Ms Swinton, a strikingly angular actress, has been a favourite of film buffs for years and came into more wide stream international prominence with her Oscar performance in George Clooney’s “Michael Clayton” in 2007. She was born in London in 1960 and is a graduate of Cambridge University. “War Requiem” in 1989 directed by Derek Jarman was her first art house film. Recently she received critical acclaim for her performance as the mother in the filming of Lionel Shriver’s chilling “We Need to Talk About Kevin”.
Gary Brumburgh’s entry:
The iconoclastic gifts of the visually striking and fiercely talented Scottish actress Tilda Swinton, who was born on November 5th, 1960, have been appreciated by a more international audience of late. Born into a patrician military family, she was educated at an English and a Scottish boarding school. Tilda subsequently studied Social and Politcal Science at Cambridge University and graduated in 1983 with a degree in English Literature. During her time as a student, she performed countless stage productions and proceeded to work for a season in the Royal Shakespeare Company. A decided rebel when it came to the arts, she left the company after a year as her approach shifted dramatically: With a taste for the unique and bizarre, she found some genuinely interesting gender-bending roles come her way, such as the composer Mozart in Pushkin’s “Mozart and Salieri”, and as a working class woman impersonating her dead husband during World War II, in Karges’ Screenplay: Man to Man: Another Night of Rubbish on the Telly (1992). In 1985 the pale-skinned, carrot-topped actress began a professional association with gay experimental director Derek Jarman. She continued to live and work with Jarman for the next nine years, developing seven critically acclaimed films. Their alliance would produce stark turns, such as turner-prize nominated Caravaggio (1986),The Last of England (1988), The Garden (1990), Edward II (1991), and Wittgenstein(1993). Jarman succumbed to complications from AIDS in 1994. His untimely demise left a devastating void in Tilda’s life for quite some time. Her most notable performance of that period however comes from a non-Jarman film: For the title role in Orlando (1992), her nobleman character lives for 400 years while changing sex from man to woman. The film, which Swinton spent years helping writer/director Sally Potter develop and finance, continues to this day to have a worldwide devoted fan following. Over the years she has preferred art to celebrity, opening herself to experimental projects with new and untried directors and mediums, delving into the worlds of installation art and cutting-edge fashion. Consistently off-centered roles in Female Perversions (1996), Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998), Teknolust (2002), Young Adam (2003),Broken Flowers (2005) and Béla Tarr‘s The Man from London (2007) have only added to her mystique. Hollywood too has picked up on this notoriety and, since the birth of her twins in 1997, she has successfully moved between the deep-left-field art-house and quality Hollywood blockbusters. The thriller The Deep End (2001), earned her a number of critic’s awards and her first Golden Globe nomination. Such mainstream U.S. pictures asThe Beach (2000) with Leonardo DiCaprio, fantasy epic Constantine (2005) with Keanu Reeves, her Oscar-decorated performance in Michael Clayton (2007) alongside George Clooney and of course her iconic White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) have cemented her place as one of cinema’s most outstanding women.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
Joe Duttine was born in 1970 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He has appeared in such television series as “Pie in the Sky”, “Life on Mars”, “Shameless” and “Coronation Street”. His films include “My NIght With Reg” in 1997.
Clive Wood was born in 1954 in Croydon. He was brilliant in 1982 in the series “A Kind of Loving” as Vic Brown. This was the role created by Alan Bates in the 1962 film version. His films include “The Knowledge” in 1979 and “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”.
IMDB entry:
Clive Wood was born in Croydon, Surrey in 1954 and studied drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
He first came to notice in the late 1970s at the Bristol Old Vic, playing such diverse roles as a singing gangster in “Guys and Dolls” and the titular hero of “Henry V”.
In 1982, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, touring with them in North America in the mid-1980s and he has returned to the company at intervals throughout his career.
In 2008, he was part of the ensemble group staging the entire canon of William Shakespeare‘s history plays.
On television, he gained attention as the “angry young man” anti-hero, “Vic Brown”, in A Kind of Loving (1982) and has had continuing roles in populist ongoing dramas, such as The Bill (1984) and London’s Burning (1988), in which he was joined by his son, Daniel Maiden-Wood.
Jeremy Bulloch was born in 1945 in Leicestershire. He is best known for his perfomances in the “Star Wars” series. Other roles include “Spare the Rod” in 1961, “Summer Holiday” with Cliff Richard and “Mary Queen of Scots” in 1971.
