Got a teriffic part in a tv sitcom promo "Freshments" (hopefully be picked up, we'll see). Really funny Comedy Character filming with Hi-Gloss Prods and also did some filming for an independant in London and nearly had to share a coach home with these strangers Steve,Lynn,their doberman and a bagful of Carsburg Super (nearly) but thankfully sat in a crew van heated by the generator with a lovely swedish girl watching London wake up and got the train back.
Freshments - Episode 2
13/11/07
New Website online as you can see.Hope you like it.
Met some great people through auditions etc and have been researching new courses and skills that i've been planning to do after Xmas. Manchester has a lot to offer creatively and affordably and i'm going to use as much of it as i can to positive affect. Saw Hairspray (infectious energy!) and got to spend some time with my family in London.Hope you're all well and warm.
21/11/07
Got a Commercial today.
Oldham Theatre Workshops,responsible for many established artists may have it's budget slashed by 46% to help fund the Olympics.A Counciller from the Council said that they must take into account the fact that a lot of the members of the workshops don't actually come from Oldham.Work that one out??!! and does he think The Olympic games are made up of soley Olympians?
2/1/08
Happy New Year all.Had a brilliant time over xmas taking my nephew to meet Spiderman and plonking him on "Jaws" at Universal Studios and stayed at the funky Hard Rock Hotel.Castingcallpro (brilliant website for an actor) is coming alive again after the break and i've got my Goal list for this year stuck in front of my face along with my pictures of loved ones that have gone but who continue to lift my spirits when i need them.Let's break the backbone of January! Hope you're all well
15/01/07
Just auditioned and got the role in a TV Promo.Good start to the year and that will be a good addition to my showreel footage which is beginning to come in from last year.Oldham Theatre has it's funding for the next i believe 3 yrs which is fantastic and just received the spring intinerary for the Northern Actors Centre to brush up and learn some new skills,hopefully meet some new people and improve the audition situation in Manchester.Got a meeting with a director in London next week in Covent Garden,be good to go back to an old,regular haunt.The tourists never find their way to the back of St Pauls church there and it used to be very peaceful.
Also i'm rehearsing and about to film in Liverpool for F.A.C.T. which is the UK's leading organisation for the commissioning and presentation of film,video and new media art forms.It will be screened during Liverpools European Capital of Culture Year 2008 in various venues and internationally.Superbly written sci-fi film in the vein of Blade Runner/Metropolis that reflects both the spirit of this wonderful city and the warmth of its people.After a tough audition process (all improvised) i'm playing the lead male character,a challenging role and i'm very excited about it.
15/02/2007
Had a fantastic shoot in Liverpool and stayed at this strange,zany hotel above a recording studio with these Fatboy bean bags inside the room (but no-one to bounce on them with).You reached the room via this old Victorian lift to the room level that was like something out of The Shining.They are gonna premiere the film at F.A.C.T. before the opening of some Blockbuster in April (Ironman i think).I'll be adding footage from some work on the website as it comes in.Liverpool is buzzing and there's so much to do there.I'd love to do a part in Blood Brothers,if you've never seen this musical you've got to see it.I remember seeing it 18 times when the show opened in London with Con O'Neill and Kiki Dee and it's still very moving and funny and is a great show to take ya fella too especially if he's not theatre lover.I went to see Con O'Neill pick up his Olivier Award for Best Actor in a musical and he's very much an inspiration to me.Look out for "Telstar" with him when it hits the screens!
Also i'm appearing in a Comedy Play "Double-Click" which is a comedy set in a self-help group for Internet Addicts.It will be performed at the Salford Arts theatre April 17th - 19th. B.O. 0161 925 0111.Written by Sally Lawton who had a successful run at last years Manchester 24:7 festival,she's a big fan of Mike Leigh (a little cheesy pineappley one Ange) which brought a big smile to my face when i saw the audition and i'm going to be extending on a character i've briefly brushed on before and i'm looking forward to rehearsals.
21/03/2008
Finished the last few days on the Liverpool shoot.Glamorous locations included a backyard alley full of suspicious smelling puddles and a restaurant lowering it's rubbish over my head unbeknownst to me,i swear if i wore a toupee they would have happily swooped the crane and knocked it into the Mersey.The premiere is on April 22nd and is going to presented by Phil Redmond (Grange Hill,Brookside,Hollyoaks).First time i will have have seen myself in a main role at the cinema,for a short film it was an intense experience trying to convey a number of emotions over a small ammount of time.Learnt a lot from it in front and behind the camera in this one.
Also finished another short and just got a part in another filming after the play.Seeing so much of England now,i just need an American tourist on my arm.Rehearsals are going well.The poster is on the photo section.
Spoke to my 7 yr old nephew today.I was telling him about Virgin Galactic and about what happens if you're sick while in space etc.He said to me "Uncle Paul you fill my head with so much knowledge i think it's going to explode" Haha
9/4/2008
A sex addict,a man who thinks he's constantly reading the news,Busty Bernice,some of the Internet addicted characters in the Comedy Double-Click opening next week.Can't believe how quickly it's arrived and a healthy panic is on! Every rehearsal new comedy comes out of every single actor and it's been hard keeping a straight face (well i haven't and i break into smile before i walk into rehearsals i'm enjoying it that much).It's "Bang in your face" comedy with a touch of darkness and it's not so lengthy that your backsides will ache.The cast are very talented and distinct and the writer/director Sally Lawton knows how to knock a funny bone and doesn't care how loud she taps it !It's at the Salford Arts Theatre,see above.
