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On Tuesday 23rd October, Philip Glenister took part in a platform at The National Theatre as part of the This House run. The following is a transcript of the interview taken by one of our team who diligently sat through the whole thing fiercely scribbling away in her note book!
Philip and the interviewer Al Senter, come out and sit down on the stage, where a pot of tea is waiting for them. Philip quips, “This is awful; you’re just going to sit and watch us having tea.” Once they both had a cuppa Al began with the questions.
Was he nervous coming back to the theatre after so long?
Absolutely terrified – the longer you leave it, the harder it is. In film and TV you can screw up and go again, screw up and go again, screw up and go again and then the footage is taken away and edited to, hopefully, make it better. But on stage you’re naked – it really sorts the men from the boys.
He was inspired by “TV husband” John Simm’s return to the theatre a couple of years ago with "Elling". John had told him it was the most frightening thing he’d ever done and that he thought Phil should try it. He’s so glad he did it. He didn’t want to carry a big show; He wasn’t ready so took an ensemble piece.
Was he looking for a theatre role?
He wasn’t looking. He was in Cape Town filming for Mad Dogs; sitting on his balcony enjoying a coffee when his agent rang to say he’d been sent 4 plays, all from respectable theatres. His initial reaction was “Oh no!” He read them all but 3 of them didn’t really appeal to him, but he connected with This House immediately; there was just something about it; it came off the page. He likes the fact that the play is “in rep” – cos he’s lazy and it doesn’t ruin his social life. It keeps it fresh and the actors nervous; keeps them on their toes.
Does he feel a little type-cast – this role is very similar to Gene Hunt?
Phil says if that’s the reason he was offered the part then it’s “bloody lazy casting. If it’s a 70’s northern brute, get Glenister.” But no, he doesn’t really think that. The play was set in the 1970s as that was the period the writer chose to write about. But it’s a great part; different to Gene Hunt, so he didn’t worry.
Should people view This House as more than a docu-drama of politics – are there bigger issues in the play?
Phil began with a quip. “What is it they say about politics – showbiz for ugly people?”
The play is about human relations; parliament is still very male dominated and still feels public schools-y. So many of today’s politicians are millionaires and have only seen cloisters – the cloisters of Eton, then cloisters of Oxford and Cambridge, then cloisters of Parliament. They’ve no clue what’s going on in the real world. But back then, they were tough guys – guys who had been in wars. They would have killed and wouldn’t have put up with any shit. The Labour politicians were working men, miners, electricians etc. – they knew what was what.
Then he mentioned something about the media society we live in – I can’t remember the exact question.
But he said that with FB/Twitter, everyone is afraid because you can't even fart without it being registered. He also thought that it was a big mistake to allow cameras into the Houses of Parliament as politicians tend to play-up for the camera.
Have any politicians been to see the play?
They’ve had a few in, including the David Owen and the real Ann Taylor, who actually caused them to alter the script by telling them afterwards that she actually remembered one of the conversations in the play and adding to it. Phil had a bet with Phil Daniels the other night. Daniels was convinced that Norman Tebbit was in and put a tenner on it, but it wasn’t him so Phil Glenister won that one.
He comes from quite a showbiz family…
When Al Senter mentioned his brother Robert, Phil jokingly said, “Who?” A bit later on he also said he became an actor because he thought his brother needed a ‘rival’. Phil talked about how his Dad would take him a friend to BBC Television Centre as a birthday treat, which was an immensely exciting place to be. They saw filming of Grandstand, Two Ronnies, Doctor Who etc. and just basically roamed around. Sat in a green room full of Nazi’s from Colditz and Phil went around collecting autographs – he was star-struck by Anthony Valentine and Robert Wagner, but found Spike Milligan a bit curmudgeonly.
He went to say that Robert new very early on (about aged 10) that he wanted to be an actor but Phil didn’t know what he wanted to do, just that he wanted something that paid well but didn’t require much work. He thought about being a milkman – the thought the hours were good, you’d be done by 10! He always saw himself as being behind the camera.
