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Showing: UK...
Wednesday 7 June 2006 ITV1 Network
During a break between scenes,
Neil describes his character Joe in ‘The Kindness of Strangers’…
“Joe is happily married to
Ellie, and just when he thought he’d finished with parenthood (they
already have one teenage son together) he is suddenly a dad again to
twins.”
“Ellie is his business partner
for a building company, but she is now at home with the babies…He
becomes more and more under pressure at work because he’s trying to
play with the big boys now, and he is a little bit over-stretched and a
little bit short of time. So it’s not the best time for the cuckoo in
the nest (Hermione’s character, Fiona) to arrive on the scene!”
Neil happily admits that already
knowing some of the people in this drama was the main reason he agreed
to do it…
“I can quite honestly say that
the cast drew me to this project, and the director. I have worked with
Tony Smith before; it was a long time ago, in 1982 or 1983 I think in a
production called ‘Oi For England’. So it was a nice reunion with
him.”
“As for Julie Graham I have
always wanted to work with her, and Hermione and I seem to work together
on every second job that we do! We have worked together in Drop the Dead
Donkey, and two episodes of Between the Lines. So I knew it would be a
happy ship and it’s a great, tense triangular thriller too.”
“And I knew my character in
this wasn’t a journalist or a detective or a mad priest – just
someone nice and normal for me to play for a change!”
Neil admits that Joe isn’t
really sure what causes Ellie’s sudden change in behaviour…
“I think having been married
for a very long time to Ellie, Joe thinks they know each other very well
and you make allowances for each other and possibly you get a little
negligent in perceptions at times. Also of course there are effects of
pregnancy and possible post-natal depression – things that could
explain her behaviour. The thing it turns out to be wasn’t on the
agenda… I can’t say too much about it without giving away the plot,
but what I can say is that it’s easy, in a marriage where both parties
are very busy, to simply miss things – and then it’s too late.”
Working with the twin babies on
this drama had its highs and lows, laughs Neil…
“It was pointless being in the
scenes with them, they steal the show and it’s just their scenes
really. They are both drop dead gorgeous and the most serene of
children! And their parents are too – they are very cool, calm and
collected. I don’t think those kids have ever been shouted at. You can
normally rely on a bit of grizzliness from babies, but we’d probably
have had to wait until puberty to get it from these children! Absolutely
angelic.”
Hermione’s character Fiona
does ruffle Joe’s feathers at first says Neil… |