Also journeyed to Hull today to do some Green Screen test filming for an interesting project (more later) and i was taken to "The Deep",an enormous aquarium named as a tribute to the people of Hull who for generations looked to the sea for their livelihoods.The director (Robert king) kindly showed me around and both being huge fans of "Jaws" stood agog at what must have been the biggest shark i've ever seen,bigger than anything i've ever seen in the U.S. or Bahamas.It was so quiet in there and this monster of the deep sort of just floated there in front of us in this sun speckled tank 10 metres deep.It was so ace! Next door was a tank full of "Hagfish" .....not a very pc name for a fish is it?
18/4/2008
Crikey what a week.Met up with the cast of Double-Click Wed morning the day before we were due to open to find out one of the actors had threw a diva strop by text and literally didn't turn up.We were all ready for the Technical Rehearsal and were in shock.Can you imagine the panic we were in.All the hard work that we had put in.You know i've known people to quit and sometimes understandably but this was sheer unprofessionalism at it's worst and i wouldn't print this if there was anything justifiable about it but there really wasn't.Sally Lawton,the writer of Double-Click stepped in to play the large role and you may think that yer ok she's the writer so she should know the words but her mindset was on direction and production which is a massive task of it's own.
Well Blimey,you know when you see someone do something and you're left a bit gobsmacked,well this was one of those times.In my eyes it was a tour de force of positive thinking,pure adrenalin and artistic acheivement.I've seen 1 person step into the role of Bathsheba in Far From The Madding Crowd over a week but i'd never seen this.Outstanding in the role,unforgettable and inspirational! and an upcoming fresh,edgy,writer thrown in that Manchester will be very proud of.Just you watch.
The character i'm playing in Double - Click has a bladder issue.Preparation wasn't an issue.I got on the bus to come home "that" Wednesday night full of coffee and couldn't find an open loo anywhere.So the sweats started on the bus and i watched in horror as the bus driver stopped at a corner,let a drunk on who went on to ask him if he wanted "anymore" dodgy toothpaste.The driver replied "No my wife didn't like it as it didn't have coloured stripes".Seriously.The bus driver then happily waited a few minutes as the drunks drunken friend took a wee on the corner while i nearly passed out.
22/4/2008
There is no glamour in this job but there is loads of joy.Everyone is entitled to it,some have it stifled from our outdated school system that still fails to recognise every individual has gifts and worth in life.They just need nurturing with patience,recognition and positive action.What is worthier,teaching a teenager a subject that they sleep through or trying to recognise and stimulating their passion (without compromising the obvious neccessary subjects),give them more of what they want and need to learn to help achieve want they want out of life.It can't be that hard,most young adults know whether they are good with their hands,minds or hearts.What does the government think this does to the moral of both teacher and pupil,it's just a huge lesson in timewasting and low confidence.Rant over ( i could go on forever about this subject) it amazes me that people have attained a personal joy in their life whether it's a 100 yr old man running a marathon to John Glenn going into space at 77.Health permitting anyone can seek to uncover their worth at whatever age.I hope this doesn't sound patronising,it isn't meant to sound like that.When i see kids bullied,women silenced,men forced to stay in unhappy jobs.it makes my blood boil that we have missed out on their gifts through stupidity,greed and ignorance.Who knows how this earth would be if they were to be encouraged rather than drowned whatever background they come from.Anyway i seem to have found my joy via a long rocky road and through others support and my own personal belief system that was once knocked out of me but i've grabbed it back and tonight i'm going to see myself at the pictures for the first time,i'm incredibly nervous if what was going through my head creating the character comes out in a short film,very excited and the quiet little kid who was always first in line to watch Star Wars on his own is giggling is head off in disbelief.Wish me luck and stay joyful !
26/4/2008
The above was very exciting and am glad to have played Lennon,he was a character of many layers,with the time restraints of a short film you can only see parts of him but i always think that if you've gone through the layers of a character as much as you can with the time hopefully some soul will come through in the finished cut.A good friend came with me and we lit some candles in the beautiful Protestant Cathedral,heard the tenors and chatted away to people at the party about the films.I saw Mike Leighs "Happy-Go-Lucky" today.It was brilliant and from an actors perspective it must be a consuming journey working with the great man.I remember working in a call-centre and Eddie Marsan,who plays the driving instructor was working there,i didn't know him and this girl was telling me how hard at it he was to be a jobbing actor amongst lots of actors working there.His perseverance stood out and is a lesson learnt in "waiting by the phone for your agent to ring".He was brilliant in it and i'm so pleased for him.I also saw "The Glass Menagarie" at The Royal Exchange with Brenda Blethyn,it was the first time i'd been in that Theatre and the performances were architected beautifully.
I'm working on some characters at the moment.1 works in a high profile firm,has lost his wife and is re-assembling his life so if the weather stays ok i'll get my coffee,find a bench near a high profile firm,watch the people,make my notes and learn the lines and get the odd funny look.You never get lonely when you're trying to "find" someone.
My dad went into the supermarket today.He saw a member of staff stacking Potatoes so he went up to him and asked him where the runner beans were. "Don't ask me" the staff member replied "I'm just doing the vegetables"
My showreel is finally under way and i've got copies of some work and will be collecting more in 2 weeks.I'm going to have a bash at doing it myself,have bought some software but am having some problems with it that i will iron out when i stop shouting at it.
Enjoy the weather..it feels like a new chapter is starting
2/07/08
1st Showreel is up on the media page now.I'm no editor and as more footage comes through i'll be able to add things but at least i have something on there now.If you have any comments/suggestions on it please let me know.
