- 5 years ago
Stay Close Junket
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00:00The show that you're working on, Stay Close, they've shown me two episodes and already I'm hooked.
00:06I absolutely love Harlan Coben's stuff. And, you know, you're diving straight into the action, but it's all so mysterious.
00:16What was your reaction when you first read the script? Because you'd worked with him before.
00:19Well, I got the book first because they'd called me and said, The Stranger has obviously done really well.
00:29Do you want to work with us again? Here's the idea. Here's the book.
00:34So there was no script. I only had the book. And his books are so easy to read.
00:39You literally just can't put it down. Sort of similar to the series.
00:43So I my first question was, is the character going to be different enough from the one that I've literally
00:49just done?
00:49Because I didn't want to turn up in another Harlan Coben sort of doing the same thing.
00:53You know, it's like different. But the character was I mean, they were aware of it as well.
01:00So they were like, no, it's a really different character. He's going to look different.
01:04He's going to feel different. But I just love the themes that Harlan kind of plays with,
01:09which is a sort of identity and reinventing yourself and your past catching up with you.
01:14And how do you how do you hide yourself, especially with technology?
01:18You know, for the central character of of Megan Cassie, you know, it's it's sort of people's fantasy and worst
01:26nightmare that they've tried to reinvent themselves.
01:28But then the past comes back to to catch up with them.
01:31So it was a lot of glory for sure.
01:33And, you know, did you because you knew the character was different, you didn't mind like jumping right in there
01:41and working with him again?
01:42Because obviously of these amazing novels, you didn't have any doubts at all.
01:45No. And the reason being is that all four of them, Nicola Harlan, Danny Brocklehurst and Richard Fee,
01:52the way they work is they're so kind of democratic.
01:55They say yes to everything until it's not possible.
01:58So they're really open to ideas and suggestions.
02:01So the whole thing about Ray having these tattoo sleeves was an invention that because I wanted to give him
02:08a sort of very visual identity,
02:09which was different to the previous character.
02:12But also I wanted him to sort of map his lost memory in sort of visual form.
02:18And they were like, yeah, yeah, great. Let's do it.
02:20And so to have producers and writers that go with ideas like that, it's just brilliant.
02:25You know what it's like.
02:25Yeah, it's so much fun when they embrace, you know, what you feel in your heart should be right for
02:31that character.
02:32And how long did you film for?
02:35Because, you know, people sort of sometimes they can mock us a bit going, oh, you know, you're getting so
02:39into the character.
02:40You care about the tattoos. You care about this.
02:42But it's a long chunk of your life and you live, eat, sleep, breathe it.
02:46How long did you work on this for?
02:48It's about seven months, which actually is really quite luxurious for television.
02:54Normally they try to bang out the episodes in a shorter time.
02:57So they do it well.
02:58You know, they spend the money and they make sure the locations are brilliant.
03:03But you're right, actually, what you're saying, like living and breathing the character.
03:07So I do collect a lot of stuff early on in preparation that will sustain me through the shoot.
03:13So I always build like a soundtrack because, you know, if I've been away for a week and I come
03:18back to set and have to pick up where I left off, I use music a lot to sort of
03:22get me back in the vibe.
03:24And I studied a photographer called Tim Hetherington as the base for who the character was.
03:32So I had a kind of collection of ideas of who he was in the past.
03:37So, yeah, it kept me going through the seven months.
03:40But going back and working with that crew again was just so brilliant.
03:44For me, it's all about the crew, you know, those mates that you love working with.
03:48And the pandemic was tough on people because we were all kept apart.
03:51But it was so nice to see everybody again.
03:53So it was a it was a lovely reunion.
03:55So it's nice that you as an actor, you feel safe, you know, the team that you've got.
04:00It's the perfect kind of situation, really, cocktail, because you've got this whole new character, but with a team that
04:06you trust.
04:08And, you know, obviously you are so different in this to the last one.
04:13How long did it take for that transformation with the tattoo sleeves and all of that stuff?
04:17Like how did that come about and how long did it take each morning?
