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Craig Pearson: Pure Work Ethic!
50 Plays7 months ago
This week I’m talking to Actor and Actor’s Forge Mentor Craig Pearson!
Join us for an absolutely packed episode where I speak to Craig about his career as an actor, his work as a mentor for the Actor’s Forge, getting an agent and understanding yourself as an actor.
And there’s more! Do you want to hear about the time Craig met Gary Oldman? Then I have good news for you!!!
We also discuss various Batman films including Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Batman.
Michael Keaton or Christian Bale?!?!??
Show Art is by Craig Pearson.
Theme Music is 'Silent Movie 91' by Sascha Ende.
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Transcript
Introduction of Craig Pearson
00:00:09
Speaker
Hello and welcome to What Makes You Tick, a conversation podcast where I, Ryan Watson, talk to artists from the North East and beyond. That could be actors, writers, directors, filmmakers or anyone else that piques my curiosity and I talk to them about what they do, how they make it work and the media that inspires them to do that work.
00:00:23
Speaker
Today I'm speaking with Craig Pearson. Craig is an actor who's worked on both screen ah in films like Not All Men, Can Can Eat, You Are What You Eat and the upcoming film Trash TV. He's also appeared on stage in shows like Walk Like a Man from Black Star Maniacs and Alone Inside from SKT Productions, which were recently at the Durham Fringe Festival.
00:00:41
Speaker
And on top of all that, he's a mentor at the Actors Forge and was part of the production team for the recent Actors Forge Regional Showcase at Northern Stage. Greg, welcome to the show. Thank you very much for having us,
Craig's Acting Journey
00:00:52
Speaker
Ryan. Thank you. I finally i finally understand Spotlight after writing your intro because I'm like, oh, this just lists all the things you've done.
00:00:59
Speaker
It's literally just online CV in a nice format. So I guess ah actually the first thing I say have I missed anything, anything important? No, I mean, yeah you know, it would be too probably go on too long to list everything that I've been in. I've been quite lucky that and even though when I just started six years ago that I've been casting quite a lot of productions, be it stage and theatre or TV, film and that medium.
00:01:25
Speaker
I've also done bits of commercial work, voiceover work as well. um But yeah yeah, you've kind of um tapped on the ones that have recently either been finished or or happening now or have just happened. So yeah, That's pretty much
Mentorship and Social Media Insights
00:01:39
Speaker
me right now.
00:01:39
Speaker
Before I ask questions, i always just kind of like to say something that I think is notable, like to me personally, about the the people I'm talking to. Right, yeah. So I think obviously you you are a mentor at the Actors Forge, and you've always been very supportive and helpful there.
00:01:53
Speaker
But also, you always put them quotes on Instagram, um and they're genuinely sort of meaningful and inspiring. And there was there were some rough times for me towards the end of last year, and there were times where like genuinely they were just sort of really...
00:02:06
Speaker
I think I told you once at the Christmas party. Yeah, I think you did, yeah. yeah So it's it's just one of those things, if I see something like that, I think you can read it and take it internally and just be like, you know, that's for me. and But if it if it's kind of moved me, then i like to kind of pass that on, if that makes any sense.
00:02:26
Speaker
um yet We all live in a very strange world and have done probably since COVID times. Everything's kind of changed and moved very quickly. um So I think it's always nice to pass anything nice on. You know, it's its what's wrong with being nice.
00:02:41
Speaker
So and I do see those quotes and i do... um either inspire or move or just kind of help me and in that moment. You know, so you know i think I think some things...
00:02:52
Speaker
you know i don't i don't believe in fate per se, but I do believe that you know nothing happens by accident. So even when I'm just scrolling through you know social media and and I see something that kind of resonates with me, i always try to kind of share share that story or that or that quote or whatever it might be because I believe you can help one person and you've kind of ticked that box for being a nice human being for that day. you know And obviously when we spoke at the Christmas party, it was nice to hear um that you know just by me doing that it's it's kind of helped you you know what i mean it was it was nice you know to to know that think social media it's it's the way of connecting humans um nowadays and i think we'll forget that the real connections are in person you know i think it's so easy to just kind of hang around on social media and feel like you've seen that person that day when really you haven't you don't know what's going on in each other's lives so i think You know, something I believe in is a kind of the universe, if you like, if you want to give it a name. and Lots of people would call it fate or karma sometimes.
00:03:54
Speaker
So when the universe provides for me, i I kind of pass that on because if it's helped me, it can't help somebody else, you know. It's just it's just one of those things. I have been told um in the past, you know, not to share things like that. and One was from actually a previous agent of mine, which I'm no longer with, said that, you know, you need to stop posting stuff like that because it just looks like your attention grabbing. And I was a bit like...
00:04:15
Speaker
But I'm not. I'm just, you know, something's resonated with me. And I thought, you know what it is? It's a really well-constructed, thought-provoking message. You know, if it's hit me, then it can hit somebody else, you know, positively. So I did stop for a while.
00:04:28
Speaker
And then, like I say, I moved on from that agency and I just thought, you know, like, that's me being me. it's not I'm not trying to sort of get likes or thumbs up or comments. I'm not looking for engagement on social media. It's just in that moment I've read it, I've seen it, I've felt it.
00:04:42
Speaker
And I think, you know what, like I can pass that on, you know, and if it's if it's helped one person that day, then great. You know, like I said, everybody, if you don't like something that you've seen or read on social media, to a point, just scroll past.
00:04:55
Speaker
You know, everyone's got ah their own lives, want live lives and opinions and... You know, politics plays a massive part in my life now. And I just think sometimes it's just nice to be nice, you know, and that's all I was doing. So, you know, and that's just who I am. I do like to help people where I can. And when I got your feedback, i was just like, bloody hell, it actually, you know, kind of works.
00:05:13
Speaker
That's
Handling Nerves and Anxiety
00:05:14
Speaker
its point. That's it. that that That was what I kind of set out to do. So it was nice to hear that, you know it had helped you and and hopefully it's helping everybody else. so And I'll continue to do that. Yeah, I think it's like you can, I feel like you can kind of tell if if if someone's doing it sort of genuinely or for attention grabbing. And I think obviously like you're a mentor ah the Actors Forge and it's sort of very sort fitting with the kinds ah kinds of things you Yeah, I mean, even that would, you know, being asked to be a mentor, I've been there six years now. And I think Dan asked us probably about 12 to 14 months ago and to be a mentor and straight away I was a bit like,
00:05:47
Speaker
and I felt almost uncomfortable, if that makes sense, because I was just like, I'm just me, though. I'm you know i'm not nothing special. i don't I don't see myself as better or more experienced than anybody at the Forge.
00:06:00
Speaker
um be Being a creative person, you know, person, I don't really believe that competitiveness in that industry really works. Obviously, it's a very competitive industry. So it's kind of ironic that I try to do things just for me.
00:06:15
Speaker
That makes sense. You know, I you know ill come to the forge night and I never go in and think, well, I'm going to be the best actor today. today You know, it's because i think I think that kind of kills the creativity. If you're not listening and giving and being generous to the other actor, you're doing the opposite of what acting is.
00:06:30
Speaker
um So like I say, when Dan asked us to be a mental, I was almost uncomfortable because I thought, well, I don't want anybody thinking like, I think I'm better than them somehow. And how Dan put it across to us was, well, you you kind of already do that because people come and ask to work with us.
00:06:45
Speaker
I go to ah a certain class within the forge. I was going to a certain class within the forge. But I was dropping onto a wedding state where it was more um kind of new to the game actors, you know, and people would come and say, you know, how do I do that? Or I'm not quite understanding how you break this character down or how do you learn the script so quickly and stuff like that. So I, me being me, I just kind of said, well, this is how I do it. It might not work for you, but we're going kind of talk about the work through it. Even now, you know, if I do a kind of a duologue scene with somebody at the forge, I always say to them, when you're ready, we'll do the scene. You know, I like to go first because then
00:07:19
Speaker
If I do it first, then I can relax and just watch everybody else. I feel like if you go sort of in the middle or towards the end, your your mind shuts off from what you're actually watching and learning because you're like, right, OK, what am I going to do with mine?