I'm in another Comedy directed by Sally Lawton http://mirthinmanchester.blogspot.com/ (Sally's blog) called "Battered Ego's" which is an old fashioned Lancashire Comedy set in a chippy and we will again be at the Salford Arts theatre at the end of July.After a few hiccups we've settled in with the show now and a good rapport is showing and the cast are very positive.Now a showreel is finally ticked off my goal list i can move on to other things i have planned which involve screen techniques and new skills.
Catalina: A New Kind of Superhero which is a feature film about a transvestite Superhero is having its Premiere in August which i'm going to.It was my first Professional Voiceover in a film and it was for the Navigator Alien.It's full of flying transvestites,pink shoes,spaceships and aliens and looks very funny.La Cage Aux Folles meets Flash Gordon.
I'm now very pleased to be under the Management of Jackie Martin at Elite Talent.
26/07/07
Manchester is very exciting at the moment.The 24:7 festival is on,16 plays showing over a week in venues like hotels,clubs,underneath record stores and you watch 1 play then duck and dive to the next venue to catch the next one.I haven't managed to see them all because of rehearsing for Battered Egos but my favorite has been a play called "The Colorado Session" directed by Sophie Austin.Drugs,S&M,Grief,Electric performances.It was so well written and charged and the 2 principal actors blended complex and tangled emotions through each other the whole time and you could see them listening to each other with reaction and focus which may seem obvious but a lot of actors miss this and it makes all the difference.You know when you watch something and occasionally your mind drifts away to the egg 'n' chips your going to be having blah blah well mine didn't, not once in this,there was so much to think about,you couldn't let it for fear of missing a plotline.Brilliant!
I'm going to playing a character called "Doyle" in a Horror/Comedy called Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders.I've got a reading with the cast and crew this Sunday but it looks like this is going to be a lot of fun and the production crew have a lot of passion about them and they are getting quite a following and a Horror Magazine is going to be covering the shoot.He's a good part Doyle and i can get out my London roots and have fun and i've also been studying more screen-acting techniques so i'll have a chance to try out some new things.I love this city! Hope you're all well and cheers for stopping by.
2/8/08
Just got off stage a couple of hours ago.Nearly fell off stage 1 performance.1 actor did fall off stage but was thankfully unhurt.We got a 5 star review from website Remotegoat,it was a strong cast,i think we all got something new from this experience and Roni and Scott who run the Salford Arts Theatre are the nicest people and are a prominent force in Salford giving the Theatre their own stamp.The bar/lounge area is home to some of Salfords up and coming artists,they strive to bring out the talent in the area and are getting a great reputation.Gritty,gutsy and adventurous! It's been nice having a laugh with some new actors,watching how they work,seeing Salford Quays developing with media city coming whilst riding on the tram in sunshine past people kayaking.Seeing my mum and dad in the audience for the last night was the cherry on the cake.They mean the world to me and my dad hasn't been very well lately and to see him sitting in the audience,well the show could have been "Hannibal Lecter-the musical" and i would have still have been smiling.
29/8/08
Wrapped filming Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders.It was mostly night shoots.For 2 nights we were in this old fashioned outback railway station.Giant shadows were cast over the grassy railway banks as we walked and the odd darkened train creaked past,it was very eerie.Plus there was a "dead" body on the platform and at one point all the lights went out and we had to cut filming.The character i played met a very nasty end on Tues night,i've been sworn to secrecy by what but it terrified me.It's filmed a bit like Airplane meets Scooby Doo with all the creatures and is very tongue in cheek.I was filming with another actor,a really nice guy who was in Battered Egos with me and it was a lot of fun because we both love that kind of genre ; it was quite a laid back shoot and i walked around dressed like Columbo (see photos).
Weren't the Olympics fantastic!!!!!! Felt so proud.Am watching some of The Actors Studio on Youtube, if you haven't seen any check them out if you're an actor.Have finished a good,complicated book on Stanislavski and am going to start researching some new audition pieces as i'm coming up to 40.Couldn't make the "Catalina" premiere as it clashed with filming.Things are feeling positive...i'm skint...isn't everyone...but feeling rich.Look after yourselvesx
I've spoken to a couple of people about this over the past 19 months and it resonates in my life daily in thought processes and has especially been poignant in my life over those past months and it's all to do with embracing and throwing yourself into the pathway of things that you fear,of course not in a direct sense of trying to cross over a live train track but in trying to uncover something about yourself,unlocking parts of yourself you choose to ignore through fear and lack of confidence.Not challenging yourself with just things that you think you can achieve but also with things that you'd like to achieve but never really thought you'd be up to embracing.I've also found personally that by doing so it can unlock happiness in a very strange way.I'd never equated fear with happiness but find now they are like brother and sister.Perhaps i have just learnt this late in life,in any case i'm glad i'm open to that kind of challenge now and i think it helps define who you really are and what you can be.Like running an obstacle course that you daren't go for only to finish,look behind you and find that they were trampolines helping you around the course not obstacles,does that make any sense....Fear...be never afraid again.
Had a couple of bits of good news but can't really say at the moment.Going back down to London for auditioning and to see all my family in one setting which i'm really looking forward to.In Manchester plans are underway about things happening next year,there's a group of artists that have struggled bringing their film to screen that have made it happen,just so typical of the people here and i'm so chuffed to see it happen for them from the outside,i've just watched Al Pacino in The Actors Studio,sold a Marti Webb cd on Amazon for 25 quid??!! so i'm well chuffed for a Thursday night.