He talked then about various jobs he did – being Rob Stigwood’s office boy, where he met Frankie Howard. Then about his time as a film publicist which he said he was “lousy” at. But he enjoyed getting to see films and meeting famous people, like Billy Crystal. He recalls one time that they were doing an interview at Brown’s of Mayfair and he didn’t have a tie so they wouldn’t let him in, but the star he was with told security that “he’s with me” so they relented. He preferred smaller budget films that were made with love. He was given Rambo which he thought was “horrendous” so he hid the press releases and sent smaller budget ones out in their place. But he’s not sorry!
He got into acting after a friend’s girlfriend asked him one night in the pub, if he’d star in her Amateur Dramatics panto. (He’d done AmDram before – his Mum was in the Hatch-End Players and every time they needed a kid; it was him or his friend.) During the panto he knocked over some scenery that nearly landed on a group of cub scouts in the audience! But it got a huge laugh and he started to think, “You know what, I could do this”.
So he did a few more AmDram shows and brother Robert and his then wife Amanda Redman came to see him. Amanda said to him, “Have you thought about applying to drama school? You’ve got the talent for it.” So he applied, but didn’t tell anyone but Robert and Amanda as his Dad used to joke that they couldn’t have two actors in the family. Amanda coached him for his auditions and he got accepted. But he still needed to tell his Dad. One Sunday lunch someone, I think he said it was Amanda, said, “Phil’s got something to tell you.” And the exchange went a bit like this.
Dad: Oh yes?
Phil: I’ve been accepted to drama school.
Dad: Oh no! Which one? (Phil said his Dad obviously thought it was going to be a rubbish one!)
Phil: Central
Dad: What?! The Central?
Phil: Yes.
Dad: Bloody hell!
Then around tea-time his father came to him and said if it was what he really wanted to do, then he should go for it.
Acting wasn’t his first choice; he wanted to be a pro tennis player but he wasn’t good enough or dedicated enough, but he would have regretted not giving it a go.
When he read the part of Gene Hunt did he think, this is it; this is my moment?
He said you don’t know; no one in the industry can predict what will be a hit and what won’t and if they tell you they can, then they’re lying. But when reading the script, which was sold as a cross between Back to the Future and The Sweeney, he got to page 15 (Sam’s accident) and suddenly, “BAM” he couldn’t put it down and he knew instinctively how to play Gene Hunt. He said he was so used to playing repressed characters like Dobbin in Vanity Fair, that it was nice to have a part where he could give it his all.
The director said to him half way thought that Life on mars was going to go one of two ways; it would either be mega or it would die on its arse.
When on the LOM set, he remembers finding an empty bottle of ‘Old Spice’ aftershave but you could still smell the scent. So he went round shoving under people’s noses saying, “Who wants to smell Christmas in the 70’s?”
He said there wasn't much research done for LOM. John watched re-runs of The Sweeney and wore Old Spice, and Phil watched Match of the Day from the 70 and wore Brute.
Why did Gene Hunt appeal to the public?
Phil thinks it was a sign of the times. People were getting so worked up by political correctness that he became a spokesperson for them – it was great for them to have someone who said what they thought.
Is Gene a good cop?
Phil thinks so. He always went after the bad guy – he was the sheriff. They made the villain’s worse than Gene – he always looked like the better person.
Would he play Gene Hunt again?
He’s says it’s not likely as he’s very protective of the character as he was his ‘big moment’. The reason they finished it when they did was so that it didn’t go stale – didn’t want people to say, during series 10, ‘remember when Gene Hunt was good!’
He was an usher at the National once, could he tell us about that?
He was a penniless student and his brother was in a show at the National so he begged him to get him a job, which he did – reluctantly. It was a bit of nepotism on Robert’s part. He used to do 3 nights a week at the National, taking tickets and 2 nights at the RSC making bacon sandwiches. (Was he famous for them at the RSC? Well they were pretty good!) He joked that he used to try to avoid Roberts’s shows and do something else. Unless it was Hamlet – that was the one they always tried to get out of as it was really long and boring. New ushers came and they’d say to them, “have you seen Hamlet? No? You should, it’s amazing.” Or if one of them was a drama student, “oh you need to see Hamlet!”
He ushered at Anthony and Cleopatra, starring Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins and he was responsible for late comers. So he waited for the lights to go down, and ushered them in, but their seats were right down at the front and as he got them there, the lights came up and he found himself face to face with Anthony Hopkins, so he scarpered pretty quickly! He thinks Hopkins complained too!