00:07:32
Speaker
What was that first line again? You know, it takes my kind of distractors a little bit. So I like to go first. But, you know, I never kind of pressure anybody into that. And that's that's something I like doing. But a lot of people like to sit watch and learn and go, know, it is that's you know really interesting. I could add that into my scene. So I just say to the other person, you know, when you're ready to go, you just ah step up and I'll just follow you. And also Dan had said, you know, I want to make you officially a mental at the Forge. And I didn't say no, but I just said, you know, I'm not quite sure.
00:08:00
Speaker
I didn't even feel ready in it in a way because I was like, you know, I've only been here kind of five years at the time and there's people that's been there longer than me. But he just said, you know, because of the way I am with people and people kind of come to me for help anyway. He said, you know, it's it's not a great change. You don't have to change the way you are at the forge. you Just keep doing what you do and accept.
00:08:18
Speaker
I'm giving you this label, i'm i'm um you know, this title and I want you to come in and kind of help. And from that, over kind of the last 12, 13, 14 months, Then I've kind of added in extra bits or dance as this. Can you do this or do that? Or, you know, look after a class or we had the masterclass with Natalie and Jameson not long ago. And he kind of let me kind of just put all that together, you know. also So there's there's more responsibility in it kind of now. But I really am enjoying it, mate. Like say, you know, if I can help anybody, And I think that comes from when I started. I got a lot of help from kind of friends of friends or just people I work with on set were just so generous and nice. And um ah feel that most of the industry, I'll never say all because there's always bad apples in every you know walk of life.
00:09:02
Speaker
95% of the people that I've met have been so nice and generous, you know, know and you know I still look up to them now. Silly little things like the first time I went on stage, I looked towards one of the other fours. I remember it's Nick O'Donnelly. I don't know if you know him personally, but Nick's been around acting most of his life, and I've seen him panicking.
00:09:19
Speaker
So I was already kind of, you know, hitting that part where you're like, oh my God, what have I done this to myself for? I've never done this for since I was at school. You're in your own head. And then I thought, well, if Nick's fine, I'll be fine because, you know, he's done it loads of times. And he just looked flustered.
00:09:34
Speaker
And I couldn't understand why somebody of that much talent and that much experience was still kind of, you know, doing his breathing exercise and trying to calm himself down. and out and i And I remember running up the stairs him and I was like, Nick, Like, I'm so nervous. Why are you nervous? Why are you nervous? I'm the newbie here. I know I am nervous. Why are you nervous? And he just looked at us as if I had three heads and he just went, nerves are just part the game. That's how you handle it. And he was like, they never go away.
00:09:58
Speaker
Use them. And I was just like... So that that that kind of that little sentence got me through that first night's show, and it's something that stuck with us to the point where even now and at the regional showcase, there was a lot of people just like me that might not have been the first time, but certainly the biggest thing they've done on stage.
00:10:17
Speaker
And I just kind of took the answer and said, listen, I have nerves. It's just you've got to realise that the nerves... aren't fear, they're actually excitement. I did get quite a lot of feedback after the show and just said, you know, thanks very much for saying that. i totally get why I've got nerves. you know You know, nobody's forced us here. I'm not in any danger. i'm not... i'm You know, i think everybody has that...
00:10:37
Speaker
Especially on stage, everyone has that fear of, you know, please, please don't let me be the one that knacks it up or drops the line or whatever it might be. I think that's always going to be a part of performing, if you like it. But that's because we're all striving to be the best we can.
00:10:50
Speaker
we We don't want to let anybody down, you know, and that's I think that's what
Learning from Failures
00:10:53
Speaker
creates the nerves. But when you understand, and and this also came from Dan, this this kind of knowing that nobody's going to hurt us. I'm not going to die. you know i don't need to run away.
00:11:03
Speaker
Well, if it's not fear, then what is it? Well, it must be excitement because I chose to be here. I wanted to do this. I've done all the rehearsals. It's kind of striving for perfection, but understanding that it's not fear. It's just excitement. It's because we all love what we do. you know We want to be the best when we step out onto that stage or on that set and and and just you know smash it out the park.
00:11:21
Speaker
Performance a very strange kind of thing to get into. and i think I think everybody could perform. you know and Anybody from any walk of life could have the ability to perform on stage. But the fear that's wrapped around it, I think, stops a lot of people from doing it. So if you can kind of get over yourself, get over your own kind of fear and realise that there's excitement. That's where, for me personally, you know what Nick said and what Dan said really, really changed how I kind of attacked going on stage. I wouldn't say I was completely calm.
00:11:48
Speaker
But i was I was confident in that. I'd put all the hard work in and, you know, I'd learned all the lines. I'd built my character. I'd worked and rehearsed with all the other actors that I was in the scenes with. And, you know, and another one that I've worked with, Steve Lowe's over at Blackstar Maniacs, who who it wrote and directed and stars Walk Like a Man, which we did last year and is coming back for another run this year. His mantra was, we don't rehearse to get it right. We rehearse until we can't get it wrong.
00:12:14
Speaker
So we go out there without the safety net, but you know the wire isn't going to s snap. you know, I've, I've took parts and, and, and, and sayings and belief and confidence from other people. So to then know what I know now, i can go back into the forge and kind of, again, pass that along and say to people, you know, you know, you, you, you're fine. You've got this, you know, and it, and it's just a kind of, you know, it's, it comes with time and experience, you know, I, you know, we're,
00:12:39
Speaker
we We even spoke last night at the Forge about a few things. I know you mentioned about, like, you know, how how do you how would you pick up jobs that I know I'm going to be good at? I don't think you can at the start. I think you've kind of, you know, you've got to fail.
00:12:53
Speaker
I think at at every walk in life, you have to fail. know, nobody walks your life and doesn't make any mistakes. You know, it's it's it's a case of... you know, that wasn't great.
00:13:04
Speaker
So what am I going to learn from that? always think you can, in in defeat, you can almost learn more than if you were just but complete success every time. I think you've got to go out there that wasn't right. Or I dropped that line or whatever it might be. You know, I'm going to, you know, we are talking about acting here, but i think that goes for anything, you know, parenting, parenting,
00:13:22
Speaker
um you know, yeah the the myriad of jobs that everybody does, you're always going to drop the ball at some point. And it's like, well, how how do I learn from that? How do i not let that happen again? You know, but it's it's it's it's it's breaking through that fear of, you know,
00:13:36
Speaker
I don't want to get it wrong. Sometimes you get it wrong. and and But that's why we'll have such you know heavy rehearsal periods is go, let's mess it up. Let's get it wrong. Let's change it. Let's tweak it. you know That might not even be right. But along the journey, and and and because it's a creative journey, it's not just something where you get handed a piece of paper and you yeah you have this kind of bullet points to hit.
00:13:57
Speaker
The creative arts, I always think, is... is is um It's a journey to find out what you're actually trying to do. You know if you're not quite sure on a character, try 10 different things and then one of them will be like, that worked.
00:14:11
Speaker
And obviously if you rehearse in front of other actors or the director, the writer, the producers or anybody like that, and they're good at giving feedback and say, you know that bit worked, that bit not for me. you know And then you tweak your performance through it.
00:14:22
Speaker
But it is just kind of breaking through that, you know especially when you've just started. is you know you You almost have to agree with yourself that I'm not going to be the best at this, but I'm going to keep going through it. And you push through the fear and you push through the mistakes and the ball drop moments.
00:14:35
Speaker
But then you grow a sort of a tough skin, a tough exterior. But you also get more comfortable. you know the The first night I went on stage to doing the Fringe a couple of weeks ago for... um for Alone Inside. The preparation period I have now, so how I get into character, and know, I use music to get into character, i use little prompts.
00:14:59
Speaker
If I'm driving to a show, never ever listen to the radio. I always think about, you know, what what the scene needs from us. I run the lines by myself. You know, i must look mad driving along the motorway just kind of broke just sitting into the car. so ah slightly You know, getting into character. and you know, obviously i I concentrate on the road. I'm not saying i'm a bad driver or anything like that.
00:15:18
Speaker
But that, you know, over time, the first time I i did stage back in 2021, the first ever Durham Fringe Festival, I kind of just went and said, please, please don't get it wrong.
00:15:30
Speaker
You know, and I did live in that fear zone. Whereas this time I'm like, no, I've got me processes, but that'll only come with experience and time. Acting's not something you can come into and be brilliant straight away. You're not, nobody is.
