00:00I just got older and got more intense and got more fed up with everything and then suddenly discovered through
00:09Armando Iannucci and the thick of it that that was actually a thing I could use.
00:13Before we start, Peter, I've been listening to your music recently. I want to say I really enjoyed Ben Knight.
00:19There's like Simple Minds-y, Elvis Costello-y sort of vibe to it.
00:22It was a bit of like, I don't know, some of your music has kind of a Johnny Marr-ish
00:26twang. Oh, thank you. I don't know. It was very pleasant. Ben Knight is something that really stuck out to
00:31me.
00:31Well, funnily enough, that was about my grandson because I've got grandchildren now. Right, right.
00:36So having thought all the bit that you're describing just now had gone from my life, I certainly had a
00:41grandson and I was propelled back to the nappy world and the chaos.
00:45I think I'm almost like I'm looking forward to being a grandfather one day already because at least you can
00:49hand them back and then go to bed.
00:52Guys, congratulations to the show. To start off with, Doctor Who and the thick of it are very much on
00:55my Venn diagram of televisual adoration. So this is a real treat.
01:00And Torchwood, of course. Torchwood. They're both. Is that where you guys met? Is that where you guys found this
01:06kind of creative chemistry?
01:09It was all the way back then. We just really got on when we worked together on Torchwood.
01:13That's right. But I'm trying to think. You played like a cub reporter, right?
01:17Yeah. I was, well, I was, I was like a, no, I was even lower than that. I was like
01:21a PA in the office.
01:22You were like an assistant assistant.
01:24That was suddenly asked to save the world via contact lenses.
01:27That's right. But you had a little notebook and you were taking notes down all the time.
01:29I did have a notebook, yeah. I was taking the acting very seriously.
01:32Yeah, yeah, yeah. Asking for lots of advice.
01:34No, you were very charming.
01:35That's a great show that as well. And I like reboots and stuff get done to death, but I'd take,
01:39I'd take more of all of the above. Thank you very much.
01:42Aw, well, thank you.
01:44And I know you guys said like probably the thick of it wouldn't work in this world at the moment
01:47because it's so insane.
01:49But just, it'd be nice to see Malcolm just yelling at all the awful people we've had to put up
01:54with over the last 20 years just for a little, just for 10 minutes.
01:56Yeah. Well, he just, he's got his podcast now that he does.
02:01Okay, let's talk about Criminal Record, a show that I have very quickly fallen in love with, not only because
02:06it's very good, but also filmed on my doorstep.
02:09Like I live off Mare Street and I, in fact, let me show you this, let me show you this.
02:13Just, just by happenstance, I filmed this whilst very excited a year ago when I was walking past my local
02:20station.
02:20Wow.
02:21And there's Peter, that's in episode one of series two.
02:24Wow.
02:24Yeah, it is.
02:25That's incredible.
02:26I'll keep the sound off, but you can hear me going, and that's Peter Capaldi.
02:30That's amazing.
02:31That's fantastic.
02:31I've been doing this job for a long time, met lots of people, but like there's something about seeing stuff
02:35happen.
02:36Yeah.
02:36In real time.
02:37How long did you actually stand there for filming that?
02:39Longer than I should probably, there's a few blurry pictures as well.
02:42And I was worried because he looked so intense and pensive in the car, I was like, I hope you
02:45can't see me to study it.
02:47Yeah.
02:47He's going to think I'm a rights maker.
02:50Just to lead to a question though, this intensity that we know of Peter Capaldi, when did that kick in?
02:57Because I remember you on Vicar of Dibley, local hero, more kind of foppish and wide-eyed.
03:03But there's a certain point where now we get this incredible enigmatic intensity from you.
03:09And I wondered if that was something that just clicked for you one day, or whether it was a slow
03:12process.
03:13I think it's just really getting older.
03:15I think you get older and you get more beaten up and things happen to you.
03:20Life has been very kind to me, but sometimes it's, you know, sometimes it has other surprises in store.
03:26And I think that gives you different equipment as an actor.
03:30So I think I just got older and got more intense and got more fed up with everything.
03:38And then suddenly discovered through Armando Iannucci and the thick of it, that that was actually a thing I could
03:44use.
03:45But I always remember there was a key moment for me when I did, I used to do voiceovers.
03:51And I used to do a voiceover for a butter company.
03:56I don't know if you're allowed to say that.
03:59The name, Anchor Butter.
04:01Anchor Butter?
04:02Yes, of course.
04:02My favourite butter.
04:04That's very good.
04:05You could do voiceovers too.
04:06It's fine.
04:07All butters are available.
04:08Well, I used to say, Anchor Butter tastes like home.
04:12Oh, very good.
04:13And it was nice.
04:14What I love about the kind of intensity you give, though, is that you are, from an audience member, you
04:19could go one way or the other.
04:20And you're looking for that humanity.
04:21Maybe it's just we project it on you because of things like Doctor Who and stuff.
04:24Like, I'm looking for that, that kind of, the hand on the shoulder to say, we're okay.
04:32There's some warmth behind here.
04:34And it's almost like a gift.
04:35I'm going to have to leave soon, but let's talk about this second series.
04:38Because you are stepping into a bit more of a ground we've seen before of kind of those procedural, like,
04:46police shows.
04:47Shows that you guys watched kind of growing up and you saw characters from these shows and thought,
04:52I'd love to be that person.
04:54I'd love to be rolling across that bonnet.
04:55Were there any inspirations there that kind of you thought, I'd love to give that a go.
04:59I'd love to try out that.
05:00I mean, you're always filled with everything you've ever watched, I think, as a person, but especially as an actor.
05:06They're always filled up with every single, especially in this country we have such a, like, history of police shows.
05:12Crime, police, and then all the American stuff that was on reruns that probably you watched the first time and
05:18I watched the fourth time.
05:19I always wanted to roll across a bonnet or screech a car or kick someone in the face.
05:25I mean, it's just, who doesn't want to kick someone in the face?
05:27Naturally.
05:28But I think that's part of the joy of the show is that you have all of those, like, procedural,
05:36you have all of that history, like, that richness in there.
05:39But our show kind of, I think, exists in the gaps within that.
05:42Like, the bits of procedurals often don't show because they're like, we don't need that coffee.
05:47We're now off to arrest somebody.
05:49And I think we mess up a lot and the police mess up a lot in our show.
05:52Yeah.
05:53So, we're kind of in the grey areas.
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