Philip Glenister reveals he will only be filmed from the chest up during sex scenes
Actor Philip Glenister says he hit on a novel way to look good in sex scenes in his new drama – only get filmed from the chest up.
His most famous character DCI Gene Hunt was more interested in what girls looked like than his own appearance but Phil says he's is a bit more vain. He said: “There are some sex scenes and nude scenes but they are very tastefully shot and they are very funny. They are the sort of thing people will identify with, we don't go for that cinematic thing of sex being all gorgeous and wonderful, sex is messy for Christ's sake – especially when you get a bit older, it's all manoeuvring and levering. I did tell them to shoot from my chest up though, not down. That way you can put your arms across and it looks like you've got muscles. We just laughed and had made each other laugh so it's not awkward.”
Phil plays Daniel Cotton in From There To Here who after being caught in the 1996 Manchester IRA bomb becomes restless and reckless, and embarks on a double life which might blow his world apart all over again. Liz White, who played WPc Annie Cartwright in Life on Mars, plays his love interest and Saskia Reeves, from Luther, plays his wife. In real life the 51-year-old is married with two daughters, aged nine and 12, and finds it funny to be playing a generation older, he said: “I'm playing a grandfather – it's completely ridiculous isn't it? There was obviously loads of make up needed to age me, we were getting into prosthetics territory but you know we are all getting older you might as well embrace it. It's one of those defining moments you know, when you start your career, and you remember your first role as a father and you “oh my God I'm playing a Dad, am I old enough to play a day, I'm 32, oh fuck I am” and then you realise it's ok.”
He admits getting older has made him look at his own health and has given up smoking switching to e-cigarettes instead, holding one up he said: “I try to curb the smoking by using these, I'm just addicted to these fucking things now. I don't particularly like the gym, I probably could do more. I cycle. I used to run a little bit but then I thought it was quite boring and tiring and gets you out of breath, so I walk, and I play golf which is sort of walking.
“I do keep promising myself that I will do more but I am bit lazy on that front. I think you get to age when you think God what is this, am I having a stroke, so you make a bit of an effort, I could make more, I could make less but at the end of the day if you are going to go, you are going to go.”
He says he is comfortable that the days of any role being his have gone, adding: “I'm never going to be picked to play Merlin, not the BBC Saturday night one, although it's long runner I could be perfect for it in a few years. You've got Peter Capaldi playing Doctor Who, he's older than me. I'd be terrible as Doctor Who, I think you need to be a big fan of the show, it helps if you a Doctor Who freak. David Tennant and Matt Smith and Capaldi all seem to be fans of the show as kids and when I was growing up it wasn't my bag."
"I wasn't asked and I think they tell you if they want you, a bit like Bond. I could be Bond, if Craig stops, or am I bit old for that. Roger Moore was 53 when he did his last one and he was looking a bit “been there and done that”, they eyebrow wasn't as quick and the voice was getting a little slower. I'll leave that to Daniel Craig, he's still in his 40s – bastard.”
His most famous role is always likely to be as 70s non-PC DCI Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes and he says he hasn't quite shut the door on a return but says he thinks the character exists in real-life as UKIP leader Nigel Farage. He said: “Is Gene Hunt coming back, not that I know of. Does he need to come back? You've got Nigel Farage - “Nigel Farage is the new Gene Hunt says Philip Glenister. The thing is we've done the story and were all dead in the end and I don't know how they could, I suppose there is Bobby Ewing.
“I am lucky to have been a programme set in the 70s, in the 80s and now in 90s, so next up the noughties so maybe there'll be some sex in that called the Naughties. There are no plans but if someone came up with an amazing story with Tyler and Hunt or whoever then who knows – they could do the mid 70s, the interim years and bump into Charlies Angels and be their friends. Maybe they could bring back Gene Hunt as Bond's nemesis “get off that woman Bond” or he could get his name wrong, call him Blond. Or I could be in a garage fixing up the Quattro or Capri, “fire up the Aston Mister Bond”.”
