29.920
And directors that I'd love to work with again, I've had so many brilliant times work on certain
687
00:56:29.920 --> 00:56:36.480
sets because of certain directors. So yeah, I mean, there's plenty that there really is.
688
00:56:36.480 --> 00:56:39.520
And there's also these directors that I want to work with again.
689
00:56:41.280 --> 00:56:42.560
And actors as well, I'm guessing.
690
00:56:43.200 --> 00:56:44.400
No, no, not at all.
691
00:56:45.440 --> 00:56:46.400
They're convolics.
692
00:56:46.400 --> 00:56:48.880
Yeah, of course, I've worked with some amazing actors over the years.
693
00:56:50.080 --> 00:56:55.040
And also there is there's there's actors that the same actors that I've worked with that I've
694
00:56:55.040 --> 00:57:00.080
never really, there's actors that I've worked on projects with but I've never got the opportunity
695
00:57:00.080 --> 00:57:09.280
to work directly with them. Like the actor Johnny Harris is even though like me and Johnny
696
00:57:09.280 --> 00:57:11.360
are friends, we've never actually acted together.
697
00:57:12.080 --> 00:57:15.600
I'd love to do something with Johnny Harris. I think he's incredible. He's only favorite actors.
698
00:57:15.600 --> 00:57:21.440
I first watched Johnny Harris in London to Brighton.
699
00:57:22.320 --> 00:57:28.080
And I watched an act to be like menacing and horrible but then also within a fucking heartbeat,
700
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:34.320
going back to that vulnerable and almost childlike.
701
00:57:35.280 --> 00:57:38.480
And I just remember watching that and just thinking, that's incredible.
702
00:57:38.480 --> 00:57:41.600
Whatever he's doing is just incredible. I want to work with him on day.
703
00:57:42.800 --> 00:57:44.000
Well, I hope that fingers crossed.
704
00:57:44.000 --> 00:57:46.480
fingers crossed. Yeah, that'll be amazing.
705
00:57:46.480 --> 00:57:49.280
Well, as I say, like, you know, thanks so much, Michael, for coming on half the picture.
706
00:57:49.280 --> 00:57:52.640
This was such a pleasure. I mean, it's just been great just to listen to you chat about your
707
00:57:52.640 --> 00:57:56.880
process and about your memories of making the great things you've worked on.
708
00:57:56.880 --> 00:57:59.440
I mean, it really has been such a pleasure. So thank you so much.
709
00:57:59.440 --> 00:58:00.800
Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.
710
00:58:04.960 --> 00:58:13.840
Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for listening to my chat with Michael Soaker.
711
00:58:13.840 --> 00:58:17.040
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.
712
00:58:17.040 --> 00:58:24.720
And stay tuned for more exciting interviews and guests coming soon on half the picture.