Then it was time for questions from the Audience!
What did he do to prepare for the role of Walter Harrison?
Everyone researched their own characters using this wonderful thing called Google! They had time in rehearsals to do this and spent a lot of time talking about their characters and the time periods etc. He also had a tour of the Houses of Parliament, went to watch Prime Minister’s Questions and chatted with David Cameron.
He touched here on Labour’s ill thought out Gene Hunt inspired election campaign, and how dumb the advertising agency and media people in the party must have been not to even wonder if it would backfire!
He always seem to do ensemble pieces, Mad Dogs, This House, Ashes and Bel Ami, why is that?
He said he did Bel Ami because it was a film and he thought he should do one. He said that Mad Dogs was something he had been involved in from the planning stage and that it was always going to happen, plus it’s always good to work with your friends. He also pointed out that he did "Hidden" last year which was a much bigger part. He also said he didn’t want to work too much for fear of over-exposure.
Does he have any strategies to help him not screw up in live theatre? (Or something like that!)
The main part is learning lines – which he hates. It takes forever and his concentration wanders. He wishes he had a photographic memory. He uses word association to help but you have to be very disciplined. He always had the script with him in the months before rehearsals started, and was always re-reading it so he was familiar with the plot and characters. He didn’t want to be on the back-foot having been away from theatre for so long.
Is the popularity of This House helped by an increased interest in politics? (Or something like that!)
He’s not sure – he thinks people are so much more aware of politics now so possibly but The National audiences are very discerning…”you don’t get plebs at the National”. There are elements f Yes Minister and The Thick of It in the play which will help too.
How does he envisage changes to the play when it moves to the Olivier?
Bigger! He said he hadn’t seen the design plans but as he understands it, they’re hoping to keep the benches and have some of the audience actually sat on them on the stage.
Any tips for getting into drama school?
Learn how to cope with rejection – you have to be very thick skinned. Once you’re in don’t be afraid of failing; you’ll do so many roles; such a variety and you can’t be great at everything! He thinks the industry is getting tougher especially for women. Someone then shouted out, ‘that’s what your niece said" to which Phil replied, “Well I’m her uncle, she obviously got it from me!"
Philip and the interviewer Al Senter, come out and sit down on the stage, where a pot of tea is waiting for them. Philip quips, “This is awful; you’re just going to sit and watch us having tea.” Once they both had a cuppa Al began with the questions.
Was he nervous coming back to the theatre after so long?
Absolutely terrified – the longer you leave it, the harder it is. In film and TV you can screw up and go again, screw up and go again, screw up and go again and then the footage is taken away and edited to, hopefully, make it better. But on stage you’re naked – it really sorts the men from the boys.
He was inspired by “TV husband” John Simm’s return to the theatre a couple of years ago with "Elling". John had told him it was the most frightening thing he’d ever done and that he thought Phil should try it. He’s so glad he did it. He didn’t want to carry a big show; He wasn’t ready so took an ensemble piece.
Was he looking for a theatre role?
He wasn’t looking. He was in Cape Town filming for Mad Dogs; sitting on his balcony enjoying a coffee when his agent rang to say he’d been sent 4 plays, all from respectable theatres. His initial reaction was “Oh no!” He read them all but 3 of them didn’t really appeal to him, but he connected with This House immediately; there was just something about it; it came off the page. He likes the fact that the play is “in rep” – cos he’s lazy and it doesn’t ruin his social life. It keeps it fresh and the actors nervous; keeps them on their toes.
Does he feel a little type-cast – this role is very similar to Gene Hunt?
Phil says if that’s the reason he was offered the part then it’s “bloody lazy casting. If it’s a 70’s northern brute, get Glenister.” But no, he doesn’t really think that. The play was set in the 1970s as that was the period the writer chose to write about. But it’s a great part; different to Gene Hunt, so he didn’t worry.
Should people view This House as more than a docu-drama of politics – are there bigger issues in the play?
Phil began with a quip. “What is it they say about politics – showbiz for ugly people?”
