Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning actor known for roles in Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office, Wolf Hall, Sherwood, and a one-woman show at Edinburgh Festival.
On the island
Eight records
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:58How do you prepare for a part when you're portraying someone who's a real person like Joe Hamilton? How close do you want to get to the truth of who they are and to the person themselves?
Every actor is different but I think that you slightly have to keep yourself in there. You have to kind of think well if I was this person, how would I behave? I was very lucky with Jo because she's definitely more approachable than most of the people that I've played, or some of the people that I've played. I met her, and I think you'd be surprised how many things just at the beginning are really practical things. Like it went over 20 years, so it was okay, what colour was your hair that year, or what sort of things were you wearing, or also obviously what was going on in your life. One of the things I did very early on, actually, which was really helpful, which I'll definitely do again, was to ask her if it wasn't too intrusive, and I felt with her that I could, to ask her to record her life story, just a little version, like 15-minute version, up to the point where the script begins, where it all starts. That was really useful because, you know, you get your makeup on and everything at unit base. Then you have to travel to the location or wherever you're filming, and you've always got a bit of time. So I could listen to her voice and I'd have her voice in my head, and also I'd have her background in my head. That was very useful indeed, because you're kind of absorbing that person.
Presenter asks
4:04What was that like for you, having been part of the show, to watch it connect with people in that way?
I was immensely proud of people for being that collectively angry, I think. We get lots of anger popping up in sort of little spiteful ways, I guess, on social media. But it really, really felt like a collective anger that could focus in and do something. And you can't ask for more than that, really. I also think the timing I've actually talked to the scheduling people since, because I'm quite nosy about it. I think the timing was incredible because it came out on New Year's Day. People are a bit hungover or whatever. And thinking, oh, sh what should we watch, you know, oh, this looks cosy post people kind of thing. The timing in that sense was really good, but also that there was probably going to be an election in May. Because if there was collective outrage about something in a way the politicians, because of partly because of the timing, had to listen more. Also if we'd come out in May we would have been at the same time as Baby Reindeer, which wouldn't have been great.
The keepsakes
The book
An encyclopedia or instruction book of flora and fauna
I'd really like to learn to interact with my environment. … I think I would like an encyclopedia or some kind of instruction book of flora and fauna. I'm gonna miss Velma so much that if there were other animals on the island that I could maybe interact with or become friends with or even slightly train. … different properties of different plants that could maybe help me and maybe the animals as well.
The luxury
a magical walk-in wardrobe with fresh outfits and chilled champagne daily
I would like to have somewhere to get the sound off, but also. What I'd really like is a walk-in wardrobe, but if it could be slightly magic, it doesn't have to be on the island all the time. … I think psychologically it would be really important to have something to look forward to. … if when I go into it there could be a cold glass of champagne on the dressing table. And every day, if there could be a new outfit, then at least I'd have the feeling that someone was thinking about me and I'd have something to look forward to every day.
Presenter asks
9:11How did they balance that faith with their work as scientists?
I think that was really hard for them actually. So when she was young, you weren't supposed to believe in Darwinism or anything like that. And she just always did as a scientist. And I was like, well, but you know, fairly lately, I sort of said, but you weren't supposed to believe in all that. And how did you? And she went, Well, I just didn't tell anyone, you know. You just didn't mention it. No, I it was like, Oh, yeah, yeah, I knew that it was right, but I think chemical engineering… My sister became a chemical engineer for a while as well, and it certainly was difficult for women. That world at the time, I don't know how much it's changed, but at the time was very macho. And that would have been difficult for my dad as well because he was quite you know, sort of had poetry in his soul and he was quite intense sort of person and yeah, he was quite deep thinking and deep feeling sort of person. You know, quite innocent in some ways. So I think he could be quite shocked by things.
Presenter asks
16:29Tell me about secretly withdrawing your university application to make sure that drama school would be your next step.
Yes, I remember I'd already done it and then I had the conversation with my mum of like, well, why do you want me to go to university so much? Her saying, well, you know, I had a really good time at university and all of that. I did want to be an actor and that was kind of that. But we went to a few universities and looked at them. And it just didn't feel right and I didn't. I just thought, I don't want to be here. This isn't where I want to be. Say then I spotted in the pamphlet that there was a page at the back that had one of those little scissors and a dotted line, and you could fill that in and say that you were withdrawing for them all, and so I did it. I did it in private, yes. That's an important thing. And then I told them that that's what I'd done. The reason that I say that I did it in private is 'cause it was my life and it's my life and that's what I wanted to do with it. Well I mean I withdrew and then I kind of tried to get into drama school for a couple of years.
Presenter asks
25:14How did you prepare for that part? So emotionally difficult. How did you cope with the research?
I was really scared of doing it. And also it wasn't a big role. So I was sort of saying to my agent, this is a lot of dark place to go to. I was definitely concerned about what it might do. And I went to visit her solicitor and he lent me the transcript of her trial. And obviously like reading a lot of any trial is quite can be quite boring, but it's also slightly like reading a play as well. You really get a sense of what the people's physicality is like and what they look like and could kind of hear the vastness of what was happening to her, I think, in it. … I think I like to think it is. I did have to be fairly careful at the time just because my temple was so available and so near the surface and in terms of the research, people would say, Oh, so what happened? and they'd want to know about it and then you'd get to a certain point and they wouldn't really want to know, but you'd have started offloading, you know. … I think there's a certain point to which you mustn't care too much. And I really hesitate to say that because some of the situations are so serious. But you really actually have to remember it's a game. And I know that sounds brutal. That acting is play. Yeah, you know, just in order to protect yourself and the other actors and also to keep it objective, otherwise you will go nuts, you know. You have to be able to talk about the scene and so just sometimes come out of it and talk about something technical maybe. Or you've got the dialect coach going, nope, you got that wrong again, you got that sound wrong again.
Presenter asks
34:21But is it right that that piece was almost lost to history?
That's what's so extraordinary, isn't it? Yes. So. Apparently, Alan Bennett wrote a book called Two Besides, which tells how these extra pieces came out. Apparently, Piers Wenger, who was running the drama department at BBC, decided it would be a good idea to do talking heads because you just needed the actor, camera operator, and the sound operator. I think they asked Nicholas Hytner, could Alan Bennett write a couple more Talking Heads, because they were going to do all the original ones, they were going to redo them. And also do them on the East End of stage, which is massive. So that's all good for social distancing, and you can't get more English than Alan Bennett and the East Enders coming together, yeah.
“I was immensely proud of people for being that collectively angry, I think.”
“I think there's a certain point to which you mustn't care too much. And I really hesitate to say that because some of the situations are so serious. But you really actually have to remember it's a game. And I know that sounds brutal. That acting is play.”
“I think I'm one of those quite lucky people. I like socializing. I love being with other people, but I like being on my own as well.”
“It would have to be Love and Affection by Joan Armatrading. I can see myself in my different outfit every night, having my champagne, throwing my head back and being under the stars and dancing to that with Joan.”