IMDB entry:
Jeremy Bulloch was born on February 16, 1945 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. He is one of six children and even at the young age of five was on stage in his school show enjoying acting and singing. After failing a school exam at the age of eleven, Jeremy seemed destined for the acting profession and was soon attending Corona Academy Drama School, making his first professional appearance at the age of twelve when he appeared in a commercial for a breakfast cereal.
Following many appearances on children’s television, Jeremy’s big break came at the age of 17 when he landed a major role in the musical film Summer Holiday (1963) which starred the pop idol Cliff Richard (now Sir Cliff). Shortly after, he went into a BBC soap opera called The Newcomers (1965) which ran for three years and made him a household name in the United Kingdom. In 1969, Jeremy was off to Madrid in Spain to play the leading role in a musical film called Las leandras (1969). This was followed by two major films: The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
During the 1970s, he made many other screen appearances, including the James Bond films, in which he portrayed the character ‘Smithers’ (Q’s assistant). In 1977, Jeremy spent six months in the Far East, where he was based in Singapore and travelled to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia filming a BBC drama documentary called ‘The Sadrina Project’. This documentary was designed to teach the English language to people in the Far East, mainly the Chinese. On a trip to China some 15 years later, where Jeremy was performing in a stage play, he was instantly recognised by hundreds of people who said they had learnt their English from the Sadrina Project.
In 1978, he was starring in the television comedy series Agony (1979), which was co-written by an American called Len Richmond. It was during this series that Jeremy was asked to play a small part in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The part, of course, was Boba Fett – proving the old theatrical saying that “there is no such thing as a small part”! Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) soon followed and Jeremy was invited to reprise the role of Boba.
Since the early 1980s, Jeremy has played many roles on television and on the stage in London’s West End. He has also done two worldwide theatre tours covering the Middle and Far East. Jeremy appeared regularly in the favourite television series Robin Hood(1984), in which he played the part of Edward of Wickham. Jeremy’s son Robbie was asked to play Matthew in the series. ‘Robin of Sherwood’ has a great following all around the world, and Jeremy attends the convention ‘Spirit of Sherwood’ in Novi, Michigan every year, work permitting. Another popular series he has appeared in is Doctor Who (1963) where he played Hal the Archer in ‘The Time Warrior’ with Jon Pertwee, and also Tor in the ‘Space Museum’ with William Hartnell as the Doctor.
Since the re-release of Star Wars in 1997, the interest in the character of Boba Fett has meant that Jeremy has been invited to many sci-fi conventions and events all around the world. His fan mail has increased five-fold, and he manages somehow to reply to everyone that writes to him. In the little leisure time he has left, he loves nothing more than a game of cricket with his friends. Jeremy also enjoys travelling; in the past few years he has spent more time abroad than at home. He has collected an awesome amount of Boba Fett memorabilia, some given to him by dedicated fans, and some he cannot resist buying at toy fairs. His office at home resembles a Boba Fett museum.
Jeremy has three grown-up sons, and lives in London with his wife Maureen, and lucky black cat ‘Percy’.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: The Boba Fett Fan Club
The above IMDB entry can also be accessed online here.
Michael Coles was born in 1936 in London. He had a lengthy career on television. He was featured in roles in such series as “The Plane Makers” in 1963, “The Likely Lads”, “No Hiding Place” and “Justice” in 1971. His movies include “”Man Detained” in 1961, “Privare Potter”, “H.M.S. Defiant” and “I Want What I Want” with Anne Heywood.
IMDB entry:
Michael Coles was born on August 12, 1936 in London, England as Ernest Michael Coles. He was an actor, known for The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Dracula A.D. 1972(1972) and Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965). He was married to Maryon Kantaroff. He died on April 26, 2005 in Chelsea, England.
Philip Lowrie was born in 1936 in Manchester. He is best known for his portryal as Dennis Tanner which he played from 1960 until 1968 and now again from 2011. His movies include “Sapphire” in 1959 and “Serious Charge”.
The telegraph obituary in 2025.
Philip Lowrie, who has died aged 88, played the teenage tearaway Dennis Tanner in the first episode of Coronation Street, broadcast on December 9 1960; he remained with the soap until 1968, returning again in 2011 when he earned a Guinness World Record for what was then the longest gap between TV appearances as the same character in the same show.