00:15:41
Speaker
You know, yes, you'll get the ones that come in and just hit the ground running. That's fine. But we all have our own journeys. And that's what, again, touching on what I said before, it's absolutely pointless coming in and having a competitive spirit. And there's no point in, you know, me and you go to the forge.
00:15:56
Speaker
whether I'm mental or not. I never want you to come in and go, God, Craig's so good, i'll I'll never be that good. Or c Craig will always get cast in that over me because he's been here longer. That's not what it's about. I'm just on my journey and you're on your journey and will we look different, we sound different. And and again, you know, the the class last night, we talked about the uniqueness of everybody. And I that's really important to to understand and underpin is, you know, if if I see a casting call and it's for an 18-year-old girl who they need in a horror film and they to have a certain look, I can't sit there and be disappointed because I didn't get that role.
00:16:31
Speaker
Because I am 18, I'm not a girl, and and and and I wouldn't say no to a horror film, but it's it's it's kind of where I'm aiming for. haven't really thought about it. I would never say no. you know i i would But that's what I mean. it If you get competitive, you're going to get down about other people getting cast and stuff.
00:16:45
Speaker
That's kind of what meet me, Dan, Laura, Lynn, Rob, everybody who's been involved in The Forge is about is supporting everybody. You know, and to be a mentor and and to to to be able to pass my knowledge on and and help people, it fits with who I am as a person, you know. So I find it now, you know, I've got over the whole, God, what does people think? He's just another member. Why is he telling us what to do? And and it took me ages to even kind of jump in on feedback.
00:17:11
Speaker
Where now I can kind of see, you know, if there's an example given and you're not quite understanding that and say, listen, I had this experience where e B and C happened and this is the reasons why. And that really, really helps other the people, you know. So I do get a lot from giving back.
00:17:25
Speaker
You know, I don't want, you know. accolades or or medals or anything like that. I'd just rather, you know, if I'm giving you feedback and then in a year's time you've gone and done the thing me and you spoke about, I would feel so bloody proud. Not of what I've said to you, but that you've gone on and took it on board and and and grew and got better and went out there and done it, you know. So, yeah, the the mentor at The Forge, is it's been...
00:17:48
Speaker
It's been brilliant, mate, like I say, you know, I get a lot of of of messages and and and queries away from the forge as well from from most of the forge people. and And I don't mind that, you know, ah you know, it's it's sometimes somebody's got a self-tape and it's like, can you read in for us?
00:18:02
Speaker
If I've got the time, I'll always be there, you know, because when I started out, people helped me. And I was very, very thankful and grateful for their time. And although I might not need their specific help or specific time now, because I feel like I've got to a certain level where I might not have to ask for their help or assistance, I can certainly pass it down the line, you know. So, yeah, it's it's been it's so rewarding watching people, you know, people who are either the first time on stage or the 50th time on stage go out there did what they did at the regional showcase, you know, when it really, really mattered, when we had industry professionals there, the agents casting directors and of course you know all the hard work meant me myself and dan and the rest of the team put in it can't be what it is without the actors coming in and doing their bit and listening and and and taking on board and changing things and getting things wrong in rehearsals to then go and put on a you know performance like that you know you know many many people from that got signed by agents many many people got self-taped straight away you know within a week i think we had six or seven self-tapes sent straight through just like this is happening now
00:19:01
Speaker
We've just seen you on Saturday. We want you to do a self-tape, you know. You know, that's a different world, you know. I'm not sure any of them were were wholly successful as it got the parts, but even even the self-tapes or the wins, you know. i think this is sometimes what what people forget is, although it would be brilliant to get every job we ever get put forward for, the percentage of that, the maths doesn't work. and But I think what we forget to do is celebrate the self-tape or the audition or the in-person audition, you know, thats that first contact where you're asked to do something.
00:19:29
Speaker
You know, it's not like a normal job interview. You have to go away. You've got to learn lines. You've got to learn the character or at least create a character. And and it's a chance to show somebody how good you are. And even when they say no, ah so you know, sometimes you don't even get a no. Sometimes you just don't hear back.
00:19:43
Speaker
I think at the start I was I was I didn't take it personally, but I was just like, well, I was obviously wasn't good enough. Obviously wasn't good enough. Obviously wasn't good enough. Obviously wasn't good enough. Well, now I just think, you know, maybe maybe it wasn't good enough. However, it's not just the casting directors that say that, that they have to send out on the producers or the directors, or even even sometimes the writers. And if they have somebody in their head and they don't fit what you look like, sometimes that's the reason. Sometimes somebody is just better than you.
00:20:07
Speaker
Sometimes we don't know the reason. and it's quite hard because I think in life we do get instant feedback back or at least some feedback. If you went for a job interview for a call centre, let's say, or, you know, to work in a restaurant,
00:20:18
Speaker
you didn't get the job you get some sort of feedback you'll get a letter or an email saying you know thanks for coming in blah blah blah blah blah not not for you this time but thanks again i would say probably 99 of the time i've done a self-tape or an in-person audition it's been you know thanks for coming we'll let you know and then you don't hear anything back from them that's more to do with you know how quick casting can happen and how quickly you know a lot of a lot of productions are there for years but then when they get the funding and then then they get the cast and it's got to be done within sometimes a week two weeks You know, sometimes, you know, the casting director is pushing the one that got the job so hard that they haven't got time to send you feedback. And again, that's another thing that kind of nobody told us about and I kind of had to learn the hard way.
00:20:57
Speaker
But again, failing and getting better, failing and getting better. I've got a um a file on... ah compute where I think ah apart from obviously the in-person auditions which doesn't get recorded or sometimes to get recorded but not by you ah think I've probably got every cell tape I've ever done so sometimes when I'm struggling I'll like know okay let's I think we're always told not to look back but then if you don't look back you never learn so I will sometimes watch some of my early cell tapes and go hey I don't believe I've just sent that in You know, it's it's it's so bad. But at the time, that was really good for me. You know what i mean? So it's about, like, the whole thing's a journey. and And, like, life, it's got to have its ups and downs. It's going to have its its successes. It's going to have its brutal knockbacks and stuff like that, you know. and It can burn you out as well.
00:21:38
Speaker
It can really burn you out. I guess, ultimately, like, that's a sign of success, like, that you're doing well, is if if you look back at your early stuff and you go, that's, but like, you want, you kind of want that, really, don't you? Because, know you know, you've continued to improve. But yeah, I think i think watching yourself back like that as well, it kind of puts you in the mind of, if I did that now, how much better would it be?
00:21:58
Speaker
And when you know that it could be better now because you understand the game better and you're better actor and you're better at learning lines and you're better at character building or whatever it is, and that's a massive kind of win, like you say.
00:22:10
Speaker
You kind of sit there and go, well, at least if that did come through again, I would absolutely nail that audition, you know. it is, it' about it's about, you know, knowing where you are and enjoying the journey. A lot of people, I think, come into acting for whatever reason. Sometimes it's the right reason. Sometimes it's what I would say wrong reason. I had this conversation with somebody last night when they said, you know, how to get famous. And I was like, fame does not interest me in the slightest.
00:22:32
Speaker
Fame should always be, as an actor, I believe, a byproduct of how good you are as an actor. I know some people wonderful actors some amazing amazing actors but because they haven't been on Love Island or you know one of these kind of reality shows then they're not famous fame
Passion Over Fame in Acting
00:22:50
Speaker
at the minute for me is kind of you know I'll say to people are they in know celebrity in the jungle or you know get out get me out here in the jungle and I know some of them and I'll say to my kids or to my partner I'll just I don't know who that is well she was in Love Island last year and I'm like but it says celebrity and celebrity me in my old age
00:23:08
Speaker
is somebody who has a real talent, can play an instrument, can act, can dance, can sing, can and entertain people and and and and and make people feel better. Comedians, you know, all these all these types of people. But a lot a lot of, and maybe it's driven by social media, a lot of it's just, I want to be famous because I want to be rich.
00:23:27
Speaker
I want to be rich and famous. And I get that because, you know. It's nice to not have to worry about money. Yeah, exactly. You don't have to worry about a lot you know, financial burdens and stuff like that. And if you're famous, you know, you might get invited to, you know, you would always get a table in your favourite restaurant and stuff like that. You know what I mean? And I get the sort of the attraction to it.