29/10/08
I was recently asked to speak on a panel at BBC Manchester for Pandas "Spotlight on Performing for Broadcast".It was to give a personal view on making the transition from Stage to Screen and diff aspects of that.It's something i've never done before and there were a lot of very experienced actors there but i had lots written down and had the opportunity to to have conversations with people that understood what i was going on about.Screen technique for example is such a different discipline from stage and i had to do a few films to understand it and even then it's an ongoing learning experience and i've learnt a lot from doing the films i have since last year and you get to appreciate all the diff sides,directing,editing,crew.It's a never ending conversation once you get into it,there is so much to appreciate and improve on performance wise in film and the desire to learn more about it is quite addictive.I'm constantly thinking about facial movements,fusion of emotions within the eyes,wide and close shots,listening skills,storyboards and i can't seem to watch anything on TV/Film the same anymore.
It also gave me a good opportunity to listen to the other panellists which included Chris Corcoran,Charlotte Riches and Sarah Kenny,Jamie Briers,Julie Fountain and Liz O'Neill and was organised by Sarah Barker.I felt a bit chuffed to be asked.Pandas website is www.panda-arts.org.uk and is well worth joining.
Also finished some new scenes for The Archangel Murders,had a cast reunion with Sally Lawton and the actors from Battered Ego's,celebrated my beautiful niece's 21st (i'm such a proud Uncle) and my incredible parents 50th anniversary (wow!)
22/11/08
I'm just about to film a part called Jimbo in a new feature film "Money Kills" playing a part of a drunken tramp who gets involved in a police siege,really looking forward to it,nice comic character and i think i'm going to get to improv a lot.Also waiting on some other job news that will hopefully come to fruition.
Went to see Stella Grundy in Nico Icon at The Lowry.Had a really good night.The whole cast were great (i wish i played an instrument!!) but there's something so unique about Stella and what she did with her portrayal of Christa Paffgen - Model, Actress & Singer with the Velvet Underground.With Heroin as well as with many forms of addiction you never quite know what personality is going to reveal itself through that addiction and that was brought out mosaic-style with the use of multi-media.She sang "The End" which took me back to listening to Jim Morrison in strange places with strange people some of which couldn't find their window out of that world and the drugs killed them.It was fantastic,the band were and was as loud as "Tommy" if you ever got to see that which suited me great and i especially loved the moments in which Christa was tender,motherly and misunderstood,as misunderstood as Methodone which eventually robbed her life.
Am off to practise being drunk with a can of Vimto
17/12/2008
My body looks like its gone a couple of rounds with Bubbles De Vere from Little Britain and i'm a bit bruised from filming but it was great fun,there were no prima donnas and though it was a small fairly comic character you can get to add layers to someone like a "tramp" character in the style that this was filmed and didn't have to be serious about it.In total contrast i got to the train station,it was absolutely freezing i thought my feet were gonna fall off, (know the feeling?) and there was this homeless guy on a payphone calling someone saying he was cold and had no where to go.Well i nearly burst into tears,i didn't have hardly any money left and i couldn't even give him a bloody jumper because all i had in my bag was "Jimbos" clothes and they were worse than the ones he was wearing.He then made another call to someone to get some "stuff" and jumped on this train so i convinced myself he must have some dosh,more than me but it was still terrible to see and i think being in the mindset of a homeless person (even though a comic character) made it more poignant.
Had a lesson in Commercial Casting Camera Technique today which was incredibley useful and had to pull my performance right down for obvious reasons but you have to even more so for Commercial because of overshadowing a product.Each take it had to be pulled right down but we got it and its a lesson you can work on,get better and quicker at.You can't improve unless you are doing it can you and has certainly changed the way i approach a commercial audition.Sometimes i've risked adding maybe a characteristic here and there at some auditions,something to be a little different and often i've got the part but with a commercial audition i'm going to play it safe and it's early days with those kind of auditions so it was a positive,practical key step for me when i attend them.
Year is almost up,completed 7 out of my 8 goals
19/1/2009
Just turned 40 but i haven't lost anymore hair so i'm ok.
Pinnacle Man has been Nominated for Best Thriller at The First Light Film Awards (dubbed the "mini oscars" lol) which is being held at the Odeon Leicester Square on March 17th and i'm going.Daniel Craig,Ed Hogg and David Harewood are judging this catergory and the event is being attended by people such as Joseph Fiennes, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Kate Beckinsale, Emilia Fox, Sienna Miller, Marc Forster, Freddie Highmore, Juliet Stevenson, Dakota Blue Richards, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Miller and many many more!
I was so proud to have been part of this film which was also my first lead and this is the cherry on the cake.I'm so excited,i used to work in Leicester Square and watch these things happening.Never in a million years did i think i would go to one let alone being in a film judged there.I wish the filmmakers of Pinnacle Man every success,they are an exemplary example of Liverpool and are winners just to be nominated.I got to figure out what to wear so i don't clash with Orlando,haha someone slap me!
6/3/09
Can't believe it's March already.Things are starting to pick up now after a slow start but i've kept myself busy and i don't want to ponder too much on the economy and the way it's affecting the working/hoping to work actor :) it's always been a tough profession,much,much tougher than a lot of people realise but i think i'm quite a tough bloke (watching the end of Lord of The Rings aside),life is too short and has been too short for some people in my life and others (Jx) so i count my blessings and keep looking forward.I'm filming in a feature film at the end of the month,been to a couple of auditions and got some coming up,1 especially i want,he's a great character but we'll see and i think Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders is almost edited and ready to hit the festivals.
