Brassic Series 3 | Interview with Damien Molony (Dylan)

Here we go for series three, how excited are you to be back?

SO excited! We begin on the beach on the Costa Del Sol, then a tour of continental Europe; Rome, Athens, Istanbul, which is a big change from previous years…Yeah right! We’re back on the farm, back in the Bedford Rascal, Vinnie’s out of prison and we’re back to our old tricks again… Things have really gone up a notch for series three; And it’s wilder than ever. If you thought the sewer in series one was gross, just wait until you see the bull…

The fact that you’ve managed to get this series wrapped in such extraordinary circumstances, did it bring you closer as a team both on and off camera?

We are a very close gang anyway, both cast and crew. Most of us have been part of the Brassic family since day one. And we all felt incredibly lucky to be back on set. And thrilled to be back together, after lockdowns and isolating… so we were able to hit the ground running. And laughter brings everyone together. If you’re working on a comedy, whether it’s being stuck in a car with a 12ft snake, or getting covered in urine or worse, it usually means that a day at work on Brassic, is always a fun day.

Series three finds Dylan in a different frame of mind than we’ve seen him before, what’s going on?

He’s a mess, a bit all over the place, really. He hasn’t really recovered from the bombshell in series one, that Erin got rid of their baby, he’s drinking and he’s doing drugs and he’s sleeping around. He hasn’t really admitted to the depression he’s sliding into. But he’s got these great mates to try and shake him out of that, that’s what Brassic is all about. And his relationship with Vinnie goes from strength to strength, there’s a newfound respect there. Previously, Dylan and Vinnie’s conversations are about how Vinnie’s doing. This series there’s a lot more of, is everything okay with Dylan?

How is he feeling about the whole Vinnie/Erin situation?

In Dylan’s mind, he think’s he’ll always end up with Erin, but he’s still very hurt by what she did. And this series, he’s more obsessed about losing his relationship with her son, Tyler. He’s been a father figure to Tyler for so long. But he can see that Vinnie and Tyler are now forming this uniquely strong bond and Dylan has a hard time coming to terms with that. Caring for Tyler was pretty much all Dylan had left, in terms of responsibility and a focus. What happens to him when that’s taken away?

He supported Vinnie in the past through his mental health struggles, is it nice that the roles have reversed in this series, that Vinnie’s the one actually helping Dylan?

I think the role-reversal is really important, not only for Vinnie, but also for Dylan… like many men with mental health issues, Dylan doesn’t want to talk about it because of the perceived stigma attached to it. It’s one of the aspects of Brassic I’m most proud of… mental health is addressed. There are no stigmas. And for Dylan, it’s his mates that pull him through.

There’s plenty of the usual craziness that fans know and love, starting with a very random theft…

We decide to steal a bull! No, we HAVE to steal a bull because (who knew!) bull semen is incredibly valuable… Unfortunately, as usual, things get a bit sticky, and very, very messy! I don’t know what substance the make-up department used on us, but it was so thick, and so cold and it was trickling down my neck and into my ears; Faye, the make-up artist, actually retched as she was applying it on me! So, let’s just say… the bull theft does not go well.

When you got the script for that episode, were you glad to discover it was Ryan who had to be the focal point for the bull, shall we say?

I sent our writer Danny Brocklehurst a close-up picture of me and there was a real tear rolling down my cheek when I read that scene. “I’ve just read the bull wank scene.” I laughed and laughed. And on set, I was even worse. I couldn’t stop laughing, let alone try to keep a straight face. It was just preposterous, what we were doing! And Ryan is hilarious in that scene. I think he got cramp. I sent a picture of the fake bull’s penis to a friend, who replied, “What is that?!” Just a normal day filming Brassic!

The same episode sees all the lads end up naked, what was that like to film?

It was cold. And windy. And decided very last minute. I thought we were taking everything off. But everyone else left their boots on. So I had to spent the rest of the day barefoot walking round the farm… raging!

Of all the things you were worried about taking off!

Exactly! Someone had an idea about doing a Brassic calendar for charity, different shots of us naked in various parts of Lancashire… watch this space!

Did you all hit the gym before filming that scene?

Well there was definitely zero carbohydrates consumed by anyone in the week leading up to it. Everyone was playing it very cool, “No, I’m not worried about that scene, I haven’t even thought about it”. There were press-ups, squats before-hand, any opportunity to get a little bit more pump into the muscles, it was very funny! But of course, no one can compete with Aaron! At least I had the benefit of hiding behind Joe and Ryan.

As well as the bull, you also film with a real snake…

In episode three, we are looking for a snake because we find out that the snake is worth thousands of pounds. We got on set with the snake and I swear to God, this thing is 12 foot long, it is enormous! And he’s a python called Monty. Thankfully, it had been fed the previous week, so the snake ‘probably wouldn’t be interested’ in us. Honestly, it was enormous, I was absolutely terrified. The wrangler asked if I would like to put the snake around my neck. I didn’t enjoy a moment of it!

This series we see that Erin has got herself involved with McCann. What do the lads think when they find out just how badly she’s caught up in his world?

Dylan’s really surprised and really worried because it’s very unlike her. And as these things often do, it’s spiralled out of her control. She’s in very murky territory with a very dangerous, nasty man.

The lads are more than happy to move a dead body to protect her. Do you think that shows just how committed they are to each other?

No question, to save Erin and Tyler, Dylan will absolutely risk moving a dead body, he’ll do anything. Her life is collapsing in front of her, she stands to lose everything. And the lads will never let that happen.

Filming took longer this time around because of Covid restrictions, how did you entertain each other?

We play lots of board games and lots of quizzes. And we got to know the local countryside very well. Personally, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was a saving grace. Tatton Park, Arley Hall and Dunham Massey too.

What you’d like to happen to Dylan in series four?

Please send us to Marbella, the gang would get in to so much trouble. And the actors would love it too!

How does it feel to be a part of something that’s become so successful and so loved by viewers?

You never know when you’re auditioning for something, how people are going to respond. But it was obvious, reading the scripts, how special Brassic was. You put all these characters together in these bizarre circumstances and it just seems to work. We’ve never for a moment taken the foot off the pedal in terms of trying to maintain the high standards we had originally set, and it’s never played for laughs. The more serious the characters are, the funnier it is.

Do you get recognised by fans in the street?

Being up North filming series four, I get recognized for Brassic a lot. It’s really, really lovely. We sometimes have fans come to watch us filming, in the hills or on the street, so sometimes like theatre, you have a live audience! We have great fun making Brassic, and it’s lovely to be in a show that people love.