00:23:47
Speaker
But for me, I'm just obsessed with being better than I was yesterday. And if a byproduct of that was fame. then okay but I'm not out I'm not out to be like oh yeah walk down the street now loads of people ask this for me autograph I mean I couldn't think of any in words yeah I think it's almost like I feel like it's almost doing yourself a disservice if you're sort in it for fit like for me injustice it's like it's exactly what you've said like since I've started doing the actors forge both at the forge and in like in my day-to-day life what I've really learned is exactly what you're saying about like
00:24:20
Speaker
it's something say literally on every one of these interviews but it's like i've learned that it's better to try something and for it to go badly that that's actually better than to want to try something and to never do it yeah and yeah and that that's like as big as sort of following wanting to do acting and as small as like literally if i'm in conversation with someone and have a thought but i'm too shy to say it it's like learning that feel better expressing a thought, but you know. and Yeah, I mean, even when you came across and asked me the question last night, I could feel that the kind of, should I be asking this? Can I ask this? Is this the right thing?
00:24:54
Speaker
It is. it' so now you know As long as you're not rude to people or overbearing to people, I think... You know, again, i think I think it's a social media kind of generation that we're living in now. Everyone's talking through messages or WhatsApp or voice notes and stuff like that.
00:25:06
Speaker
When it comes to actually being impersonating somebody, I think a lot of the social skills will be lost. You know, it's like its say I had to write a letter not long ago and I'm writing this letter and I'm thinking, Jesus Christ, my wrist's actually kind of stiff from writing. I'm thinking, why is that now? It's like...
00:25:20
Speaker
I haven't wrote a letter for about 15 years because of everything's text or emails. And like, writing a letter? this is It didn't feel weird because, you know, but that's what we did in school and stuff like that. It was just kind of like i had this strain on me hand. I was like, me hand doesn't know what it's doing.
00:25:34
Speaker
Do you know what I mean? I'm just like, this is so weird. Like, how have I gotten to this point? Completely reliant on technology. But the whole push for AI and stuff, that's why a lot of the creative industries work.
00:25:46
Speaker
and creatives and and artists and stuff like that all stick by the guns and say, well, you you know, you could never replicate what a human can do, especially not in acting. You know, I've seen an advert two or three weeks ago on the telly, and it was the first AI advert I'd ever seen, and it stuck out like a sore thumb, and I hated it.
00:26:03
Speaker
you know what I mean? It looked wrong as a viewer, but I'm also thinking that's just done somebody out of their first commercial. And they're lucrative commercials, you know, and depending on who it is, you know, that the price varies. But, you know, some people live live a nice life just doing commercial work, you know. and But I'm watching this going, that was really bad. it looked awful.
00:26:24
Speaker
It didn't look human because AI never gets people's eyes right. You know, and you you'll know off the last term we've done with screen acting, how important the eyes are and and and where you place them and if you blink or not, or, you know, about movement and stuff like that.
00:26:37
Speaker
And it just looked so unnatural. So I was a bit annoyed at that, that they'd kind of try, almost like they'd try to trick us. But that that then I'm like, well, I don't trust the company that's done that because they're trying to trick us into believing I'm watching real humans. I'd rather have just done like an animation. I'm fine with that, you know what mean? Like a cartoon.
00:26:55
Speaker
But then I started thinking about It's like somebody's just not being given the opportunity to go out there and show the world what they you can do. You know, as as a commercial actor or just as ah as ah as a jobbing actor who just needed to make money to feed the families.
00:27:08
Speaker
You know because I think a lot of people, when when they realise how difficult this world is to to get to the kind of the money, if you like, to to make it into a job, it's so bloody difficult. and i And I get why a lot of people get to a certain point and just think it's it's too hard. You know, it really is too hard. and And I've seen some wonderful actors, wonderful actors through what I've been doing and through the forge even, you know, where it hasn't worked out for them and they've kind of just walked away and done something else, which is fine. You know, it's the elixir of life, isn't it? It's the ability to do.
00:27:39
Speaker
And that's what you've just said there. You'd rather try something feel it than not bother. And I'm a great believer in, you know, when I'm on my deathbed and they always say, you know, your life flashes before your eyes. I don't be lying there going, i wish I'd done that.
00:27:52
Speaker
I wish I'd done that. I wish I'd done that. You know, there's three things I wanted to be is You know, you're 10, 11-year-old when, you know, you're taking, I don't know if they still do it in schools, but we had like a careers lesson.
00:28:03
Speaker
I was like, what do you to do? What you like to do? So my three things were a footballer, train driver and an actor. Played football to a decent level. Really enjoyed that. It was most of my life. I had some wonderful memories. And again, because I played, I went on to coach, to mentor younger kids. And that was like giving back as well. That was so rewarding to see them kind of grow them and teach them what I'd been taught.
00:28:25
Speaker
by all the great people that have taught me, you know, different things about football, um that that was so rewarding. So I did that to a a really enjoyable level and, you know, and played with my friends and made so many, you know, long lasting connections to still friends, you know, that have now that we've met through football.
00:28:44
Speaker
I want to be a train driver. Obviously, you know what I do is a day job. And I've been doing that for 12 and half years. And then when the football actually finished, so my knees just wouldn't take it anymore.
00:28:57
Speaker
I've got really, you know, glass knees, if you like. So i I literally was told, like, you need to stop playing because you you're going to have to have knee replacements and stuff like that. And now I was kind of in my mid-30s looking at having a double knee replacement. I think that's probably not worth it for a game of five aside.
00:29:12
Speaker
So when I knocked it on the head, again, what you just said really interesting because I was trying all sorts of different things. I was like, what about this class? What if I do that? So I had all this all this time and given to playing, teaching, coaching football.
00:29:26
Speaker
When it all came to an end, I just didn't really know what to do with myself. And i was sort like, well, I'll try that. and It's not working. and I'll try this. it's It's not for me. you know But at at least I tried and I failed. And I thought, well, you know I can strike that one off the list.
Career Development and Opportunities
00:29:39
Speaker
And I came back the acting. So i did a little bit of performing back in my school days, went to kind of drama classes after school. But because of the football, I kind of chose that over the acting and I just didn't have time for it. So I just parked it and away it went.
00:29:52
Speaker
So when I was kind of soul searching to do something that is just for me, and and to go and enjoy it acting came kind of back around in and in a funny sort of way and i spoke to a few people and they said you know you should try this and do that and speak to him or her or do whatever it is and i kind of just kind of tentatively came in and said you know how do you get into this or who should i speak to for that and then it was just a case of well i can sit here in in freeze mode for the next five years waiting to do it and just sign up for something
00:30:23
Speaker
So it was funny because I had signed up to do a term at the Theatre Royal at Newcastle. So I did that in the, I think it was the June, June 2019, when I decided like, okay, I'm going to do something.
00:30:37
Speaker
So I signed up with them, but the the term didn't start until September. But I was like, yeah, yeah, that gives us enough time to kind of, you know, read a book on how to be an actor. know what I mean? Kind of get into it. And then... um I got asked by um my partner's cousin to come along to see this kind of local TV show that they're trying to put together.
00:30:58
Speaker
So I went along and I shook some hands and I met some people and they said, you know why don't come along and help out and kind of look around the set? And it quickly went from that here's some we need you to do some lines here, some lines. And the film got cut short that day.
00:31:10
Speaker
So I didn't get that part, but they offered us another part. as I started to learn about um these online casting platforms such as Star Now and Mandy back then. Obviously, Spotlight was this unattainable thing and the in the in the future.
00:31:22
Speaker
So I just went on there and I kind of, you know, took a photograph of myself. It was my first ever headshot, if you like. It was just a selfie. And I uploaded it on there and all of a sudden I got put into a feature film in, ah I think that was early September.
00:31:34
Speaker
um I'd already tried DJW Talent out in Newcastle, and which I couldn't make every week, which is why I didn't join them. And then i found the Actors Forge. And at the time, it was kind of a, you know, pay and play. You went, you paid your money, you had your... It was five-hour classes back then. But it was it was kind of like we all met, we all talked about what wanted to do, and we'd go off and plan it and, you know, read scripts, and then we'd go and perform. I mean, I was petrified walking in there on my first day, but it was kind of like, I need to do this for myself. and It doesn't matter what the fear does to us, I just need to go.