23/3/2009
The First Light Film Awards was a massive experience for me,it was a bit like being in a dream.We didn't win the biggy but i'm very proud of the nomination and for the filmmakers as you know from previous entries and we had some lovely feedback,check out what Daniel Craig said about it on the photo section.To be up on the Odeon Leicester Square screen wasn't even a dream come true,i never dared to dream those dreams (blimey that sounded a bit Fantine from Les Miserables didn't it?),it's not that i'm trying to big myself up,it's just if you'd have seen my life 3 years ago you'd understand where i was coming from.There were lots of stars there,i've put a couple of pics on the photos page,we got "mini oscar" goody bags and the crowd went nuts when Danny Boyle came in.A day i'll never forget.
Ok i'm back to earth now,heads down and just shot a small part in a comedy short called Blackpool Joe which is very funny (think Nanna from Royle family with a pet chimpanzee),i just did some work on a music video for Gary Go who is supporting Take That on their tour and tomorrow i'm filming a really nice but nasty character in a feature film "Lethal Contact" which has some great celebrity cameos in it.After that i'm hunting auditions,got a couple coming up,it's still like getting an audience with the Pope,Britney Spears and Fred Flinstone at the same time getting seen by any casting directors but i'm going to battle on,get better,i've got this far and the people i've worked with believe in me and have been a fantastic support as i support them.
There were some tragic events happen to people in the media recently and there are a few people in my family and friends that haven't been well lately.Godspeed you back to recovery and to those that have passed to your next life.
27/4/2009
Things have been very busy despite the country cracking up.I couldn't make that audition i really wanted before because of being booked elsewhere,i'd prepared for it for ages but as usual everything conflicted at once and i'm always honest and let them know.I went to Stafford for audition and got a part in a corporate,i'm playing Jigsaw in a spoof on "Saw" and the lead in a short film which is quite technical and challenging and am performing in Manchester in a comedy this summer.Suddenly you go from nothing to lots of words to learn but am hacking my way through them.
The Archangel Murders premieres June 20th,really looking forward to that and Money Kills has it's trailer up now.
Been staying in London,looking after my nephew,met some brilliant friends who i hadn't seen in years and staring in disbelief at BBC Parliament.!
19/5/2009
Corporate went well,they are very wordy and you have to get inside the 'lingo' of the company but they sharpen your mind up no end.I did this,rushed to an audition in Birmingham then straight on to filming the short in Loughborough which was shot mainly outside and was actually quite funny.We were filming a lot of scenes in Stoke in the backstreets and there were some very strange people around.We were stalked by an ice-cream van who thought he'd try and get some free publicity by constantly going around the block while i was filming a walking/straight to camera/long speech down a long road,one straight shot smoking of all things,my cigarette continuity was as attuned as i could get it.Stayed in the quietest bed and breakfast ever,no bean bags this time but was very nice and i'm hoping this short turns out nice.He was a very mixed up,angry character..i've put a photo up...you can see how scary i looked...i can do scary...i just can't do Mr Darcy :)
mmm got some more auditions coming up and i got booked for a corporate i auditioned for in London which i'm very pleased to be a part of.Thankyou to my agent! .The Gary Go video has been on TV a few times.Actors are having a very very tough time at the moment,remember Equity has its own forum now and you can upload your photo/c.v. and they have a shortlisting option.Get yourself on there if you haven't ; think "have i done something today to promote myself or further myself as an actor".If the answer is no then turn it around.It's good advice isn't it and will keep you fighting strong.
I must mention a fantastic success story.This is what it's all about to me especially in these tough times...An extremely talented,positive,experienced actor called Alan Brent who has given me strength and inspiration in the past,in fact i owe him a bottle of scotch and i don't even really know him.Anyway he has set up http://www.northernshakespearecompany.co.uk/index.html ,pays the actors Equity rates and has created this company with quality actors paying them a decent wage.I wish him every success and hopes he gets to see the world and the world gets to see his work.Brilliant!
9/7/09
Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders hit the underground Manchester scene with a bang,there is a big buzz going around about it.I missed the premiere as i was filming a corporate and was gutted,it was the party to be at and i was in Birmingham on a heavy,emotional job.You can join the facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/MarkMacready?ref=ts&__a=1 It's an amazing journey watching this film unfold and people are loving the humour in it.
Just finished the play "Wife of Brian" part of the "Not Part of" festival.We had a lot of problems and struggles with this play and i need to keep away from negative people because they just drain everything from me,some people think they are better than everyone else without reason whereas positive people fill me with energy and passion.People enjoyed play and as normal Sally Lawton was brilliant.She has a blog "Mirth in Manchester" which is worth checking out http://mirthinmanchester.blogspot.com/
I'm now rehearsing an in-depth short film in the style of Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" with a fabulous director Liam Shanagher.He's a real actors director and i've been waiting to meet one of these for a while.This blog could have gone on forever..it's been thankfully very busy,the play took up a lot of time.Hope you are having a great summer!
5/8/09
Gordon Bennett
Although i haven't seen the finished film yet Gordon Bennett was made with a lot of care by a wonderful production team.I met up with the director Liam Shanagher a few times at The Pie Factory Studios,i was like Charlie going into the chocolate factory although i didn't let on..it was very exciting for me and we had a few rehearsals which is quite unusual in my experience for film as there just isn't the time.He is a brilliant "actors" director and the piece he had written in a "Talking Heads" style was a labour of love..you could tell.
