I'm not showbiz... I'm a miserable f***er
Life on Mars star Philip Glenister, 44, on getting into character as his alter ego, hard bitten 70s cop Gene Hunt, dealing with success and what he’d do if Hollywood came calling…
How did you find out about the role of DCI Gene Hunt?
My agent phoned and said, ‘They’re going to send you a script called Life on Mars and the premise is that this cop gets knocked over in 2006 and when he wakes up from his coma he’s in 1973 and you’re up for the Jurassic Park chap, his boss.’ And I said, ‘Great but it sounds f***ing ridiculous.
What was your first reaction?
I couldn’t put it down and when I read Gene’s parts they made me laugh out loud. He was such a great character. I just thought, ‘I know exactly how to play him’, and it’s so rare that you get that; it was instinctive.
You didn’t just buy The Sweeney box set then?
I actually made a point of not watching The Sweeney although Sheila Hancock (John Thaw’s widow) said that I reminded her of her husband… which was nice.
So where did Gene come from?
I had a box set of Match of the Day DVDs from the 70s and I watched that to see what places like Anfield and Maine Road looked like in 1973 when they cut to shots of the crowd… and, as I was watching it, there was this interview with Brian Clough who was asked by this guy with a cut-glass BBC accent, ‘And so My Clough, what do you do if someone disagrees with you?’ ‘Well lad,’ he says [dropping into a passable Clough impression], ‘I invite them to my office, we talk about it for about half an hour, they realise I was right all along and then we move on. Next Question’. And I thought, that’s Gene Hunt.
And what about the accent?
I don’t know where that came from. I’m from London, but I did Clocking off and I’ve been playing Northerners ever since… I guess I’m quite lucky to have an ear for accents. The secret is to not ‘do’ the accent. Of course I was surrounded by bloody Mancunians on the set so Johns Simm – who plays Sam Tyler – would correct me and say, ‘You just said ‘charnce’ and it’s ‘chance’.
Are you all a bit showbiz now?
What does that mean? Do I hang out with Lionel Blair? No. Do I go to the opening of an envelope? No. I’m very unshowbiz. I don’t know what ‘showbiz’ is. If you’ve ever been on a set you’ll know that the making of a television programme is like being in a factory; there’s nothing showbiz about it…
Does life change when a TV show makes you famous?
Yeah, if the programme has done well then you go to parties and it’s fine. It’s fun but not to be taken too seriously. I’m 4 now and getting on a bit. I’ve done the party thing really. I would say to anybody in their 20s, have a bit of everything, get it out of your system… and then grow up and get responsible. You’ll be happier.
So what if Hollywood comes calling and you end up in California kissing Katie Holmes?
Well first of all I’d get a law suit from Cruisey Boy… But the truth is I can’t be arsed to go to LA and start at the bottom of the pile where nobody knows who the f**k you are. I love being here with my kids; I’m fine with it.
What’s your worst personality trait?
I’m a miserable f***er… or as my five year old daughter would put it (he has two daughters with his wife, actress Beth Goddard) I ‘can be grumpy’.
The best and worst aspects of your appearance?
Well I’ve f***ing sh*t skin but I suppose it’s helped my career so that’s quite a good thing. Best thing? I like my eyes. But I suppose the worst thing now, at my age, is the old tummy.
If you had to be stuck in a lift with anybody, who would it be?
Michael Ball… he could teach me to sing musicals from around the world.
First ever crush?
Funnily enough it was in a lift with Michael Ball… no, Mary somebody. Can’t remember her surname… the first famous person I had a crush on was Nastassja Kinski in about 1977.
When was the last time you cried?
When Nastassja Kinski didn’t return my call. Actually, last week when I got the tax bill.
Do you get on with John Simm?
No, I f***ing hate him. Yeah, of course we get on.
Who else would you like to work with?
Judi Dench would be interesting, but then I’ve been lucky and I’ve worked with Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, and I keep forgetting that. De Niro obviously, and Dustin Hoffman. But then I’ve just seen Venus and so, Peter O’Toole.
Did you embrace the method school of acting on Life on Mars?