00:32:04
Speaker
Because once I'm there, I'm there, I can't walk out. i've I've already paid the money, I have to do it. So I started there... So it was quite weird when I started the term at the Theatre Royal because I'd already done a music video. I'd been in ah in a pilot TV show and done my first feature film before I'd even started the Theatre Royal, which was the original plan in the June to get there.
00:32:23
Speaker
And it was it was just a case of, you know, working hard and kind of just digging around and searching around. And and and Dan said this to me a few times, you know, he says, I can't think of many, Dan Lemon at the Actors Forge, sorry. I find it difficult to name anybody that works harder than you.
00:32:38
Speaker
And that that's just something that I've grew with. You know, people say it's your working class roots or whatever it might be, but it's just how I'm built. You know, I've been very lucky that, you know, i started work when I was 13 year old on market stalls. You know, I got paid £10 for something like, I don't know, it was probably child labour back then, but there I really loved it. And it was, a that's how I got to sort of speak to people and, you know, people of different ages would just come to the stall.
00:33:01
Speaker
And we sold what we sold. and and And it was just kind of such a wonderful experience that to be earning money on a weekend, you know, away from school. It was something, you know, it taught us independence and taught us customer service skills. You know, back then I wouldn't have known, but, you know, that's how I can find it easy to speak to people. Every job that I've either been made redundant for or left or I've never been sacked, touch wood up to now. I've always found it quite easy to go and get another job because I have to. have have this inbuilt kind of need and want to to just carry on working.
00:33:31
Speaker
And I think over the six years, you know, a lot of people might look at my spotlight and think, Jesus Christ, he's done all that in six years. And I'm like, yeah, it it is. You know, I never really liked talking about myself, but I'm like, when I when i look at it in the light of day, I always think, yeah, Jesus Christ, I have done...
00:33:47
Speaker
a lot, you know, a lot, but that's because I'm hungry. I have the need to want to be better and to work in things that I've worked with before, you know, that kind of thing, but also, you know, level up with each one. And as I've done that as well, I've created this wonderful network of people that I know who are writers, producers, directors. I've had two mentors, Dan Lemon at the Forge is one of my great mentors, Craig Conway, who I met on and set of that TV pilot I mentioned before. He was the star, you know, and I'm just looking at going, wow, he's from kind of where i am from and Look at what he's done and wow, this actor, it's amazing. And now me and him texting WhatsApp each other just, you know, as mates. Now, you know, you know he was he was a producer on the air the big feature film that I've just come off a couple of couple of weeks ago.
00:34:30
Speaker
He was a producer on there we were laughing about it, you know. as says I used to stand there and watch you, like, prepare and do your lines and be like, my God, this actor's unbelievable. And then he's, like, walking past me going, that was ah me isn't You know what I mean? I'm like, Jesus Christ, like, how have got to, yeah, in six years? And and people will say it's just pure work ethic, pure work ethic and not giving up. And disappointments will come and knockbacks will come. And, you know, even that TV pilot we'd done, it all fell apart. It was really, really promising. I thought, you know, at the time where we had a big premiere and everything of it.
00:35:01
Speaker
And I really, really thought because I'd got this part, I was like, Jesus, this is going to be the springboard, you know? And it ah kind of all fell apart, and nothing to do with any of the actors or anything like that. and But it all fell apart. And so even that was a disappointment, you know, that that this almost almost moment of, wow, Christ, you know, and I'm going to make it, but how have managed this so quick? And it fell apart. And that was a disappointment. But again,
00:35:23
Speaker
It's kind of taught us to be careful of what i what i agree to and who I work with and and and and stuff like that. So I know you did want ask us about how I balance this for the rest of my life. It's gone beyond a want. It's almost like a need.
00:35:35
Speaker
It's almost like I know that this is what I'm supposed to do now. If it is, why would I sit and do nothing about it? You know I'm constantly reading articles, scouring websites, and finding out, you know, if I watch a programme and like it, you know, my missus normally just switches it off soon as as the credits roll. And I'm like, no, no, no, I need to know who the casting director was. You know what I mean? And it's like, write a little note down.
00:35:58
Speaker
And it's wonderful when it's like, who's the casting director? And I'm like, oh, I sent her an email of the week. how You know what mean? it's it's it's Yeah. And again, you know, what would what we touched on in the in the in the class last night, it's like how to build those relationships and stuff like that.
00:36:12
Speaker
And I feel although I've been pointing in the right direction, a lot of it's just been me doing the the absolute groundwork. You know, you you can never build a palace without having solid foundations. And, and you know, that that's an analogy that you can take into most things in life. But especially with acting is you've got to know who the decision makers are, who holds the keys to which doors, how do you get in touch with them, how do you, you know, and and and it's just a journey. You can't do it. You know, all this that you'll hear in the media, you know, um there was a big one actually. Recently, adolescence, one of the best things, by the way, I've seen on ever since,
00:36:49
Speaker
Brilliant, wonderful programme, brilliant acting, brilliant everything. Absolutely brilliant. But the big news was the the young lad, forgive us because I've totally forgot his name, wonderful actor, that he was an overnight success, that he'd never done any acting in in his life.
00:37:05
Speaker
And that was what was sold straight away in the media. And then you find out a couple of weeks later that he's been going to acting school for quite a few years. Of course, of course, him that that is his first big role. And he was wonderful and he deserves all the credit for you know all the awards that's coming his way in a long and successful career. Of course he does.
00:37:24
Speaker
but the way the story was spun that he'd never done any acting before. Yet there's an acting school there that's that's probably spent a lot of time and effort as his parents were paying for him to go.
00:37:35
Speaker
You know, hey nobody is an overnight success. Nobody. It's similar to the fame thing. Again, it's underselling. It's underselling the work somebody's put into something. And it kind of does make you feel like, you know, something that you've said is that sort anyone can...
00:37:50
Speaker
you believe that anyone can learn to act. And sometimes I think one of the things that's like, that's like worried me and over the years is like, you know, this, this idea that some people can do it and maybe I'm not just not that kind of person. And a big lesson that I've learned is that that's not true and you just have to put the work in. But I think sometimes when, when those kinds of narratives are solved, like this person just, just woke up one day and overnight became a success. And then you're sitting there going, and I've done this for six years. What was the point? It's not true. It reinforced it. Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:19
Speaker
I mean, I mean, there has been, you know, cases, um, where people do street casting and they' just picked somebody up and they do just have it. But it's probably because it's meant for them. Yeah. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah.
00:38:31
Speaker
If they've gone to drama school, they've probably been the best in the class anyway. Yeah. You know, so some people, you know, yeah you can argue like, you know, um what i remember from school was like you're either a long distance from now or you're a fast runner you can't be both and that's to do with your dna and the way your muscles grow and and it depends on your parents and stuff like that and i think i think you know that that probably is true to a point that some people are just going to be better than others in it but again i still stand by the belief that anyone can
Challenges and Perseverance
00:38:58
Speaker
learn to act to a to a really good level you know some people are just
00:39:02
Speaker
you know You could probably reel off a few names where you know and and and they've stood the test of time. you know i look at you know My favourite actor of all time is Jack Nicholson. yeah I just think he's like like the greatest ever I've ever seen. you know and But even even you know i know i know his whole story. and but you know Along the way, just had them lucky breaks.
00:39:21
Speaker
doesn't mean he was the greatest actor in his acting school or in in a film that he's been in. He's probably worked with a better actor. So, you know, he's worked with Marlon Brando and brande people like that. But the way he was and and the roles he chose for himself was very, very clever because in the world that, you know, he was he was coming through in the, you know, 50s, 60s, 70s, the amount of change in the world and the way people...
00:39:43
Speaker
made movies and the stories they wanted to tell. There was a lot of anti-hero and Jack Nicholson fitted that brief perfectly. So as much as I'll say he's the greatest actor of all time, he's fell in just at the right time. There's so many variables to being a successful, famous actor. You know, what I boil it down to, when people are struggling and they'll come to me and go, you know I'm really struggling with this and you know I don't want to give it up, but...
00:40:07
Speaker
And I'll say to them, listen, do it because you enjoy it. What's the point? i say that I say this to people in jobs. They'll come in, I'm sick my job and blah, blah, blah. And I'll say, well, what do you do it for? There's other jobs out there. you Nobody's forcing you go to work. You applied, you got the job, you go and you earn your money and and you do your job and you go.
