Philip Glenister:'I became very aware of my mortality at the time of Manchester bombing
LIFE ON MARS star Philip Glenister relives the 1996 Manchester bombing in an explosive new drama
Manchester hasn’t been quite the same since Gene Hunt left town. It’s been seven years since the famously obdurate detective last fired up the Quattro and burned out of Life On Mars. This week, however, actor Philip Glenister is returning to Manchester for new BBC1 drama From There To Here.
The three-part series sees Philip playing a fictional character whose life is turned upside down by the IRA bomb blast of 1996. Recreating that event, including the fervour of Euro 96, and the four years that followed, it’s a heartfelt tribute to Manchester told through the eyes of one family, he explains.
“The writer Peter Bowker calls it ‘a love letter to Manchester’, which I think is very true,” says the 51-year-old actor (who in real life is from Harrow, London). “And from my own personal point of view it was great, too. Manchester has been an incredibly important and significant city in my career, and I haven’t been back since I finished filming Life On Mars, so it was lovely to be there again. It feels like my adoptive second city.”
In the drama Philip plays Daniel Cotton, a sweet-factory owner who runs the family firm with his adoptive father Samuel (Boys From The Blackstuff star Bernard Hill). But when father, son, and Daniel’s wayward half-brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh) narrowly survive the bombing of June 15, 1996, the event has a profound effect on each of the men.
Following a chance encounter after the blast, the usually-reserved Daniel finds himself embarking on an affair with hotel cleaner and fellow survivor Joanne (played by Philip’s Life On Mars co-star Liz White, who played WPC Annie Cartwright). “Daniel is happily married and still loves his wife – but when the bomb happens, I think something just clicks in him,” Phil says.
“I guess in situations like that you become very aware of your mortality. So Daniel has an epiphany in some respects.”
Reliving the events of June 15 was a particularly strange experience for Steven Mackintosh since he was actually in Manchester at the time of the blast, which tore through Corporation Street, causing more than 200 injuries and around £1billion of damage. “I was shooting Prime Suspect in the centre of town, and if my memory serves me correctly I think we had to be evacuated from the set,” says the 47-year-old actor. “There was a warning for the whole area which is why no one died, miraculously, because they did a great job of evacuating. I remember walking down from my hotel to look at Deansgate, with the police cordons everywhere, and seeing all the debris and windows smashed.”
The From There To Here crew returned to the city centre to shoot the bomb sequence. “We took over a whole block to recreate those scenes,” says Steven. “It was incredibly eerie. Lots of local police turned up because the area had to be cordoned off again. They kept saying how weird it was to see it all again.”
Fortunately for all concerned, recreating the excitement of Euro 96 was less terrifying. The football tournament plays a key role in the first episode – with numerous flashbacks to England’s games before their exit in the semi-final against Germany. “Daniel supports Manchester United and I’m an Arsenal fan,” says Philip. “The hardest part of this gig was trying to convince myself that I’m a Man United fan!”
Manchester hasn’t been quite the same since Gene Hunt left town. It’s been seven years since the famously obdurate detective last fired up the Quattro and burned out of Life On Mars. This week, however, actor Philip Glenister is returning to Manchester for new BBC1 drama From There To Here.
The three-part series sees Philip playing a fictional character whose life is turned upside down by the IRA bomb blast of 1996. Recreating that event, including the fervour of Euro 96, and the four years that followed, it’s a heartfelt tribute to Manchester told through the eyes of one family, he explains.
“The writer Peter Bowker calls it ‘a love letter to Manchester’, which I think is very true,” says the 51-year-old actor (who in real life is from Harrow, London). “And from my own personal point of view it was great, too. Manchester has been an incredibly important and significant city in my career, and I haven’t been back since I finished filming Life On Mars, so it was lovely to be there again. It feels like my adoptive second city.”
In the drama Philip plays Daniel Cotton, a sweet-factory owner who runs the family firm with his adoptive father Samuel (Boys From The Blackstuff star Bernard Hill). But when father, son, and Daniel’s wayward half-brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh) narrowly survive the bombing of June 15, 1996, the event has a profound effect on each of the men.
Following a chance encounter after the blast, the usually-reserved Daniel finds himself embarking on an affair with hotel cleaner and fellow survivor Joanne (played by Philip’s Life On Mars co-star Liz White, who played WPC Annie Cartwright). “Daniel is happily married and still loves his wife – but when the bomb happens, I think something just clicks in him,” Phil says.
“I guess in situations like that you become very aware of your mortality. So Daniel has an epiphany in some respects.”
Reliving the events of June 15 was a particularly strange experience for Steven Mackintosh since he was actually in Manchester at the time of the blast, which tore through Corporation Street, causing more than 200 injuries and around £1billion of damage. “I was shooting Prime Suspect in the centre of town, and if my memory serves me correctly I think we had to be evacuated from the set,” says the 47-year-old actor. “There was a warning for the whole area which is why no one died, miraculously, because they did a great job of evacuating. I remember walking down from my hotel to look at Deansgate, with the police cordons everywhere, and seeing all the debris and windows smashed.”
The From There To Here crew returned to the city centre to shoot the bomb sequence. “We took over a whole block to recreate those scenes,” says Steven. “It was incredibly eerie. Lots of local police turned up because the area had to be cordoned off again. They kept saying how weird it was to see it all again.”
Fortunately for all concerned, recreating the excitement of Euro 96 was less terrifying. The football tournament plays a key role in the first episode – with numerous flashbacks to England’s games before their exit in the semi-final against Germany. “Daniel supports Manchester United and I’m an Arsenal fan,” says Philip. “The hardest part of this gig was trying to convince myself that I’m a Man United fan!”
Original article can be found here.
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