Philip Glenister: 'It was hell watching England lose on penalties to Germany 20 times!'
After starring as Gene Hunt in Life On Mars, Philip Glenister, is returning to Manchester in From There To Here, a three-part BBC drama about life in the city during the late 90s.
The story begins on the morning of England's crucial Euro '96 fixture against Scotland, when Daniel Cotton (Glenister), his father Samuel (Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill) and his brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh, Inside Men) are caught up in the IRA bomb that ripped through Manchester City Centre...
"I wasn't too worried about filming the explosion until the day itself," says Philip. "The three of us were in an empty pub and we were very brave! No, but seriously, the crew were miles back wearing big goggles and hiding behind massive shields saying 'Don't worry you'll be fine!' - which was a bit off-putting!"
But while he may not have enjoyed the bombing scene, the part of the first episode Philip really found painful to film was England's semi-final defeat to Germany at Euro 96. "We had to do the scene where we're watching England lose on penalties to Germany about 20 times!" he says. "It was utter hell and it still got me every time."
Daniel, Samuel and Robbo all survive the bombing unscathed, but as the series continues through the election of Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 and finally the millennium celebrations, we see that their lives have been changed forever...
"The late 90s really was a great time to be alive," continues Philip. "Britpop was on the up and everything seemed possible so this is a series I've really enjoyed making. The only issue I have is that Daniel Rigby (who won a Bafta for his portrayal of Eric Morecambe in biopic Eric and Ernie in 2011) is playing my son. That really made me feel old!"
The story begins on the morning of England's crucial Euro '96 fixture against Scotland, when Daniel Cotton (Glenister), his father Samuel (Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill) and his brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh, Inside Men) are caught up in the IRA bomb that ripped through Manchester City Centre...
"I wasn't too worried about filming the explosion until the day itself," says Philip. "The three of us were in an empty pub and we were very brave! No, but seriously, the crew were miles back wearing big goggles and hiding behind massive shields saying 'Don't worry you'll be fine!' - which was a bit off-putting!"
But while he may not have enjoyed the bombing scene, the part of the first episode Philip really found painful to film was England's semi-final defeat to Germany at Euro 96. "We had to do the scene where we're watching England lose on penalties to Germany about 20 times!" he says. "It was utter hell and it still got me every time."
Daniel, Samuel and Robbo all survive the bombing unscathed, but as the series continues through the election of Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 and finally the millennium celebrations, we see that their lives have been changed forever...
"The late 90s really was a great time to be alive," continues Philip. "Britpop was on the up and everything seemed possible so this is a series I've really enjoyed making. The only issue I have is that Daniel Rigby (who won a Bafta for his portrayal of Eric Morecambe in biopic Eric and Ernie in 2011) is playing my son. That really made me feel old!"
Original article can be found here.
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