Dennis arrived on the Street having just been released from three months in prison for stealing from a newsagent. He moved in with his mother Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), but was the bane of her life. “He was the sort of boy then who would kick somebody in the shins and run away,” Lowrie said in 1962.
The loveable rogue was briefly written out in 1962 due to industrial action behind the scenes, but Dennis returned the following year, evolving into “the sort of person who is willing to have a go at anything – literally anything – but never seems to do anything right,” Lowrie said.
To Elsie Tanner’s frustration Dennis rattled through countless jobs, including sales rep, warehouse labourer, taxi driver, hair stylist, auctioneer, builder’s labourer and bookie. His true love, however, was show business and he became a compère at the somewhat seedy Orinoco Club.
By 1968 Lowrie had tired of playing Dennis and left the soap for repertory theatre, complaining that his character was not being allowed to grow up.
“It has just been going round like a little mouse in a wheel,” he observed. “With his departure, Philip Lowrie was reborn.”
Despite vowing never to return, Lowrie did just that 43 years later when Dennis, now older and homeless, was spotted at a soup kitchen. He was reunited with his former sweetheart, Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) and they married, though soon drifted apart.
Lowrie left the show for good in 2014 but Dennis was not officially killed off until 2020, when during the 10,000th episode Rita received a parcel containing a funeral urn with Dennis’s ashes and a letter saying that he had died from dementia
Colin Philip Lowrie was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, on June 20 1936, the son of Philip Lowrie, a paper mill foreman, and his wife Bertha (née Collins), a weaver. His childhood stammer was cured at Miss Atheron’s elocution classes and he was educated at Stand grammar school, Bury. His mother saved £3 a week to pay for him to spend three years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
After his two years of National Service he began appearing on stage, often in innocuous, boy-next-door roles – a contrast to the future Dennis Tanner.
In the West End he played Willie Bosworth in John Vari’s play Farewell, Farewell, Eugene with Margaret Rutherford and Peggy Mount, where he was spotted by Tony Warren, the creator of Coronation Street
In the early days Lowrie was not keen on television, saying he missed the immediacy of a live audience, but he soon warmed to it. After one episode, in which Dennis sang a song, he was invited to record the comical ditty I Might Have Known (1963), produced by John Barry, but it sank without trace.
His character attracted many female fans, including two girls from Hampstead, who wrote asking what made his hair so glossy. He replied that for filming he used hair cream. Thereafter they sent a weekly jar with messages and kisses pinned to the lid
Richard Dawson wasborn in Hapmshire in 1932. He began his career in Britain as a comedian and played at the London Palladium.In the early 1960’s he moved to Hollywood and won fame on television’s “Hogan’s Heroes”. He also achieved fame as a game show host and as the star of the film “The Running Man” in 1987. He was married for a time to Diana Dors. He died in 2012.
“Los Angeles Times” obituary:
Richard Dawson, the British actor who went from comedy co-star in the popular TV series “Hogan’s Heroes” to his best-known role as the charming host of the TV game show “Family Feud” with his trademark of kissing the female contestants on the lips, has died. He was 79.
Dawson died Saturday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center from complications related to esophageal cancer. The actor, who had been living in Beverly Hills, was diagnosed with the disease about three weeks ago, said his son Gary.
“The way he was on the game show was the way he was in real life,” Gary Dawson said Sunday. “He was always rooting for people — he not only wanted people to win, but to have a comfortable, great experience.”
Dawson’s easy-going style topped with a Cockney accent were evident in his early films in the 1960s such as “King Rat,” “Munster Go Home” and “The Devil’s Brigade,” while his quick wit distinguished him both as a game show contestant in the 1970s on “Match Game” and “I’ve Got A Secret,” and as a performer on “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” where he was a regular cast member for two years.
IMDB entry:
Richard Dawson was born Colin Lionel Emm on November 20, 1932 in Gosport, Hampshire, England. When he was 14, he joined the Merchant Marines and served for three years. During that time, he made money boxing. He had to lie about his age and remain tough so the older guys would not hassle him. In the late 1950s, Richard met a British actress named Diana Dors. On April 12, 1959, while in New York for an appearance on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956), the two were married. Richard and Diana’s first child, a son named Mark Dawson, was born in 1960, and a second son, Gary Dawson, was born in 1962. Richard and Diana separated in 1964 and eventually divorced in 1967. When Richard moved to the United States, he began acting on the well-known series, Hogan’s Heroes (1965), in 1965. Richard played the lovable British Corporal Peter Newkirk. The show ended in 1971. Not long after that, in 1973, he became a panelist onMatch Game 73 (1973) and remained there until 1978.