Gordon is an effeminate straight man and he gets to tell you about his meetings with the opposite sex,lapsong suchong tea and his domineering mother as well as other subjects and has been one of my favorite roles.Also onboard were Vishal Sharma who produced and took photos,you have to visit his site,he is a brilliant photographer,there are some of Gordon on there amongst others http://blog.pixbyvish.co.uk/ ;Lucy Cassidy on wardrobe/make up who made me feel so at ease and was lovely and Ben Tranfield was on camera and a perfectionist.Big thanks to them all,they were a joy to work for and to Liam for such a great character.I'm a bit nervous about this one because i haven't seen it yet but my fingers are crossed.
Other news, my favorite event of the year came around again the 24/7 festival.I met up with my good friend Sally Lawton and saw some shows.My favorites were The Person Without and Maine Rd.Some great acting and storytelling in both and had me gripped.Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders was selected to go into the new 24/7 film festival and we sat by candlelight watching it.The fanpage is growing on facebook,many from the u.s. and we've been doing radio interviews,online and written interviews,it's been a very exciting time for the film,it's being submitted to many u.s. film festivals and they are loving the humour in the film.Catch the trailer and interviews at the facebook link in the previous blog.I'll also put up a list of links soon to various interviews.
Also it looks like i have a role (tho i don't know what kind) in an online/venus tv on sky soap.I am meeting with them this week to discuss matters so i'll know more very soon.
One last thing..i was sitting on the grass in Spinningfields (a nice chill out area in Manchester,they show open air films,tennis etc) learning lines and i had about 3.50 left on me and this man came up and offered me a ticket to this event in Spinningfields called "It felt like a kiss" which was part of the "Not Part of" festival.They were normally 25 quid and it was sold out,i didn't have the money but really wanted to go.Anyway,couldn't believe my luck and i went in with him and his friend (you go in small groups).It's set on 5 floors in an office block and the basement.It was the scariest thing i've ever been in.They stuck us in a lift and told us when we come out to just walk around.Well we arrived at the top of the building and it was pitch black,my heart was thumping and you walked around like a funhouse,through clowns mouths,swinging puch bags etc then it took you through Americas Cultural Life through a number of years.It was incredible,you went into ganglands,homeless areas,middle class American homes,a prom hall (they even had the music from Carrie playing),it felt like ghosts were with you the whole time and there were plastic dummys in the rooms which were very eerie.Anyway it's hard to describe but after going through all these rooms you end up in like this mental asylum and are put into a room with notes on the chairs telling you how all these people were burnt in a funhouse (lovely),then this nurse comes in and sends you off down these endless corridors and woods and cages like from "Saw" and there's these dummies you walk past and after going past them you see cctv cameras of them and they are moving.Well i grabbbbbed the blokes who gave me the tickets hand,yer i did and told him not to leave me,i can't believe i'm typing this and ran off with him to the cages which were ceiling high.Anyway walking through the cages which were like a giant maze you come across various tables in the dark lit up with things like a gun on one,a deadly pill on another and signs saying pick up the gun and swallow the pill.This girl moved towards the gun and it exploded,well i nearly leapt onto this bloke,she was shocked into fright but i just left her and pulled this guy through the maze.we ended up at a solemn table with a plastic dummy just standing in the corner and a comb on the table with a sign saying "comb the dummies hair"..i let go of his hand and ran past the dummy and watched by a table with a chainsaw on it.Someone combed his hair then walked on to the chainsaw table which read "start the chainsaw",well i ran off again and watched from a bit of a distance.This guy started up the chainsaw,then suddenly the plastic dummy came to life,had the most horrendous face,grabbed the chainsaw and started running after us in the dark.I ran off and left them to be chainsawed and we regrouped in this room where we locked it and the dummy was thumping on the door.I nearly died with fright.We were then forced to go into seperate doors and down tunnels,i ended up almost crawling to the exit in the pitch black,thinking something would jump out at me and got to the exit.Terrifying and i apologised to the guy then spent my 3.50 on a drink to calm me down. :)
29/9/09
Just got back from playing sex shop owner "Dixie" in a feature film.I thought we were going to be filming in Soho but we ended up filming in the UK'S biggest porn studios so was an eye opener.I didn't know what many of the props were but improvised and made people laugh.There was one object i called The Beast.....i don't know whose nostril it would have fitted in.
Gordon Bennett has gone down well and i'm very proud of it and i've started work on a new showreel now all my footage is through.I'm so broke so it's good to have something to work on.I have some new headshots being taken tomorrow,a new script to read and an audition in Liverpool on Thursday which seems very interesting.I was due to begin rehearsals for The Importance of Being Earnest but it has been delayed because of getting the right cast and i have my final screen test for the online soap soon.Still hard getting the auditions but i'm hoping once my showreel is up on Spotlight it will open some more windows for me.My dad celebrated his birthday down South and we had a big Italian night,was lovely to see my parents,they've been in London for a while,a friend of theirs is very sick and it's very heartbreaking to see as he is a dear friend of the family and they are all in my prayers.
Mark Macready is at the UK's biggest horror festival next month and a lot of us are going and my dear friend Sally Lawton has gone online with this new comedy character she invented Lydia Mould,i think it's going to be very funny,she's a stage door groupie with attitude - http://www.youtube.com/user/LydiaMould
29/10/2009
My dads best friend unfortunately passed away between these posts and it was heartbreaking to see.Gerry was a well respected man and he always came and visited my mum and dad with his lovely wife Sheila when my parents moved up here and that was much appreciated in my eyes.He had no quality of life left and i'm sure he's playing golf happily somewhere else now.My sister took my mum and Sheila to Barbados for a few days for a much deserved break and i kept my eye on my dad,i wish he had a bit more of a hobby but he seems happy enough although i know that was a big blow to him.