The play is about human relations; parliament is still very male dominated and still feels public schools-y. So many of today’s politicians are millionaires and have only seen cloisters – the cloisters of Eton, then cloisters of Oxford and Cambridge, then cloisters of Parliament. They’ve no clue what’s going on in the real world. But back then, they were tough guys – guys who had been in wars. They would have killed and wouldn’t have put up with any shit. The Labour politicians were working men, miners, electricians etc. – they knew what was what.
Then he mentioned something about the media society we live in – I can’t remember the exact question.
But he said that with FB/Twitter, everyone is afraid because you can't even fart without it being registered. He also thought that it was a big mistake to allow cameras into the Houses of Parliament as politicians tend to play-up for the camera.
Have any politicians been to see the play?
They’ve had a few in, including the David Owen and the real Ann Taylor, who actually caused them to alter the script by telling them afterwards that she actually remembered one of the conversations in the play and adding to it. Phil had a bet with Phil Daniels the other night. Daniels was convinced that Norman Tebbit was in and put a tenner on it, but it wasn’t him so Phil Glenister won that one.
He comes from quite a showbiz family…
When Al Senter mentioned his brother Robert, Phil jokingly said, “Who?” A bit later on he also said he became an actor because he thought his brother needed a ‘rival’. Phil talked about how his Dad would take him a friend to BBC Television Centre as a birthday treat, which was an immensely exciting place to be. They saw filming of Grandstand, Two Ronnies, Doctor Who etc. and just basically roamed around. Sat in a green room full of Nazi’s from Colditz and Phil went around collecting autographs – he was star-struck by Anthony Valentine and Robert Wagner, but found Spike Milligan a bit curmudgeonly.
He went to say that Robert new very early on (about aged 10) that he wanted to be an actor but Phil didn’t know what he wanted to do, just that he wanted something that paid well but didn’t require much work. He thought about being a milkman – the thought the hours were good, you’d be done by 10! He always saw himself as being behind the camera.
He talked then about various jobs he did – being Rob Stigwood’s office boy, where he met Frankie Howard. Then about his time as a film publicist which he said he was “lousy” at. But he enjoyed getting to see films and meeting famous people, like Billy Crystal. He recalls one time that they were doing an interview at Brown’s of Mayfair and he didn’t have a tie so they wouldn’t let him in, but the star he was with told security that “he’s with me” so they relented. He preferred smaller budget films that were made with love. He was given Rambo which he thought was “horrendous” so he hid the press releases and sent smaller budget ones out in their place. But he’s not sorry!
He got into acting after a friend’s girlfriend asked him one night in the pub, if he’d star in her Amateur Dramatics panto. (He’d done AmDram before – his Mum was in the Hatch-End Players and every time they needed a kid; it was him or his friend.) During the panto he knocked over some scenery that nearly landed on a group of cub scouts in the audience! But it got a huge laugh and he started to think, “You know what, I could do this”.
So he did a few more AmDram shows and brother Robert and his then wife Amanda Redman came to see him. Amanda said to him, “Have you thought about applying to drama school? You’ve got the talent for it.” So he applied, but didn’t tell anyone but Robert and Amanda as his Dad used to joke that they couldn’t have two actors in the family. Amanda coached him for his auditions and he got accepted. But he still needed to tell his Dad. One Sunday lunch someone, I think he said it was Amanda, said, “Phil’s got something to tell you.” And the exchange went a bit like this.
Dad: Oh yes?
Phil: I’ve been accepted to drama school.
Dad: Oh no! Which one? (Phil said his Dad obviously thought it was going to be a rubbish one!)
Phil: Central
Dad: What?! The Central?
Phil: Yes.
Dad: Bloody hell!
Then around tea-time his father came to him and said if it was what he really wanted to do, then he should go for it.
Acting wasn’t his first choice; he wanted to be a pro tennis player but he wasn’t good enough or dedicated enough, but he would have regretted not giving it a go.
When he read the part of Gene Hunt did he think, this is it; this is my moment?
He said you don’t know; no one in the industry can predict what will be a hit and what won’t and if they tell you they can, then they’re lying. But when reading the script, which was sold as a cross between Back to the Future and The Sweeney, he got to page 15 (Sam’s accident) and suddenly, “BAM” he couldn’t put it down and he knew instinctively how to play Gene Hunt. He said he was so used to playing repressed characters like Dobbin in Vanity Fair, that it was nice to have a part where he could give it his all.