04:20We, you know, we managed to kind of figure out with costume department how much of the tattoos you'd see.
04:27So most of the time I only had to do my hands because I was wearing long sleeves.
04:31Yeah, we loved that in the morning.
04:32You know what I mean?
04:33So we really kind of tried to keep it to a minimum of how many times you'd see the whole
04:38thing,
04:38because that took about two hours and sometimes they would have to throw them on in the middle of the
04:43day.
04:43And I remember my the makeup designer sort of pulling her hair out and being like, oh, why did we
04:48decide to do this?
04:49So so we did limit it a little bit.
04:51But it's fun to do a transformation.
04:53And because because the character was using his hands a lot with, you know, you'd see the camera in front
04:59of his face.
04:59I just thought have something really interesting, you know, in his hands to just to distract from my face.
05:07No, no.
05:08I mean, your part is it's so, so good.
05:11And it was so different from the last one.
05:13Like I say, like you say, it's it must have been so much fun.
05:16But are they going to be like, because obviously I've only seen the two.
05:21They've only let me see the two.
05:22Right.
05:22Are they going to be like the usual epic twists that he brings?
05:29Are they are they coming?
05:31Yes.
05:31And it is different from the book.
05:34I mean, it's really.
05:36Yeah.
05:37He really expands some of the characters and some of the relationships.
05:41And it gets kind of darkly comedic in places.
05:46But but yeah, it's there are some big twists coming.
05:50Yeah.
05:50Wow.
05:51And do you think with this particular one, there could be a second series?
05:55And if so, would you like to be involved again?
05:59It's it's the kind of how do you how do you ask me that about The Stranger?
06:04I would have said, yes, you probably could do a second season of The Stranger with Stay Close.
06:09I think it's definitely closed at the end.
06:12It's it's OK.
06:13It's so final.
06:15You obviously know the stuff that I don't know yet, which I'm gagging to know, of course.
06:19Yeah. And there is a sort of open ended, unresolved thing that happens.
06:25But but the the big event is revealed.
06:30OK.
06:30Has it been one of your favorite parts to play?
06:33It's yeah.
06:34I mean, it's been one of the one of the biggest challenges was playing a character that doesn't remember anything.
06:40Because when a writer is trying to write a lack of memory and they're putting them into a police interview
06:45situation,
06:48it's a sort of dead end every time a question is asked, because the answer is, I don't know.
06:52I don't remember.
06:52So we had to sort of play around with, you know, what happens when you don't remember something?
06:57You either admit that you don't remember or you lie or you invent.
07:01And I thought that was what was really interesting for me is like he was almost kidding himself.
07:06He'd created a past for himself, which was not the truth.
07:09So he believes something about himself, which is not true.
07:13And do you think he did that to be able to live with himself or for other means?
07:19It's it's a bit of both.
07:20I think you can't live with a vacuum behind you.
07:23You have to kind of you have to create a memory when where one doesn't exist.
07:28But the problem with Ray is that he's created a false memory of something really traumatic.
07:33So he's he's actually kind of almost admitting guilt to something that he has no memory of,
07:38which I think was was a challenge.
07:40And I know, but like so complex and so lovely to investigate and play.
07:47And the show is landing on Netflix, isn't it?
07:49On New Year's Eve.
07:50New Year's Eve.
07:51I don't think you're going to be sober.
07:52So what will you be doing for New Year's Eve for our little Christmas edition with me as editor?
08:00What are you up to, Richard?
08:02I will be watching fireworks at the bottom of a mountain in Park City.
08:12And on New Year's Day, it's a sort of a tradition which I've had to sort of dispense with because
08:17of COVID.
08:17But I I usually start the year at the top of the mountain and ski down.
08:22And I do it because I was so sick of waking up with a really bad hangover and feeling a
08:28little bit depressed that I decided start the year on a high.
08:32Get to the top of the mountain, breathe the air and just start with with really good intentions.
08:37So that's that's what I'll be doing.
08:38That sounds so gorgeous.
08:40I think we all get to that point.
08:42I think we've like been there, done that.
08:44Yeah, I've done it.