On a work related note there are things in the pipeline,got a final screen test for a project,shortlisted for another,went to an audition and read for a part,they offered it to me,then i heard no more from them,was only small part,hey i got a thick skin,then i had an audition,my time slot was sent to me with (unusually) no contact info if there was a problem and there was,i arrived in town,plenty of time to spare,was walking in Piccadilly Gardens and this woman in front of me went "smack" on the pavement.I helped her up with some other people and ended up with her shopping bag so people sort of left me with her and she was in shock and said she was worried about having an epileptic fit so of course i didn't leave her,waited for her husband to come who ended up phoning her mum to come who ended up getting lost so i was running up the street shouting "she's over here" whilst looking over my shoulder to make sure the lady was allright,i missed my audition slot and they were allocating the missed slots to people just turning up and i just thought "this is someone elses job,not mine",came home emailed them straightaway (no answer,no shock there..prob didn't believe me).
There's a project coming up fingers crossed working with a "Red" camera (used on District 9),how great will that be,we'll see how that evolves and a couple of potential bits n bobs,you just never know what's going to happen or not but you've got to believe that next great character is around the corner and new experiences will be made.The character from Gordon Bennett has only just sort of left me (tho always there inside),just not speaking or doing his physical so much now,it takes a while sometimes if a character is quite deep and you've built them from scratch to unravel them and tuck them away.So it's been quite busy,for me anyway.Chocolate Moon had its premiere,i did a spoof as Jigsaw from Saw,will put it up.
Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders - Odeon Manchester Halloween 2009
So....the underdog success of Mark Macready has come to this and on Saturday 31st Oct 2009 Mark Macready is at the Odeon in Manchester and was nominated for an award and commended.I still can't quite believe after being at the Odeon Leicester Square with Pinnacle Man that this has happened or that my life is how it is at the moment.Yes i'm not well off,i don't have a ha'penny to rub together sometimes but i tell you what it's like being in some strange mad dream when things like this happen and watching a film grow and reach out is like watching a flower grow,that sounds a bit soft but it is.When i was about 14 i used to write to the actress Jamie Lee Curtis and i used to get signed photos back,i used to write long letters about acting and scenes that she was in,i used to be a John Carpenter Halloween nut as many kids were,ya know,knew it backwards and used to scare people playing the music on dusty pianos in old rehearsal rooms (only thing i could play).Anyway the character i play,DCI Doyle has an encounter with the Archangel and i had to scream,i remember when we shooting i said to Ryan who plays Mark Macready "i'm gonna do a Jamie Lee scream"..as it is a comedy and they were all doing homages to films i wanted to do one for her.Anyway we just recently found out they we are playing as a double bill with Halloween at the Odeon and it's just quite bizarre and surreal.I wanted to put down how i'm feeling as this is a bit of a diary for me,so we are off tomorrow to the Mayhem festival,a massive horror festival where macready is playing then on Sat i'm going to watch it at the Odeon and i'm not going on my own,my photo of Jamie Lee is coming right with me....well i am single. :)
13/11/09
Mark Macready wins Best Original Film and Judges Selection award at 28 Hours Later film festival 2009
Also nominated and commended at Festival of Fantastic 2009
The film has been announced to play at the Zero Film Festival in New York on the 15th December and i'm going over.So excited! Will post more about it soon
23/11/09
Had the pleasure of working with Liam Shanagher and Vishal Sharma who directed and produced Gordon Bennett again on a horror short that Vish wrote called "Block" based around writers block.We were filming at the Pie Factory Studios in Manchester and working with a Class A crew and filming on a "Red" camera,the same kind used in "District 9".I couldn't take my eyes off of the equipment and just watching the crew work..fascinating stuff...for me anyway. I play an evil spirit called "Frederick Francis" and got to use my character face to full expression.I did an impression of of the "Predators" mouth in one scene.A lot of fun and an easy shoot for me,although i did my background work i didn't have any lines so could absorb more of the technical side.I love working with these guys and gals and met some lovely new people.I'll put a picture of Frederick on the photos page.The Royle Family were filming next door and it was a bit surreal,i love the programme so much,it felt like you wanted to knock at their door and say "sorry to hear about Nana"
Also i've been down to Leeds again and from next February will be a character in a sky/online soap drama called "Today and Tomorrow".I don't know my character details yet,they are being written at the moment but have done promo shots for the series.I want to be a cross between Richard Hillman from Coronation St,a bit of Sue Ellen and a touch of Wayne from Sons and Daughters...so a killer drunk hearthrob with hairloss.! We'll see how it develops.Until then at the moment out of work but it's something to look forward too.
28/1/2010
Happy New Year..hope you all have a proactive and busy one..Almost 1 month down..been fairly busy.
Did a Short Horror film with Lee Murphy called Nepokretan which involved zombie children.My one fear is not spiders or snakes but zombies.I was getting ready for rehearsal and was typing a shoelace up,as i stood up 2 zombie kids were snarling in front of me.It was the first time i had seen them and they were totally in character...i thought they would be children running around screaming or bored but they were snarling at me and i just ran off in fear.! hehe was fun shoot,i was a typical evil scientist and it was great to work with Lee again.