00:40:24
Speaker
Nobody's forcing you to do that. And, you know I'll never talk anybody out of something like acting, you know, and especially if I know if, you know, they've gone on a journey and they're very good at it and they shouldn't give it up. I'll always say to them, you know, be careful or, you know, think about it a bit more.
00:40:38
Speaker
But, you know, I've done it where I've I almost burnt myself out and had to take six months off the forge. This was before I was a mentor and stuff like that. It was early 2022. And it was just a case of, you know, I was like back-to back to back to back to back work. And, you know, I was in every term. I was in every class. We did the fringe for the first time.
00:40:56
Speaker
I did some more theatre work. I did a couple of short films. And I got the new year and I was just like, I'm not enjoying this as much as I thought I would. And I didn't know really why but I had to step out and be like, right, you're treating this as a job.
00:41:10
Speaker
You're treating this I will not be successful until I do A, B and C. And I thought, that's not what I'm doing it for. I'm doing it... Because on the first day I went into the forge, to the first set, to the first stage show I did, and I damn well enjoyed it.
00:41:24
Speaker
For me, that's the greatest pay. Everybody wants to be paid money. That's how we live. That's how the world spins. That's how we feed ourselves and house ourselves and you know pay for the lights to be on. But if if you're not enjoying it, don't do it.
00:41:35
Speaker
Not just acting. it's It's relationships. It's friendships. If it's not working for you, you're allowed to say no and step away in and and protect yourself a little bit. And I'll say that to people, you know, if you' if you're not enjoying it or it's becoming a chore, step a away from it.
00:41:48
Speaker
Realise why you're doing it in the first place. And then when I came back, I i i just looked at acting in a completely different light, you know. And and because then, weirdly, because I just started to not not, not care. I've always cared. i always will.
00:42:03
Speaker
But it was like I took the pressure off myself. and I was just like, I'm going just do this to enjoy it. If I get somewhere, I get somewhere. If don't, I don't. I still love it. but But pretty quickly, realised that because I was just enjoying my self-tapes got better.
00:42:16
Speaker
Being in the class, i got you it was much better. I was enjoying it more because I was enjoying it. And then from there, that's where my career started. I started to get bigger and better roles. People started to notice us. And then sometimes people would just come to us and go, we've wrote this play and we've seen you in this. just want you. And I was like...
00:42:33
Speaker
that's a straight offer. Like, what? Like, do you not want us to come in? And then and they're like, no, no, we know what you can do. Just come back, you know? few people now, you know, Gangkani. I've only got a really small part in that, but that's because we did ah almost a feature film, but it's still following the show category last year, where I was the main character.
00:42:51
Speaker
And it was honestly one of the best times I've ever had on a film set. It was it was brilliant by Morning Sir Productions, and you will hear their name in the future. I've got no doubt about it. But they offered me the the little part in Gankani because I did such a good job for them in the original film that I did.
00:43:09
Speaker
so although that isn't... Gankani will be you know pushed and promoted and and be released. The Night Warden is... I haven't seen it in in its full form. Obviously, I've seen clips and and and the trailer was wonderful. The behind-the-scenes photography is wonderful. It's got a really nice look.
00:43:29
Speaker
Great team to work with. But and they believe they're sitting on ah and ah on a diamond. And this this this ah we can't release it because there's plans to, how do I say it without giving anything anything away, revisit it.
00:43:45
Speaker
Revisit it. um That's all I'd say for now. But watch your space. But again, again, it's just nice, you know, that the centres of messages said, listen, now free Friday. We've got a little part. It's four lines. Do you want to come down and and just just have a laugh? And I was like, yes, of course I do.
00:44:00
Speaker
I love working with you. You love working with me. And I went down just ate old friends, you know. and and and and And again, and I didn't do it for any money, you know. I did it because I had enjoyed it and I enjoyed being on set and I did a little part in it. And again, it gives you another credit and goes on the spotlight and you're asking about it You know, that's how it works. It's, you know, you've got to go and do the work as well.
00:44:18
Speaker
There's things, there's even now there's irons and fires that I can't really say too much about, but it's it's it's just exciting. And, you know, and and the only reason I'm here, you know, what I believe in is because of those people that helped us right at the start.
00:44:32
Speaker
and because of the wisdom that people's instilled in us. um The mentors, Dan and Craig, being wonderful with us and giving us so much self-belief that I've gone back to them and I've just said, shut up, you know what you're doing. they'd Literally, if I go to Craig and Dan now, they're just like, shut up, you know what you're doing.
00:44:48
Speaker
You know, in a nice, you know, it's not just like, go away, I've got time for it. just like It's just like, it's just like, are you questioning yourself? And I'm like, no. And they're like, well, go away then. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, you're right. And then sometimes it's just nice to have that little, you know, arm around the shoulder and go, don't be silly.
00:45:03
Speaker
You know, I got asked, I got asked not long ago by a by somebody at the Forge, obviously no names, and they came and said, um how often do you, what was the question, how often do you suffer from imposter syndrome?
00:45:17
Speaker
And I said about three times a day and and they just they're just wouldn't have it. No, you don't. I said, I promise you, I'm not making this up. There'll be three times in a day where I go,
00:45:30
Speaker
maybebby's um Maybe I'm at the level I'll always be at now. Maybe I'll never, you know, and then and then you know it gets better again through time and experience and shared determination and drive and and motivation.
00:45:44
Speaker
And discipline, discipline's a big one as well. And I'll just shake myself out of it. You know, i but the person who asked us just was like, I just don't know what to do with it. And, you know, I sat sat with him and I explained it and he went away and came back and I said, are you feeling better? Not quite. So we had some more conversations around the imposter syndrome.
00:46:02
Speaker
You know, I've read i've read um interviews with with, again, big, famous celebrity type actors they still get that on the first day on set.
00:46:15
Speaker
You know, i I think I read, ah it might have been Gillian Anderson. I read an article not long ago. i've don't know if she was in ah in a TV show or if she was doing a big theatre show. And she said the first day she's on set, she just thinks she's going to be shit.
00:46:29
Speaker
And yeah you know Gillian Anderson for me is is a wonderful actor, a brilliant actor.
Advice for New Actors
00:46:35
Speaker
And he just think, wow, that affects you. And they are not real actors. We all are real actors, but she's in the limelight. She's getting these big roles.
00:46:46
Speaker
um she's on the TV, she's in she's on theatres, she's in films, she's had a wonderful career, yet she still goes in on day one and being like, God, like, you know, is it today somebody's going to be like, why you an actor? You're not very good.
00:47:00
Speaker
You know, and and and and it's that it's that, you know, internal voice where and the start, that's what causes most of the fear is yourself going, you you you're going to knack this up. You're going to be the one that gets the line wrong and knacks the whole show and everyone's going to laugh at you. And, you know, and it's these stupid little voices and you've just got to have that kind of self-belief to be like, you know, talk back to it.
00:47:22
Speaker
I think that's something i ah ah you know when I'd spoke to you yesterday after the the session, because it was a whole session about like finding an agent and and getting it on spotlight and taking yourself seriously. um and like I think that's exactly sort of what what I was asking about, really. it sort of like yeah Another thing that I keep mentioning to people is Dan will send out like things that we can like audition for and stuff. and Yes, yeah, yeah, casticles. It's like very recent that I've started to think,
00:47:51
Speaker
oh they they apply to me and not just everybody else you know and I think it was a similar feeling yesterday when when it were talking about the the agent stuff and it's kind of like partly why I really wanted to actually push myself to to talk to you yesterday because my my instinct is always to go oh it'd be nice it'd be nice to try and get an agent but that's this this session's not really me it's for everybody else and I just happen to be in it and And funny enough, the answer, you know, I think everybody asks a question and wants to be told yes or no or definitely do this and definitely don't do that.
00:48:21
Speaker
And my answer to you was it will come in time. You will know when the time to pull that trigger is that because, again, this is what I keep saying to people is the act and...
00:48:32
Speaker
journey is just your journey you know some people are super confident and they'll go out there and they'll kick down doors and push the themselves hard and stuff like that right from the get-go they might just be really high with self-confidence yeah the it could be almost perceived with cockiness you know i know you well enough you know over over the the kind of last 12 months i've known you maybe it's a bit longer maybe it's and But I know you're not that kind of guy who's just going to go out and be like, doesn't matter if I'm shit, my confidence will get us through.