08:45I've waited for too many night buses in the rain.
08:47It's not glamorous.
08:49It's not fun.
08:50And I don't know why.
08:51It's almost like you erase your memory of how bad it is.
08:54Yeah, it's true.
08:56A bit like your character.
08:58Yeah, blank it out.
09:00And listen, Christmas.
09:03Hopefully this one won't be cancelled this year.
09:05Are you a big Christmas fan?
09:07Are you a bit bar humbug?
09:08How do you feel about it this year?
09:10You know what I think?
09:11And you'll probably relate to this as an actor, is that I tend to give Christmas over to everybody else
09:18because I've spent so much of the year away from friends and family.
09:22I'm like, just give it over.
09:23So I usually sort of go.
09:26It's I'll go to my brother, go to see my dad and, you know, whatever they want to do, I'll
09:31go with it.
09:31You know, I'm not I don't.
09:33But it's usually exactly the same as the year before.
09:37And do you have like any traditions in the Armitage household?
09:41Are there any little traditions that you always have to do?
09:44You know, my brother's picked up this tradition that we had with kids and I'm pretty sure it happens in
09:50every single household, which is just leaving out the little plate of a mince pie, a carrot and a glass
09:54of sherry for Santa.
09:55And he does it with his kids.
09:57And the game is that he'll try and drink the sherry before because they won't go to bed.
10:03So he'll kind of come back in and be like, the sherry's gone.
10:07It's Santa been already.
10:07And it's like, oh, no, no, no, no.
10:09Mummy, mummy just had that one.
10:10Let's top it off again.
10:11So but we played the same game.
10:13So, yeah, leaving out the food for Santa.
10:16I absolutely love it.
10:17The sherry's gone.
10:18I'm glad it's not just us.
10:19We've got a little one who's six.
10:21Right.
10:21And he's also like, come Christmas Eve, he's like, we have this little tradition where we have to open a
10:26present each.
10:27Right.
10:28At midnight.
10:29And obviously he wants to stay up for that now.
10:31He's no fool.
10:32So and then he notices that the older sherry does go.
10:36It's gone.
10:37How do you get into bed then?
10:39So, well, well, I kind of just have to bribe him.
10:42I just have to just basically say, listen, he's coming really soon.
10:46I just know it.
10:47I can feel it.
10:48And then what time is he waking up?
10:50Oh, he's up at about five or six.
10:53And so and then he's like just exhausted throughout the day, but deliriously happy like a drunk person.
10:59It's it's it's hilarious.
11:00But I have to ask you finally.
11:02Yes.
11:05As a wonderful storyteller that you are, what is your favourite go to Christmas movie and why?
11:14Gosh, that is a really tough one.
11:16I'm just trying to think what what would be on in the afternoon that I would always watch.
11:23It's probably going to be Indiana Jones and.
11:29You know, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
11:32Wow.
11:33It's not a Christmas film, is it?
11:34But, you know, it's.
11:35No, but I know what you mean.
11:36It's always played around that time of year.
11:38If it's on, I will sit and watch it.
11:40And it's usually Christmas Day or Watership Down.
11:44Oh, my.
11:45Oh, my God.
11:47Yeah.
11:47You've got a bit of action.
11:49You've got a bit of tears.
11:50A bit of sadness.
11:51It's not very Christmassy, though, is it?
11:52No.
11:53But you know what?
11:54It's all about emotion.
11:55And that's what Christmas is all about.
11:58Yeah.
11:58But listen, thank you so much for talking to me and shedding some light.
12:02I'm just so excited to see the rest of it, genuinely, as another actress.
12:09I'm just, I'm a big fan.
12:10You'll have to try and be in his next one.
12:13Yeah.
12:14Well, because I've only got a little one who sits.
12:15I need to just do a little part.
12:18Put it out there to the universe.
12:19That's got a good point.
12:20That's got a good part to play, but a little part.
12:23Yeah.
12:23That'd be amazing.
12:24There you go.
12:25All right.
12:26Well, listen, loads of love.
12:27Nice to see you.
12:28Merry Christmas.
12:30Bye.