While still on “Match Game”, he hosted his own show, which he is most remembered by, called Family Feud (1976). His trademark, kissing all the female contestants, was one of the things that made the show a warm and friendly program, along with his quick wit, subtle jokes, and ability to make people feel at ease with being on camera. In 1987, Richard co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the science fiction action movie The Running Man (1987). Richard portrayed an egotistical game show host, Damon Killian, whom many say was a mirror image of himself at one time or another, during his real-life career.
When Richard was 61, he hosted the third incarnation of “Family Feud” in 1994, but had only a short run. On April 6, 1981, the Johnson family appeared on “Family Feud” and Richard was introduced to 27-year-old Gretchen Johnson. They had a daughter, Shannon Dawson (Shannon Nicole Dawson), in 1990, and were married in 1991. They were still married and reside in Beverly Hills, California. Richard narrated TV’s Funniest Game Show Moments (1984) on Fox in early 2000. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 2000, he hosted a “Family Feud” marathon, which was filmed in 1995. Some people hear the name “Richard Dawson” and may not know who you’re talking about. But say his name, followed by his famous quote “Survey said…!” or mention “Newkirk on Hogan’s Heroes(1965)”, and they’re sure to know who you mean. Richard Dawson died at age 79 of complications from esophageal cancer on June 2, 2012.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Lisa Hansen, RichardDawsonFan@aol.com
The above IMDB entry can also be accessed online here.
Emmett J. Scanlan was born in 1979 in Dublin. He has won wide acclaim for his performance as Brendan Brady in “Hollyoaks”, His films include “Blood” and the lead in “Charlie Casanova”.
“Entertainment.ie” 2014 interview:
“From Hollyoaks to Hollywood”, that’s the headline beside Irish actor Emmett J Scanlan, as he graces the cover of the latest issue of Gay Times Magazine, perhaps still best known for his role in the hit series. But Scanlan has been around for a while, appearing in the likes of The Big Bow Wow, The Clinic, MTV show The Phone, and Brendan Gleeson starring soccer dramedy Studs. But while, for now at least, he may still be under the long shadow cast by his homosexual sociopath character in Hollyoaks, 2014 should see all that change for Scanlan. We got a chance to ask him a few questions about his recent past and not too distant future, and as expected, he’s as bracingly honest and funny as you’d want from an Irish interviewee. Entertainment.ie:2013 was a very big year for you, with your run in Hollyoaks coming to an end and your role in hit TV show The Fall, but 2014 looks like it’s going to be even bigger. How are you feeling about your career right now? Emmett Scanlan: 2013 was always going to be a big year for me whether I ended up working or not. It was the end of my 2 and a half year Hollyoaks stint. A choice I needed to make. When you leave a job like that and have nothing, and I mean sweet f**king nothing to go into, it’s frightening, but in a positive way. It helps define what type of character you are going to be. I needed to stretch; I needed to explore new challenges. Everyone seeks that, everyone wants that, but wanting will only leave you wanting. You need a hunger. That’s not necessarily a good thing. But it’s what will drive my career to places I’ve never been. I’ve been blessed with some wonderful characters over the last 5 years. People trusting me with more and more responsibility… so in that respect I’m really happy with how my career is going… every project I’ve been lucky enough to be part of has had great success; this is unusual for me. I was shit when I first started out and my career reflected that. Now that I’m less shit I’ve been enjoying a more fortuitous streak. It really is blind faith when you take on a job. You don’t know if it’s going to be successful, or lead to your next gig and you certainly shouldn’t make the decision to do it based on that, but it’s hard not to. Just roll the dice and cross your fingers. I’ve been lucky in my choices but I do work hard. Really f**king hard. I work. Every day. E.ie:You’ve been a working actor for about a decade before the role of Brendan Brady came along, which is probably how most people today would’ve been introduced to you. Now that you’ve had some time away from the show, how do you feel about your time there?
ES: Hollyoaks will always be a special place for me. Brendan Brady was such an interesting character to dance with. The people I worked with there were some of the most talented and beautiful.
