2 stone and got in literally the best shape of my life at 50. So we are working together now closely to ensure I keep on top of it and maintain a physique I can change depending on the role.
Is there a role you’ ve played that challenged you more than you expected? I think playing Len The Butcher in season 1 of Gangs of London. I mean with this character I had to put on weight( 2 stone) and look a certain way as the director was specific in what he wanted. And then the character himself was horrendous, but honestly as hard as it was it was so incredible at the same time. We where shooting a fight scene for 12 / 14 hours a day and I literally had to be angry the whole time, and as you know if you’ re angry for a while it gives you a headache, but that just added to the character. I stand on the set of every production and just think how did a lad from a council estate in Rock Ferry end up here.
What do you enjoy most about acting— the performance itself or the process behind it? I love performing, I find it like an escapism from real life, being able to pretend to be this character and create a whole world from where they have come from. That and the pressure it brings, its like when I used to fight( compete) and I would stand there in front of my opponent and a whole host of different scenarios go through your head because of the pressure, I think I just get the best from myself in these types of positions and although its not really comfortable it feels normal to me, if that makes sense.
People see the finished product, but not the graft— what’ s the side of acting people rarely talk about? I touched on it before but I think it’ s the time away from family. I mean sometimes your lucky and I get to go home a weekend and see my boy Malachi and Rachel and the kids( Macey & Zach), but then other times its not possible and it can be weeks months of not seeing them. Plus you get pretty isolated, well I do ha. You spend a lot of time on set so downtime I like to be mine, but I miss having my family there so I just train and pass the time as best as I can.
The whole process of film making to me is a gift and as cheesy as that sounds it’ s the truth. I literally wake up everyday and go to work and live out what I dreamed to do, not many people can say that so as hard as it is sometimes I always consider it to be a gift that I get to do it and never take it for granted.
How do you handle rejection in such a competitive industry? At first I didn’ t take it very well, I had a big ego from fighting( as its needed) going from being Champion of the World in Kickboxing to literally not getting a reply to let me know if I got the job or not. And it I used to take everything so personally but as you grow and times passes you learn to understand the industry and realise that there are so many of you out there looking to get that job and impress that casting director, so I stopped seeing it as a loss and instead seen it as a chance to show my skills in front of a different person and if I wasn’ t successful for that particular role then the performance I give my stick in their head for something different in the future and fortunate enough for me this has been the case on more than one occasion.
Has success changed how you view fame or recognition? I think all these people have one thing in common and that is they have worked tirelessly to get where they are. They have sacrifice things that others wouldn’ t do, they have worked so hard on their craft that they couldn’ t be ignored, but with that they are people and they are like you and me, its just that they’ ve been rewarded for this with fame and sometimes just sometimes people forget they are human. I have worked with some if the biggest stars in the world, people that if have been a little star struck with at first, but these same people have hugged me and said good morning, they have remembered my name and they have allowed me into their space and some I am now fortunate enough to call my friends. It’ s funny because the first thing I do after every job when I return home is I go the gym and I brush and mop the mats, every time ….
What kind of roles excite you now— are you chasing something specific? For me I would probably like to do something a little more serious, something that takes me completely out of my comfort zone, something that gives people to see my range as a performer.
Is there a dream role or genre you’ d love to explore? I have tickets the boxes on a lot of the movies I wanted to work on and the jobs keep coming in. I think for me I just want to continue working and do the best I can with the opportunities that I’ m given. Like I said before getting the opportunity to live my dream daily is a blessing so for me every role is a dream role.
Where do you see yourself in five years— still acting, or expanding into other areas of the industry? I wrote a script a few years ago and it’ s all set on the Wirral and Liverpool so I would love to get the opportunity to turn this into a project. I have had several meetings so hopefully we can get some finical backing and get this off the ground and give some up and coming local actors the opportunity to get involved too.
But other than that I will continue to perform and do the things that make me happy.
What’ s the most important lesson this journey has taught you so far? Believe in who you are, and always put the work in. You’ ve got to constantly keep grinding and constantly put yourself front and centre even when things are going your way. Don’ t sit and feel sorry for yourself as the only person who can make things happen is you, so believe and keep believing.
If someone’ s listening right now who’ s at the very start of their journey, what would you tell them? Be resilient in what you are doing and never give up. It’ s a tough world out there anyway, regardless of whatever it is you’ re doing, people are always going to say no to you and people are always going to say you can’ t achieve that. But as long as you are pushing and trying to improve and move forward then things around you will change. It doesn’ t happen over night it happens from have a tireless work ethic that allows you not to fail. Don’ t be put off by others who are not willing to put themselves in your position, take faith in who you are. People can’ t say no all the time, it literally only takes the one opportunity for things to change. So keep chasing.
How do you stay grounded as things grow bigger around you? Like I said i mop mats, that and I have great support around me from my family. I will always be that lad from the council estate in Rock Ferry, I just went out and chased a dream.
If we were to sit down again in another five or ten years, what would you hope we’ d be talking about then? I would hope I am still in the industry and still be able to tell you some more stories, and maybe have grown a little bit more in the industry, just as my kids will have by then.
Thank you for having me back, its been an absolute pleasure.
In the words of Ferris Bueller“ life moves pretty fast. If you don’ t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
20 wirrallife. com