I then rushed back down to London to work with an award winning director Alle Segretti.We had a challenge at Kino London which is a monthly event for filmmakers and fans and the challenge was to incorporate film with a "live" element.I ended up conversing with a character (an actress called Milli who is superb) onscreen and answering to her character whilst i was Live onstage.It would then swap to me being onscreen and her talking to me.It was highly challenging to help unfold the storyline,rehearse,go to London and shoot,come back,watch them edit,record Adr,block the stage movements,learn the timing for the screenshots..etc etc and we were humping around heavy equipment around and under London.It was like being back in my days in fringe touring but was a really satisfying experience,hard work and Alle was a great director and didn't stop to breathe.It's a great feeling of wholeness when you accomplish this kind of challenge,it's hard to describe how much we got through without being there but i'm sure you get the gist.
I've only just got back to Manchester and a few other things are starting to happen and one potential great bit of news but another time.I'll be getting details of my role in the new Sky Soap "Today and Tomorrow" soon,i've just been told i'll love the part and we start filming in Febuary so got that to look forward too.Not seen much of my friends in Manchester since christmas,can't wait to see them.They are all doing very well though.Had the usual share of not getting auditions but hey that's anothers good fortune!Will put some new photos up Good luck with whatever you're doing!
p.s. didn't get to New York (no dosh) but Mark Macready was really well received and we're getting great reviews all over the place,i've lost count.I've just heard tonight it's playing again in New York...who knows what's still to come with this project,it has a mind of its own now haha
20/2/10
Filming has started on the new soap drama "Today and Tomorrow" and i'm playing a corrupt soliciter called Wayne Crawford.Apparently he's been talked about a lot but not seen and i filmed my first two scenes with the leading lady.Went fine,it was a bit strange coming into a "ready made" group of actors and crew but got chatting to everyone and they were all great.Couple of other potential jobs in the pipeline but ill wait and see if they come to fruition.
Some fantastic news! Mark Macready is being made into a feature film,the award winning 30 min short we did which you've read about is going online for the very first time for the online community of "Twitter".We're gearing up to put the film online and figures we'd better get some support and let people know its coming and wow! people have been so great.We have so much planned to make this a real experience for everyone and with the big studios having control and independant original films being squeezed out there is a real feeling of people wanting a change,something had to be done and other filmmakers are doing their own thing to fight this and we are putting our own original stance on it.I wish all the independants out there every success with what they are doing.If you are on twitter please support us and follow @markmacready and ask your friends.This is going to be a LOT of fun.
Thanks to all the tweeters if any of you happen to read this and a big thanks to @archangeldaz (coincidence???)
5/7/2010
Been a little while since my last blog..
Ok so i got asked to submit an audition for a film because i couldn't get down to the casting,i was shortlisted then asked to do the video again in a U.S. accent and i got a job on BACK2HELL 3D a Horror with stars such as Michael Madsen.Patrick Bergin,Kenny Baker plus loads more.I couldn't believe it.Can't blog about this one too much but was a fantastic experience and ive still got to go back and do some more.I was sitting one day in Make-up getting ready to play "Frog" who is the leader of a gang of henchmen..going over my lines when outside the window next to my head 3 llamas appeared and strolled around outside..i thought i was on the set of Dr Doolittle.The Director Richard Driscoll has a studio in Cornwall and was very helpful with the character and direction and had some fascinating stories to tell and loved Horror so the whole set up was right up my street.
Hoping to score another job soon,have some auditions lined up and lots of things are happening in Manchester.Sally Lawton is in the 24/7 festival this year..can't wait to see her.Good Luck Sal..i'll be there handing out leaflets!
Guestbook Entries
Jackie (Elite Talent)
Really enjoyed looking at this site Paul. Look forward to seeing you on Tuesday(B
Joey *Pinnacle Man* Apr 07 2008 6:42 PM
Hey Paul, Its joey (Dir) Pinnacle man
I'd just like to say great work on the film! you did a magnificent job, always getting in to role, and giving it your all in every take.
Could'nt have picked a better Leading actor
Highly Recommended!
See you at the premiere
Joey.
Roozbeh Behtaji Apr 03 2008 10:18 PM Hi Paul, great website. We've nearly finished editing London Transfer, in a month or so I think we'll have it. We'll arrange a screening in London in the summer, hope you can make it. I'm really happy with your performance, as I told you back then I believe that you have a natural talent for acting. Keep up the good work!
Hayley Hunt Nov 14 2007 11:38 AM Fantastic Paul! You are truly a proffesional actor. Love the photos and your cv is blooming.I personally would like to see a photo of you laughing as your so comical. Very proud of you. Stay focused honey it working!!! H x
Rebecca Hayes Nov 14 2007 12:25 PM I'm so proud of all your hard work in everything you have done this year.I agree with Hayley, picture of your smiley face will add more for your personality.Keep workin hard, it will reward you in no time xxxxxxxxLove u loads xx
Thomas Dec 13 2007 1:16 AM
Brava! All the best!
Sidi Feb 03 2008 7:07 PM Great voiceovers for the cockney characters, like you to audition for us at Covent Garden for the forthcoming opera of oliver twist.Can you sing? Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards Sidi
Jonathan Bland Mar 21 2008 11:23 PM A star is born.
Your name will soon be up there with all the 'greats'...such as Guinness, Geilgud, Burton, McKellen....and Norris from Corrie !!!
Keep going, and never lose sight of your goal.... you'll make it.
rob May 01 2008 8:00 AM hey paul, lookin good
sheila and mummy Feb 04 2008 5:18 PM Hi Paul, just sitting in my living room looking at your website, very impressed. Mum said that she bets you're glad that Liverpool is over but it is good work for you.