Don’t think I’ve told anyone this, but apparently when I got the job I told my sister Orla that I was gonna make Brady the baddest guy on TV. I was gonna take home Villain of the Year for Oaks in my first year… I didn’t know how, I just knew at that time I would. Now I don’t remember saying that, AT ALL, if anything it sounds arrogant and I really don’t mean it to be… Truth be told I’d never have imagined the success that character would have had, ‘tash and all…. Anyway long story short I won the award…
My point is this; if you can hold it in your head you can hold it in your hand. Hollyoaks gave me that chance. And I will always be indebted to them
E.ie: The Fall was a massive hit last year, and you’ll be returning to the role for Season Two. Can you give us any hints as to what viewers can expect?
ES: The Fall was another show that I knew I had to be part of. The scripts were beautiful… I didn’t care what part I got I just knew I had to get a part. I wanted to help tell Allan’s (Cubitt, Programme Creator) story. It came straight after Oaks and DC Glen Martin was the complete antithesis to Brendan Brady. It was a perfect next step. I’m so humbled to have been part of it, to continue to be part of it.
At the moment I’m filming the second season. 6 episodes. I think the scripts are even better than last years, which is saying something. Cubitt is a genius. And producers Julian (Stevens) and Gub (Neal) magnetic. This was never going to be a one series show. The fact it was so popular and we get to continue telling this story is a f**king blessing. There’s a great atmosphere on set. After the IFTA wins and BAFTA nominations, it feels like being part of something really special. To be fair it has always felt like that.
E.ie: What is it like working with the legend that is Gillian Anderson?
ES: I’m filming all this week with Gillian. She’s f**king wonderful to watch. Effortless. Experienced. She doesn’t have an off day. Same can’t be said for me… I’m learning. Every day. And that’s all I can ever ask for. But I need to learn faster and there’s no better actor to learn from.
E.ie: And is Jamie Dornan really THAT handsome in real life? ES: Is Jamie really that handsome?? What type of f**king question is that?? You asking me or Brendan Brady?? On a scale of 1 to Jamie, I give myself a 2… I blame my parents…
Jamie is a top bloke. A Man United fan, a father and is riding the wave to stardom… Richly deserved. Why? Because he takes risks… You can’t lose if you take risks. Regardless of the outcome.
E.ie: This year you’ll also be appearing in the new series of BBC zombie-drama In The Flesh. What can you tell us about it?
ES: In The Flesh is such a wonderfully insane original spin on an otherwise undead genre. The first season saw the zombies re-institutionalised back into society, 4 years after the first rising. A breakthrough in medical science allowed these now “partially deceased syndrome sufferers” to return from their rabid state to a state of “normality”. A drug once administered helping reconnect the brainwaves and kick start their consciousness again. The results made for some really interesting viewing. I thought it was a perfect first season. It didn’t cater for an audience, it simply said “This is who we are, take us or leave us…” Season 2 follows the evolution of this. It brings outside forces into the town of Roarton… People like Simon and Maxine to shake things up.
E.ie: The zombie genre has always been a metaphor for whatever social issue is prominent at the time, what would you say is the main theme of In The Flesh?
ES: What’s the main theme?? You’re getting too clever for me now… Eh… Acceptance. Alienation. Hatred. Love. They’re all themes heavily saturated in Dominic (Mitchell)’s scripts… And then some.
E.ie: As if that weren’t enough, you’re also in this summer’s big Marvel superhero movie, Guardians Of The Galaxy. You even pop up in the trailer, with Karen Gillan holding a knife to your throat! What can you tell us about your character, and of the film in general?
ES: I can’t tell ye anything about it! I only ever saw the couple of scenes I was in. The script was heavily Guarded. But that’s assuming the scenes even make the final cut. For all I know, come August you’ll see my foot cross through back of shot and that’s it. Mum will be so proud. But regardless of that, one thing that can’t be cut by anyone is the experience I had, the friends I made, the geniuses I worked with, the sets that would make small all sets that have gone before. One thing that can’t be cut are the memories. Thank you James Gunn, my Irish American brother!
E.ie: Outside of these big projects, you also have roles in some independent movies, like Patrick’s Day, which has you reuniting with Charlie Casanova director Terry McMahon, and assassin thriller Breakdown. What is the biggest lure for you on a new project? Would it be the script, or the director, or the co-stars, or something else entirely?