Not really, although when we were filming, John and I did go a bit ‘method’ I picked up some Old Spice and so, after I had a shave, I splashed it on and even though I’d watered it down it still had the same scent and I just thought, f***ing hell, my dad, 1977… so I had a word with John and we got some Brut and Old Spice and splashed it on all over and went on the set; the crew were like… [affects a quizzical sniffing action and then a look of utter disgust].
Are you recognised in the street?
Yeah, I get recognised a bit more but it’s not something I take notice of. It’s not like I’m going, ‘I’ve only been recognised four times today, I must call my agent’. I’m one of those actors that people think, ‘Oh, I recognise the face.’
What do people say to you?
‘Where do I know you from?’ and I say, ‘It’s because I shop in here a lot.’ If they ask any more I end up going, ‘Is it Life on Mars?’ ‘No.’ ‘Clocking Off?’ No.’ And before you know it you’ve gone through your f***ing CV and you’ve been there half an hour so I just say, ‘I had two lines in The Bill in 1991’ and they go, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’
You’ve been immortalised in the new series as a character from Camberwick Green in one of Sam Tyler’s flashbacks. Did you keep the model of you as Gene Hunt?
That was quite strange. I tried to get hold of it but it’s just Bob the Builder and they changed the outfit and stuck my head on it, but they gave us prints and the storycard to frame.
Sam Tyler or Gene Hunt? Which is Philip Glenister more like?
Well you know there’s that thing when someone cuts you up at the lights and you think, ‘You c**t’ – well that’s the Gene Hunt part of me. The Sam Tyler part of me is the bit where you think about the pleasure you might get if you heard [makes a police siren noise] two seconds later and saw him pulled over but then realise that life isn’t like that… so I’m a bit of both.
Philip’s reality check…
Have you ever said ‘Do you know who I am?’
Yes, to my elder daughter and the correct answer was ‘My Daddy’.
How much is a first class stamp?
No idea, about 35p (Wrong, it’s 37p)
First class or economy?
Depends where I’m going. Economy to Europe but if it’s Las Vegas, first class thank you very much.
Last domestic chore you did?
Washing up the breakfast bits and pieces this morning.
Can you cook?
Yes, I do a good roast lamb.
How did you find out about the role of DCI Gene Hunt?
My agent phoned and said, ‘They’re going to send you a script called Life on Mars and the premise is that this cop gets knocked over in 2006 and when he wakes up from his coma he’s in 1973 and you’re up for the Jurassic Park chap, his boss.’ And I said, ‘Great but it sounds f***ing ridiculous.
What was your first reaction?
I couldn’t put it down and when I read Gene’s parts they made me laugh out loud. He was such a great character. I just thought, ‘I know exactly how to play him’, and it’s so rare that you get that; it was instinctive.
You didn’t just buy The Sweeney box set then?
I actually made a point of not watching The Sweeney although Sheila Hancock (John Thaw’s widow) said that I reminded her of her husband… which was nice.
So where did Gene come from?
I had a box set of Match of the Day DVDs from the 70s and I watched that to see what places like Anfield and Maine Road looked like in 1973 when they cut to shots of the crowd… and, as I was watching it, there was this interview with Brian Clough who was asked by this guy with a cut-glass BBC accent, ‘And so My Clough, what do you do if someone disagrees with you?’ ‘Well lad,’ he says [dropping into a passable Clough impression], ‘I invite them to my office, we talk about it for about half an hour, they realise I was right all along and then we move on. Next Question’. And I thought, that’s Gene Hunt.
And what about the accent?
I don’t know where that came from. I’m from London, but I did Clocking off and I’ve been playing Northerners ever since… I guess I’m quite lucky to have an ear for accents. The secret is to not ‘do’ the accent. Of course I was surrounded by bloody Mancunians on the set so Johns Simm – who plays Sam Tyler – would correct me and say, ‘You just said ‘charnce’ and it’s ‘chance’.
Are you all a bit showbiz now?
What does that mean? Do I hang out with Lionel Blair? No. Do I go to the opening of an envelope? No. I’m very unshowbiz. I don’t know what ‘showbiz’ is. If you’ve ever been on a set you’ll know that the making of a television programme is like being in a factory; there’s nothing showbiz about it…
Does life change when a TV show makes you famous?
