Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Actor who broke through in Dinner Ladies and Shameless, and has played roles from Hamlet to Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams.
On the island
Eight records
The Stone Roses were the first band I had a real obsession with ... they really spoke to my teenage self.
I've got Puff the Magic Dragon. It was in the record collection at my grandad's. ... The drama of it, and this song just makes me cry every time.
Joe HillFavourite
This song really reminds me of obviously my grandfather, but many of the old comrades who fought ... I just love Paul Robeson.
I've picked this because I love my prog rock ... it really reminds me of a time recently I sort of got asked to join a band called the Eccentronic Research Council ... it's really silly and it's really anarchic and bonkers.
I'd always had a fascination with Nico ... just her then as a solo artist, I think her it just takes you to somewhere very dark and very uncomfortable, and I love that.
This takes me back to my clubbing days in Manchester. The gay scene in Manchester felt really welcomed into ... I always felt like that was my home.
I wrote the lyrics to this. And I can't believe that the Unthanks have written the music to a song that I wrote the lyrics to, and they sing it. I want to remember that I did create something, and I'm proud of it.
this it reminds me of a time sort of mid-2000s. We all used to go to this club ... Tapestry which was at the St Eloysius Catholic Club near Euston ... it just really reminds me of sort of friendship and you know my career was sort of starting off and just good times with good people.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:17How did you achieve being unself-conscious? How did you get there?
I think it's about being fearless in some ways and thinking what is the worst that can happen, because it was crippling when I was younger. ... You know, I think the hang ups that I had, I thought what a waste of time and what a waste of energy. Not that they creep up quite a lot, but there's better ways of managing it. But don't get me wrong, I still get very nervous and very anxious and think, Oh, what am I doing? ... I think if something doesn't make me scared, then a lot of the time I think what's the point of doing it, especially in my career. But it's that desire, isn't it? You have to do something. I always say it was never that I thought, Oh, I'm a great actor. In fact, I used to think I'm pretty bad at this, but I have to do it.
Presenter asks
6:31And what about you and he? How did you get on?
There was the elements, you know, it was the divorce dad Saturdays, and sometimes he wouldn't turn up ... I think the divorce hit him badly. ... I think why I became a performer I think initially was to impress my dad because we used to wa when he was at home we used to watch a lot of comedy together like the goodies and things like that and I remember you know watching him laugh and thinking that's I want to do that I want to make people laugh.
Presenter asks
8:51But what were you like academically?
The keepsakes
The book
Caradog Pritchard
It's mercurial and it's hallucinic and it's funny and real and absurd and it's about a young boy growing up in Bethesda in North Wales. And it was something reminded me something about growing up in Bolton as well, those sort of small places that have sort of a magic to them, but there's a dark magic there.
The luxury
I just get really hairy on my face. Could while away the hour it's very meditative, you know, just getting rid of my facial hair.
School started off not Fabulously. I went to primary school, Heathfield, and in Bolton. And I was in infant one, year one, and when everyone moved up to infant two, I wasn't allowed to move up. ... I think that really powered my reading ... I was the first person the youngest person ever to get a hymn book, but that was pure Determination cause I was like, If I'm gonna shoot, you know what I mean? I'm not stupid.
Presenter asks
14:19How'd you look back at that time?
I suppose one thing I've learned is you have to get your facts completely watertight. ... to be accused of being anti Semitic was the most devastating thing for me. It was really upsetting, really, really upsetting because that is not who I am. ... It's shaken my foundations. I can see that it's difficult to talk about still. ... I have no hate for anybody, no anybody. So for that accusation was yeah, it was really tough.
Presenter asks
25:24Aside from giving you the part, she gave you advice in your career. Tell me about that.
Yeah, well, she basically said, look, you're blonde, you're northern, and you're big. You're going to get type cast.
Presenter asks
28:52Did you hesitate about taking the part because of that personal connection, or was that part of your decision to do it?
That was part of my decision because of a very different experience to Julia. ... I had two miscarriages before I started IVF, and I did three rounds and I went, I'm out. ... Every time it failed, there was tears and there was anguish. ... But we both had discussion is we were like, it's not going to happen, it's not going to happen. ... I'd have loved to have it happen, but if it didn't, I'm very much if it's not, it's not and I could move on from that and I'd be okay.
“I think it's about being fearless in some ways and thinking what is the worst that can happen, because it was crippling when I was younger.”
“the hang ups that I had, I thought what a waste of time and what a waste of energy.”
“She was fearless. She'd take people on.”
“I think why I became a performer I think initially was to impress my dad because we used to watch a lot of comedy together... that's I want to do that I want to make people laugh.”
“I wrote the lyrics to this. And I can't believe that the Unthanks have written the music to a song that I wrote the lyrics to, and they sing it. I want to remember that I did create something, and I'm proud of it.”
“I had two miscarriages before I started IVF, and I did three rounds and I went, I'm out.”