ES: Terry is a truly brilliant creator. He called me in for Patricks Day more so because of Charlie Casanova. The scene we shot didn’t fit the movie. We knew that when we shot it, but it was just great to fly home and hang with him for a couple of days. You’ll catch the scene on the DVD extras I’m sure. My ideal role would be in Terry’s movie Dancehall Bitch. I’ve waited many years for this one. I can’t wait to tear it apart. That’s the aim. My ambition.
Breakdown was an awesome experience. I did that solely because I wanted to work with Craig Fairbrass and the main man himself James Cosmo. I’ve been a fan of both since Cliffhanger and Braveheart.
Why do I choose a project? Sometimes it’s the director, sometimes it’s the cast, sometimes it’s the story, the script. What it never is, is the money. Ideally you need a great story, a great director and a great cast to make anything work. It’s like a great song needs the lyrics, the instrumental, the voice. If one of those is lacking, it’s like learning to swim with one arm band. It starts to get messy.
E.ie: Earlier on in your career, you were just as busy behind the camera as you were in front, writing and producing and directing short films. Do you ever get the itch to return to that side? ES: I wrote, directed and produced movies because at that time no one was hiring me. And rightly so. I was rubbish. But I needed to improve. And the only way I could see myself doing that was by getting my hands dirty. If they weren’t going to give me a job, I’d f**king make my own jobs. Hire myself. Cast myself. It was an incredible learning experience. But no, I don’t think I’d go back there. I loved it, but my passion is living the character. Not telling the story. I need to leave that to the professionals. Those heroes who can make us forget for 2 hours.
E.ie: Lately, with the likes of The Guard, In Bruges, What Richard Did and Citadel to name just a few, there has been a massive resurgence in international attention for Irish movies and talent. And with films like Charlie Casanova, Stalker and Collider, there seems to have been an expansion in what Irish films can actually be about. As an actor involved with Irish and international cinema, what’s your opinion on the current state Irish movies?
ES: The Irish are storytellers. We have been peppered throughout history with some of the best storytellers the world has ever seen. Irish cinema and Irish movies seem to be getting better and better. Intelligent and thought provoking. Our dark humour translates across the word. I think we need to continue to take risks, invest in home grown talent. We have a very different way about us. A style that separates us. I watched Calvary yesterday. It’s a movie that you had to work for. This wasn’t popcorn cinema, not that there’s anything wrong with that, it was just pure cinema. A great story, a dark story, expertly told. More of that please.
E.ie: And finally, any advice for aspiring actors out there?
ES: Advice? A month ago I was flown out to LA to test for the leading role in a new NBC/Warner show, Constantine. It was between me and one other fella, a lovely guy called Matt Ryan. We both signed wonderful contracts for a gig we had yet to score. Such is the American way. It was a game changer. A life changer. I’d already spent the money I was going to earn in my head 10 times over. I flew back home feeling confident I did a good job.
Next day I woke up to the news I didn’t get it. I was happy for Matt. But that didn’t stop it from hurting. For 45mins I was numb. I was due on set for Breakdown and all I could do was stare into space wondering what the point of all that was, what was my lesson? Why all those sleepless nights in LA? Don’t get me wrong, I met some really great people. Worked with legends like Daniel Cerone, David Goyer, Neil Marshall and Felicia Fasano. People who are at the top of their game. With resumes that would make your sphincter clench. But what was the point of all that if I didn’t book the job?
And then I realised. That WAS the f**king point. To meet them. My journey wasn’t to play Constantine, it was to meet these people. I was just looking in the wrong direction. I will work with these people again, just not as Constantine. And that’s my story.
Every time we think we’re being rejected from something good, we’re being re directed to something better. You have to believe that. Don’t take it personally. Otherwise this game will destroy even the best of us. Hope is everything, because without it we have nothing. BELIEVE and never give up. But above all else, f**king enjoy it. I am.
The above “Entertainment.ie” interview can also be accessed online here.
Oliver Mellor was born in 1981 in Windsor. He is probably best known for his role as Dr Matt Carter in Coronation Street”. He has also appeared on television in “Emmerdale”, “Skins” and “Midsomer Murders”.
IMDB entry:
Oliver Mellor was born in 1981 in Windsor, Berkshire, England. He is an actor, known forCoronation Street (1960), Doctor Who (2005) and Doctors (2000).
Graduated Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Summer 2005.