From There to Here s on BBC One on Thursday 22 May at 9pm
His most famous character DCI Gene Hunt was more interested in what girls looked like than his own appearance but Phil says he's is a bit more vain. He said: “There are some sex scenes and nude scenes but they are very tastefully shot and they are very funny. They are the sort of thing people will identify with, we don't go for that cinematic thing of sex being all gorgeous and wonderful, sex is messy for Christ's sake – especially when you get a bit older, it's all manoeuvring and levering. I did tell them to shoot from my chest up though, not down. That way you can put your arms across and it looks like you've got muscles. We just laughed and had made each other laugh so it's not awkward.”
Phil plays Daniel Cotton in From There To Here who after being caught in the 1996 Manchester IRA bomb becomes restless and reckless, and embarks on a double life which might blow his world apart all over again. Liz White, who played WPc Annie Cartwright in Life on Mars, plays his love interest and Saskia Reeves, from Luther, plays his wife. In real life the 51-year-old is married with two daughters, aged nine and 12, and finds it funny to be playing a generation older, he said: “I'm playing a grandfather – it's completely ridiculous isn't it? There was obviously loads of make up needed to age me, we were getting into prosthetics territory but you know we are all getting older you might as well embrace it. It's one of those defining moments you know, when you start your career, and you remember your first role as a father and you “oh my God I'm playing a Dad, am I old enough to play a day, I'm 32, oh fuck I am” and then you realise it's ok.”
He admits getting older has made him look at his own health and has given up smoking switching to e-cigarettes instead, holding one up he said: “I try to curb the smoking by using these, I'm just addicted to these fucking things now. I don't particularly like the gym, I probably could do more. I cycle. I used to run a little bit but then I thought it was quite boring and tiring and gets you out of breath, so I walk, and I play golf which is sort of walking.
“I do keep promising myself that I will do more but I am bit lazy on that front. I think you get to age when you think God what is this, am I having a stroke, so you make a bit of an effort, I could make more, I could make less but at the end of the day if you are going to go, you are going to go.”
He says he is comfortable that the days of any role being his have gone, adding: “I'm never going to be picked to play Merlin, not the BBC Saturday night one, although it's long runner I could be perfect for it in a few years. You've got Peter Capaldi playing Doctor Who, he's older than me. I'd be terrible as Doctor Who, I think you need to be a big fan of the show, it helps if you a Doctor Who freak. David Tennant and Matt Smith and Capaldi all seem to be fans of the show as kids and when I was growing up it wasn't my bag."
"I wasn't asked and I think they tell you if they want you, a bit like Bond. I could be Bond, if Craig stops, or am I bit old for that. Roger Moore was 53 when he did his last one and he was looking a bit “been there and done that”, they eyebrow wasn't as quick and the voice was getting a little slower. I'll leave that to Daniel Craig, he's still in his 40s – bastard.”
His most famous role is always likely to be as 70s non-PC DCI Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes and he says he hasn't quite shut the door on a return but says he thinks the character exists in real-life as UKIP leader Nigel Farage. He said: “Is Gene Hunt coming back, not that I know of. Does he need to come back? You've got Nigel Farage - “Nigel Farage is the new Gene Hunt says Philip Glenister. The thing is we've done the story and were all dead in the end and I don't know how they could, I suppose there is Bobby Ewing.
“I am lucky to have been a programme set in the 70s, in the 80s and now in 90s, so next up the noughties so maybe there'll be some sex in that called the Naughties. There are no plans but if someone came up with an amazing story with Tyler and Hunt or whoever then who knows – they could do the mid 70s, the interim years and bump into Charlies Angels and be their friends. Maybe they could bring back Gene Hunt as Bond's nemesis “get off that woman Bond” or he could get his name wrong, call him Blond. Or I could be in a garage fixing up the Quattro or Capri, “fire up the Aston Mister Bond”.”
From There to Here s on BBC One on Thursday 22 May at 9pm
Original article can be found here.
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