00:49:03
Speaker
You're going be one that will really sit and think and be like, right, what's the risks here? You know, I don't think like if you were in a war, you would just run out with your gun and start firing. You'd be like, right, what do we need to do? Who do we need? Where do we need to be? Do you know what mean? You know, the logical thinker, I think that you're very much like that.
00:49:20
Speaker
and And I felt bad for the, ah not not bad, but certainly I wish I'd give you more or I could have give you more than the answer that gave you last night was because it's not a yes or no answer. And and I can't say you right in three months time, Ryan, you you're ready in three months time. Right. So let's set a date in the calendar. And on that day, you start applying to agents.
00:49:38
Speaker
it It comes from within you. You will know. So what you're doing what you're doing is wonderful. You keep coming to class, you keep improving, you keep you know forcing yourself of your comfort zone, trying new things.
00:49:51
Speaker
That's how you find out who you are as an actor. And until you know that, you can't sell yourself to an agent because you're not quite sure. And if you're not sure who you are and you're trying to sell yourself...
00:50:02
Speaker
The agent will pick up on that straight away or the casting director will pick up straight away with you and be like, well, if you don't know who you are and you're you, how on earth am I supposed to know what to do with you?
00:50:13
Speaker
You know, so until you know that, right, OK, I am this type of actor, I'll probably get cast in this more than that. because Because, like I said, you don't cast the net wide at the start, but over time you'll cast a shorter net because you don't you don't need or want to catch everything.
00:50:31
Speaker
You just kind of want to catch that bit. But until you know why and how and and who you are to get your net to that bit, that's the hard work and that's that's the area you're working on now. You know, that's where you are in your career, if you like.
00:50:44
Speaker
You know, if you said to me, I'm ready for an agent, I'll say, going off the question you asked us yesterday, probably not, but you're definitely on the way to it. People call it penny drop moments. People call it voice of God or whatever it might be.
00:50:54
Speaker
But until you wake up that morning you go, yeah, you don't have to be 100% on it. You could be 80% on it. But it's it's it's not a negative. It's not, you know, you're not in negative equity with the percentages. yeah yeah You're kind of like, I want to give this a go.
00:51:06
Speaker
i don't believe in perfection. I believe striving for it, but I don't believe perfection exists because I think we can all improve anything every time. But yeah, until you know and believe...
00:51:19
Speaker
and have that confidence to go and approach an agent. It's a folly to try and do it before that. And that's hard. Sometimes people will just go out there and just pepper spray people and be like, I need an agent, I need an agent, need an agent, be me agent, be me agent.
00:51:35
Speaker
So they go too far, or too fast, sorry. Where is the more logical thing is that yourself might hang off even longer than they probably should. But the fact that you're asking the questions, especially, you know, because of the Forges doing that business work of of the acting with you guys towards the end of this term, it'll be a milestone for you to be like, well, where am I at?
00:51:56
Speaker
Where am I really at? You know, and you can go away and can think about that in your own time and be like, Am I ready for an agent? Right, hang on though. What was the things I needed? I needed the headshot, the showreel.
00:52:06
Speaker
I needed stuff on my CV. Spotlight, if I can get it. You know, when I got Spotlight, I just was like, wow, I'm in this this magical realm now. and But I still look on Spotlight and be like, where's all the Peaky Blinders film casting?
00:52:19
Speaker
Why, where's that? Because all my filters are set that somebody who would probably fit into that, me knowing what I can do as an actor and what I'd like to be in and what I think I could give to it. And the way I've got my filters set on Spotlight and the exercise we did like the ones we did in class last night has kind of, again, closed me netting and focused us on that's the type of jobs want to do. But Spotlight aren't that big that they get those types of castings. They will always be sent out.
00:52:45
Speaker
privately so even when you get on the spotlight it's wonderful and it should be very much celebrated it's not easy but again it's just another milestone it's not the it's not the top end it's there's another ceiling to break through you know so as much as i love being on spotlight and my agents use it and stuff like that but again you know finding the right agent i've got an agent with a lot of great contacts so when i ask for my subs list at the end of the month and they send it through i know what's off spotlight in what's never been seen before and you know that because of the either the production they've put you forward through or the casting director or the people who will probably be in that program you think wow that's that's the level we're operating at jesus christ and sometimes even now i'm like oh thank god i didn't get a cell tape for that because i would i would have shit the bed you know what i mean but then i'm like hang on hang on that's the imposter syndrome
00:53:34
Speaker
Hang on, hang on. If I didn't believe myself that much and I wasn't that good and my agent didn't believe in us, why would they have put us forward for in the first place? You know, I was driving to Trash TV. I mean, that was that was, you know, big movie, big production, massive set, and loads of people there.
00:53:53
Speaker
Brilliant, wonderful. But I was driving over there in the morning the first of two days that I did. And it was the first time where I was at peace. Because normally I'd be not not freaking out. i Certainly at the start, what I mentioned before, like the first fringe, freaking out.
00:54:07
Speaker
But I always have that nerves and driving there and being like, you know, and then the imposter syndrome starts. You know, is today going to be the day when people are like, ha, everyone's been lying you for the last six years. You're not that good. and And you've just knocked that up. So you're sacked, get offset. You know what i mean?
00:54:20
Speaker
There's always that fear, I think. Then I was driving there and I was like, having these thoughts and the imposter syndrome started a little bit. And I was just like, hang on. There is no way ah production this big would take that much of a risk on you if you didn't deserve to be there.
00:54:36
Speaker
And, you know, i walked on that set and, you know, I ah don't mean or ah want to sound in any way kind of overly confident anything, But that's what I kind of had to be. I walked on set. I said hello to everybody. I went and introduced myself. I got took off to to wardrobe and makeup and into the green room and I'm sitting with people that I watched on the TV and in movies and and they're just sitting there. And that you know and i'm like, even then, I not had that little conversation with myself in the cars, you deserve to be there, Craig.
00:55:06
Speaker
you You have been chosen to represent yourself and your agency to come on this film and do the best job you can because you are the right person to do it. So stop having all these thoughts and just go and do it. and And when I got there, the size of the production would normally bother us in a way.
00:55:22
Speaker
It didn't really. Sitting in the green room with all these people and all these wonderful actors and I'm like... How mad is this? You know, little old me sitting there across from these guys. Yeah. And I'm like, but they were just coming over. Hello. Pleased to meet you. What's your name? ah Yes, of course. You're playing this one. And yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:55:38
Speaker
Lovely to meet you. and You know, and I didn't, I didn't fanboy them at, ah you know, at any point because i thought, you know, professional, professional. um i wanted to but i was like no no keep it keep it cool keep it cool but but that might have phased us before not really you know when i went under the big sets and we've got you know 50 uh supporting artists sitting there and we had the cameras were everywhere had producers that have done some wonderful things in the past the director the writer the producers that the whole thing at any point i could have cracked and just said listen i can't do this i'm going home
00:56:08
Speaker
But was the first time I ever felt at peace as if I'm supposed to be doing this. And it was a wonderful, wonderful um kind of moment personally for me to be like, shit, I think I'm actually in the game now. You know, and it was the first time I was like, this is what I've been working for for six years.
00:56:24
Speaker
think that I think that's quite a good place to to leave. Actually, you've actually, I've only answered, I've only asked two or three questions, but you have actually answered all of the questions. Let's do let's do a couple of couple of quick ones. I'll do a few yes and no's and get through it if you want. Okay, right. A couple of quick ones, couple of quick ones. that I mean, like I say, you evan you've answered pretty much everything.
00:56:44
Speaker
Right? no. I told you I'll talk. I'll talk the ears off you have to be like, cut. Did you meet Gary Oldman recently? That's what I've got in here. I don't get it started on Gary. Do not get it started. I will be here all night.
00:56:58
Speaker
feel like we've started now. Beautiful, beautiful actor, beautiful man, even more wonderful as a human being. um So generous with his time to everybody who was there that night and for the months that he was at York Theatre Royal.
00:57:13
Speaker
um Huge, famous, celebrity actor couldn't be more down to earth. It felt like ah had done him a favor by saying hello to him.