The director said to him half way thought that Life on mars was going to go one of two ways; it would either be mega or it would die on its arse.
When on the LOM set, he remembers finding an empty bottle of ‘Old Spice’ aftershave but you could still smell the scent. So he went round shoving under people’s noses saying, “Who wants to smell Christmas in the 70’s?”
He said there wasn't much research done for LOM. John watched re-runs of The Sweeney and wore Old Spice, and Phil watched Match of the Day from the 70 and wore Brute.
Why did Gene Hunt appeal to the public?
Phil thinks it was a sign of the times. People were getting so worked up by political correctness that he became a spokesperson for them – it was great for them to have someone who said what they thought.
Is Gene a good cop?
Phil thinks so. He always went after the bad guy – he was the sheriff. They made the villain’s worse than Gene – he always looked like the better person.
Would he play Gene Hunt again?
He’s says it’s not likely as he’s very protective of the character as he was his ‘big moment’. The reason they finished it when they did was so that it didn’t go stale – didn’t want people to say, during series 10, ‘remember when Gene Hunt was good!’
He was an usher at the National once, could he tell us about that?
He was a penniless student and his brother was in a show at the National so he begged him to get him a job, which he did – reluctantly. It was a bit of nepotism on Robert’s part. He used to do 3 nights a week at the National, taking tickets and 2 nights at the RSC making bacon sandwiches. (Was he famous for them at the RSC? Well they were pretty good!) He joked that he used to try to avoid Roberts’s shows and do something else. Unless it was Hamlet – that was the one they always tried to get out of as it was really long and boring. New ushers came and they’d say to them, “have you seen Hamlet? No? You should, it’s amazing.” Or if one of them was a drama student, “oh you need to see Hamlet!”
He ushered at Anthony and Cleopatra, starring Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins and he was responsible for late comers. So he waited for the lights to go down, and ushered them in, but their seats were right down at the front and as he got them there, the lights came up and he found himself face to face with Anthony Hopkins, so he scarpered pretty quickly! He thinks Hopkins complained too!
Then it was time for questions from the Audience!
What did he do to prepare for the role of Walter Harrison?
Everyone researched their own characters using this wonderful thing called Google! They had time in rehearsals to do this and spent a lot of time talking about their characters and the time periods etc. He also had a tour of the Houses of Parliament, went to watch Prime Minister’s Questions and chatted with David Cameron.
He touched here on Labour’s ill thought out Gene Hunt inspired election campaign, and how dumb the advertising agency and media people in the party must have been not to even wonder if it would backfire!
He always seem to do ensemble pieces, Mad Dogs, This House, Ashes and Bel Ami, why is that?
He said he did Bel Ami because it was a film and he thought he should do one. He said that Mad Dogs was something he had been involved in from the planning stage and that it was always going to happen, plus it’s always good to work with your friends. He also pointed out that he did "Hidden" last year which was a much bigger part. He also said he didn’t want to work too much for fear of over-exposure.
Does he have any strategies to help him not screw up in live theatre? (Or something like that!)
The main part is learning lines – which he hates. It takes forever and his concentration wanders. He wishes he had a photographic memory. He uses word association to help but you have to be very disciplined. He always had the script with him in the months before rehearsals started, and was always re-reading it so he was familiar with the plot and characters. He didn’t want to be on the back-foot having been away from theatre for so long.
Is the popularity of This House helped by an increased interest in politics? (Or something like that!)
He’s not sure – he thinks people are so much more aware of politics now so possibly but The National audiences are very discerning…”you don’t get plebs at the National”. There are elements f Yes Minister and The Thick of It in the play which will help too.
How does he envisage changes to the play when it moves to the Olivier?
Bigger! He said he hadn’t seen the design plans but as he understands it, they’re hoping to keep the benches and have some of the audience actually sat on them on the stage.
Any tips for getting into drama school?
Learn how to cope with rejection – you have to be very thick skinned. Once you’re in don’t be afraid of failing; you’ll do so many roles; such a variety and you can’t be great at everything! He thinks the industry is getting tougher especially for women. Someone then shouted out, ‘that’s what your niece said" to which Phil replied, “Well I’m her uncle, she obviously got it from me!"
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