Yeah, if the programme has done well then you go to parties and it’s fine. It’s fun but not to be taken too seriously. I’m 4 now and getting on a bit. I’ve done the party thing really. I would say to anybody in their 20s, have a bit of everything, get it out of your system… and then grow up and get responsible. You’ll be happier.
So what if Hollywood comes calling and you end up in California kissing Katie Holmes?
Well first of all I’d get a law suit from Cruisey Boy… But the truth is I can’t be arsed to go to LA and start at the bottom of the pile where nobody knows who the f**k you are. I love being here with my kids; I’m fine with it.
What’s your worst personality trait?
I’m a miserable f***er… or as my five year old daughter would put it (he has two daughters with his wife, actress Beth Goddard) I ‘can be grumpy’.
The best and worst aspects of your appearance?
Well I’ve f***ing sh*t skin but I suppose it’s helped my career so that’s quite a good thing. Best thing? I like my eyes. But I suppose the worst thing now, at my age, is the old tummy.
If you had to be stuck in a lift with anybody, who would it be?
Michael Ball… he could teach me to sing musicals from around the world.
First ever crush?
Funnily enough it was in a lift with Michael Ball… no, Mary somebody. Can’t remember her surname… the first famous person I had a crush on was Nastassja Kinski in about 1977.
When was the last time you cried?
When Nastassja Kinski didn’t return my call. Actually, last week when I got the tax bill.
Do you get on with John Simm?
No, I f***ing hate him. Yeah, of course we get on.
Who else would you like to work with?
Judi Dench would be interesting, but then I’ve been lucky and I’ve worked with Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, and I keep forgetting that. De Niro obviously, and Dustin Hoffman. But then I’ve just seen Venus and so, Peter O’Toole.
Did you embrace the method school of acting on Life on Mars?
Not really, although when we were filming, John and I did go a bit ‘method’ I picked up some Old Spice and so, after I had a shave, I splashed it on and even though I’d watered it down it still had the same scent and I just thought, f***ing hell, my dad, 1977… so I had a word with John and we got some Brut and Old Spice and splashed it on all over and went on the set; the crew were like… [affects a quizzical sniffing action and then a look of utter disgust].
Are you recognised in the street?
Yeah, I get recognised a bit more but it’s not something I take notice of. It’s not like I’m going, ‘I’ve only been recognised four times today, I must call my agent’. I’m one of those actors that people think, ‘Oh, I recognise the face.’
What do people say to you?
‘Where do I know you from?’ and I say, ‘It’s because I shop in here a lot.’ If they ask any more I end up going, ‘Is it Life on Mars?’ ‘No.’ ‘Clocking Off?’ No.’ And before you know it you’ve gone through your f***ing CV and you’ve been there half an hour so I just say, ‘I had two lines in The Bill in 1991’ and they go, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’
You’ve been immortalised in the new series as a character from Camberwick Green in one of Sam Tyler’s flashbacks. Did you keep the model of you as Gene Hunt?
That was quite strange. I tried to get hold of it but it’s just Bob the Builder and they changed the outfit and stuck my head on it, but they gave us prints and the storycard to frame.
Sam Tyler or Gene Hunt? Which is Philip Glenister more like?
Well you know there’s that thing when someone cuts you up at the lights and you think, ‘You c**t’ – well that’s the Gene Hunt part of me. The Sam Tyler part of me is the bit where you think about the pleasure you might get if you heard [makes a police siren noise] two seconds later and saw him pulled over but then realise that life isn’t like that… so I’m a bit of both.
Philip’s reality check…
Have you ever said ‘Do you know who I am?’
Yes, to my elder daughter and the correct answer was ‘My Daddy’.
How much is a first class stamp?
No idea, about 35p (Wrong, it’s 37p)
First class or economy?
Depends where I’m going. Economy to Europe but if it’s Las Vegas, first class thank you very much.
Last domestic chore you did?
Washing up the breakfast bits and pieces this morning.
Can you cook?
Yes, I do a good roast lamb.