00:57:26
Speaker
A wonderful man, wonderful... I mean, honestly, I can't... You'll you'll open the floodgates and it'll come out, but ah it just... just you know As an actor, i think I think everybody with eyes and ears and an ability to watch his films will agree that he's probably... For me, he's he's probably the greatest actor British, definitely, of all time.
00:57:47
Speaker
Look at his CV, look at his little ability to to do what he does, and he's he's just wonderful. And to get to see him live on a stage was just something else.
00:57:58
Speaker
And then to get him meeting, and as as kind of brief as he was, and ah briefly as it is as it was meeting him, it's one of those core memories in my brain. and But I walked away and I was like, my God, I've met Gary Oldman. I can't believe I've met somebody I've watched films since a kid,
00:58:17
Speaker
Growing up, watching him, and there he is standing in front of us, shaking my hand as if I'm something to him. and but then But then coming home on the train back up to Newcastle, and because I went with my mum and I was sitting there i was like, in a weird way, that's made me more determined to be a better actor because now I've met him as ah as a fan, as an actor, I'm now like, how do I get to work with him?
Admiration and Inspirations
00:58:40
Speaker
before he retires or whatever that you know what I mean I'm like alright so i've or I've already sort of like tipped the sides of time on that one that the end time has gone and it's gone down I'm like right what is he doing who is his casting director who he likes who is his agent let's speak to them you know what I mean so I'm in a rush to kind of work with a but wonderful wonderful mayor man and if you ever get to see him live just go and watch him and and yeah brilliant Next question.
00:59:07
Speaker
i guess I guess quickly at the end. Favourite film? What's favourite film? Oh, wow. Okay, that's... Wow, okay. Jesus Christ. I know you said it's a rabbit hole. I thought i'd try and spring it on. You can see if it... People ask us for top fives and top tens and I cheat because I'll be like, ah I love all the Star Wars, so can I just have all nine films in as one film? And they're like no, no, no, that would be... Pound for pound.
00:59:32
Speaker
Personally, The Dark Knight. Because i'm I'm a huge Batman fan. and Christian Bale, one of my heroes, Gary Oldman, ofs. Heath Ledger. um The Joker's actually probably my favourite character of any...
00:59:46
Speaker
anything ever ah love how chaotic he is obviously the murderous side is is isn't me but i just love how chaotic he is and how anti-hero he is and stuff like that and and i grew up on jack nicholson's joke and again you know the number one guy for me and he's ledger came in um and and you know again it's not a competition jack's joke there is jack's joke i he says he's um but he did such a wonderful wonderful wonderful job but So I think pound for pound and over a film time, there's never a scene I don't like. There's never there's never an actor that lets it down.
01:00:21
Speaker
It's Chris Nolan, one of, if not the best director that's ever lived. It just has everything for me personally, so I would have to go The Dark Knight. And and and i might be a I might be a bit of a geek as well, but you know, whatever.
01:00:32
Speaker
and um yeah No, no, and I did at some point. was like, I just want to talk to you about all the Batman films. That's for the next one. That's a different one.
01:00:45
Speaker
Yeah, ah no, I ah go see Batman Returns every Christmas at the Tidese cinema. That's my Christmas film. It's so good. People argue about Die Hard and it's like, no, it's a Christmas film and I've just seen like an online ripple of, well, is Batman Returns a Christmas film? I'm like, that's not even a question. I'll put the Christmas tree up for Christ's sake, you know what I mean?
01:01:08
Speaker
The last thing he says in the film is Merry Christmas, Alfred. Exactly. and And who doesn't want the present of Michelle Pfeiffer in that cartoon, for Christ's sake? You know what I mean? Or Danny DeVito of Ejo thing. yeah Again, yeah. and yeah yeah Don't ask us who my favourite Batman is. I can't answer it.
01:01:26
Speaker
Can't answer it. Nah, I couldn't. I love Michael Keaton, but I love Christine Bale. I couldn't pick between those two. Yeah, definitely between those two. We're not choosing Ben Affleck or anything.
01:01:37
Speaker
I don't think any of them's done a bad job, but those two out are by far my favourite. But again again, you know, Batman 89, Michael Keaton Batman was very sort of, it's very Tim Burton and I love Tim Burton and it is what it is. Like the Joker with Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson, that belongs to stand by itself and and be revered as it is. It doesn't need to be in a competition, again, competitiveness with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight trilogy and and and everybody in that.
01:02:06
Speaker
um They both stand the test of time They both give me so much joy over the years I could literally just It's one of them films that even if it's on Sky Movies And I start watching halfway through I'll just keep watching till the end could probably Probably See every line in both films But I'm a geek owner. I am the geek.
01:02:25
Speaker
That's fine. That's fine. Especially Batman. It was Batman 89 and Batman Begins. I just had them on DVD when I was a teenager and I just re-watched them. And then this was before The Dark Knight came out. Yes.
01:02:37
Speaker
Blew the lid off it, didn't it? I like The Batman as well with Robert Pattinson. Really good. I was really happy to know that they were redoing the second one. But straight, I was like, who's the casting director? Can I get my agent in touch with that casting director? Can I get a part? Yeah.
01:02:50
Speaker
You know, that's that's how my brain works now. I can't just enjoy being a cinema goer now. I'm like, how can I get into that? What's the next film they're making? You know I mean? Yeah, but it's part of the driving determination.
Industry Trends and Future Projects
01:03:04
Speaker
Craig is definitely going to appear in the Batman 2. I wish. I'll be definitely on the podcast. but without Guess what? I can't talk about it. But maybe you've mentioned it before, yeah. But obviously obviously, you know, all all these big productions come out the UK as well.
01:03:18
Speaker
Like I said in class last night, i think I think we're quite lucky where we are now with what's happening in in the industry is a lot of the big productions in America moving to Europe, UK, because it's it's cheaper in cost for them to do.
01:03:30
Speaker
And they do use a lot of UK actors because their take on things is that the way the UK trains their actors compared to the Americans, you know, because Americans love the history and they know about Shakespeare and stuff like that. And, you know,
01:03:46
Speaker
You look at look at every film that the USA is making, and at the moment there's always English actors in it. British actors, that don't mean English, were Welsh, Scottish, Irish, even even a lot of French, you know, Christoph Waltz.
01:03:59
Speaker
What a wonderful actor he is, you know what mean? Just kind of, again, overnight success, picked from obscurity. He's been working for years. to get that good, you know? and But yes, let's let's let's let's see what happens.
01:04:14
Speaker
And let's get at least one of us from the forge to be the first one through that door but and we can all celebrate and follow. let's let's see what we can get through all in together. Just Ryan here. So I recorded this interview with Craig back in August and now at the time of editing slash publishing it's November and because Craig is so amazing and busy his ah plugs have completely changed. So I ended the interview in the way I usually do, asking Craig if there's anything he'd like to plug and if there's anywhere we can find him. And he gave an amazing detailed answer about a show he had coming up at the time, Walk Like a Man. But that show is now long finished and he's got like three other projects that he's working on.
01:04:55
Speaker
So I asked Craig if he were up for just re-recording a quick plug um and sending that over to me. So he's just sent that over and that is here. Over to Craig. So I've just finished a theatre production called Safe at the Customs House, which unfortunately is over and done with for now. and My next theatre project will be something called Quietest Place in Gateshead, which will be around spring 2026, looking um at the latest updates. But you can follow those guys on Instagram at Quietest Place in Gateshead or the production company, which is Gemstone Productions.com.
01:05:30
Speaker
at gemstone productions on instagram and myself you can follow me at craigpearson official on instagram where i post all my acting updates and any news what i'm up to we've got a few things in the pipeline really really exciting so hope to be sharing a few more pieces around that but uh yeah give me a follow and i i always try to follow fellow creatives back it'll be great to speak to you over on there
01:05:56
Speaker
What Makes You Tick is hosted, produced and edited by me,
Closing Remarks with Craig Pearson
01:05:59
Speaker
Ryan Watson. The theme music is Silent Movie 91 by Sasha End. Thank you once again to Craig for speaking to me for this episode. Craig also designed the show logo, which I mention at the end of every episode, so thank you to him for that.
01:06:10
Speaker
Join me next week for my conversation with actress Rebecca Rogan and keep an eye out for a preview of that conversation by following at Makes You Tick Pod on Instagram. Thanks for listening.