Chat Ed : Hello and welcome to today's live AS IF chat with BEN WATERS who plays ROB. Ben is now with us.
Ben Waters : Hello peoples! Ben here, glad you've all logged on to listen to me chat nonsense again!
dannielle : hi ben
DillTheDog : I LOVE YOU BEN!!
Kesha : Hello Ben... I just want to say i think u r absolutely georgous
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : Thank you very much. Maybe a new prescription from your optician will help you out!
AndyEdinburgh : Rob's a pretty melancholy guy... do you think he deserves some happiness or are some people just destined to be sad..
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : Isn't he just! He does deserve a bit of happiness, doesn't he. As the series goes on he does get a bit more assertive which is good because he's a bit of a wuss at the moment.
stel : why does rob like sasha she is a complete bith
Ben Waters : She's his first love and you always have quite an attachment to your first love. So he's obviously very into her and they've been through a lot together and she helped him out when he was going through all that stuff with his Dad too.
Paul : Would you ever go out with anyone like Sasha in real life?
Ben Waters : My God, no!!
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : Only because I'm a very sort of easy-going, relaxed person and I wouldn't let myself get dragged into Sasha's crazy dramatics.
karlasif : Do you watch yourself on as if?
Ben Waters : Yeah I have a strange, perverse fascination with everything I do and I sit there watching it through my fingers, cringing. I don't know how you can judge how you do without watching it back. A lot of actors don't though.
gemma : go on, you can tell us! do suuz and jamie stay togethre&will rob ever find out about the affair?
Ben Waters chuckles
Ben Waters : It's more than my life is worth to tell you that. I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you!
CHLOE : i reckon that rob needs a break and a couple of one nighters
Ben Waters : Well... stay tuned because you never know what might happen!
Ben Waters smiles
Giselle : Who out of the girl cast do you most get along with?
Ben Waters : Umm... Well, to say one is better than the other is hard. I love them all dearly. Jemima I'd have to say though, because she's so cute and such a fantastic actress.
MarkC : Do you think that As-IF reflects some of the lives that people have and thats what makes it such a top program?
Ben Waters : I think some of it does. One of the key aspects is that we try not to patronise. We try and be as realistic as 12:30pm on a Sunday will allow.
faith : do you fancy anyone in the cast of as if?
Ben Waters : When you spend about 2 years with the same people you get to know people in a way that makes it impossible to get involved in that way. I love them all dearly though.
Rachel : did you train at drama school and if so which one?
Ben Waters : I'm one of those actors that went to Stage School which is a different kettle of fish entirely. At Drama School you learn how to break down a character properly and at Stage School you learn how to prance about in tights!
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : I did 6 years of ballet, tap and modern.
Ben Waters giggles away
rent_girl : what would you like to do after as if?
Ben Waters : What I'd love to do is movies because you have a real chance to show a journey from start to finish whereas with As If we get new scripts every week. So with a film it's a whole journey.
Emma : Are you a bit freaked out that you now have a gathering of fans who come into chat rooms to talk to you and enquire into your private live? Or is it the norm to you now? Lol...
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : It's quite funny actually because as I said I went to stage school and there was an agency attached to the stage school so I've been acting since I was about 9 or 10 so in doing As If I'm not doing anything different to what I usually do. It's just funny that now I get recognised in the street, after all this time.
RobLover : If someone was to play your life role in a movie which actor (or actress?!) would you like to play you?
Ben Waters : My favourite actor is Gary Oldman, so he could play me when I'm older.
Sam : what other things have you acted in?
Ben Waters : Ooh, well I've been knocking around since I was 9 so a bunch of stuff. I did a movie called Greenwich Meantime GMT and I am really proud of that. I play a young boy who goes off the rails - in your video stores now!
danny_boy : what advice would you give for any budding youg actors
Ben Waters : Unless there is absolutely nothing else you could possibly do in the world, don't bother because you have to want it enough to be able to take all the knock-backs.
parteejaxx : what song would you use as the soundtrack to a film of your life?
Ben Waters : Have you heard that Afroman track??
Ben Waters laughs
josiepussycat : did you expect as if to be such a hit?
Ben Waters : I didn't no, but as we were shooting it we were all really enjoying it and we were all very proud to be a part of it. I think we thought it would do well, but not as well as it has actually done.
Kate : If you weren't in As If where do you think you would be working now?
Ben Waters : If I wasn't an actor I'd probably enjoy the quiet life on a farm, somewhere hot.
emma k : how did you feel when you got the part in AS IF? was it the first big part you've had? we're you nervous?
Ben Waters : I didn't really audition for it because we had already done a pilot version 3 years ago. So when they came to make the series I just got the call to say they were doing it and I was in Canada at the time shooting a sci-fi drama. I was going to go off and do this film with Billy Zane in Buenos Aires so I turned that down to do As If and it's quite lucky too because I've not heard of the film since!
Lucy Dawson : you are really really fit, are you single?
Ben Waters laughs
Ben Waters : I used to be fit! I'm most definitely not single; I have a wonderful girlfriend called Sarah.
MarkC : Do you ever look for yourself on the net?
Ben Waters : hehe, no, do you?
laina : if you had to choose between sooz and sash which one would you really go for?
Ben Waters : Rob would go for Sasha because she was his first love but perhaps not after he finds out what's been going on...hmm ehh hmm eh?!
Sam : Do you live in London, and more importantly, where are you chatting to us from?
Ben Waters : I am in the south-east of London, in Charlton. I can see Charlton football ground from my house.
nat loves ben : who would you most like to make a film with if you had the chance and why?
Ben Waters : Well I'd love to work with the Coen brothers because I love their movies. They did things like "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and I'd love to work with Gary Oldman.
speak2me : is there going to be a third serirs of ASIF if there is when ?
Ben Waters : We are still waiting to hear about a third series.
Lou : Which has been your fave storyline on As If?
Ben Waters : It has to be dealing with my Dad because there was lots of emotional stuff in there.
bens no1 fan : are u n e thing like rob in real life?
Ben Waters : Absolutely not! I have a life! I'm very easy-going and happy go lucky.
j99 : have you seen the US version? what do you think of it?
Ben Waters : No I haven't because it's not out yet, they are still shooting.
Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for that Ben, great stuff! Thanks for joining us everyone. Two new books, 'Nicki's secrets' and 'Jamie & Sooz: love hurts' both priced 4.99 will be available soon. Go to channel4.com/shop or call 0870 1234 344
Ben Waters : Thank you for being kind and not asking too many horrible questions.
gemma : byeeeeeeee ben xxxxxxxx keep up the brill work!
Mucka : ok i love you bye bye
Phebesarina : Bye bye my love
Lou : i love you, u are the best , good luck in the future
RobLover : Thanks Chat Ed for setting it up...you rule! So do you ROB..thanks for taking time out to talk to little old people like us :)
sexy_sam : i ;love u ben , cant wait to see u nxt sunday ur a ace actor!
Giselle : I just wanna say that as if rules so keep up the good work! Thanx alot 4 chattin to us Ben! x x x
josiepussycat : bye ben thatnkyou 4 answering my question
Ben Waters : I hope you keep watching and may I wish you all unshakable happiness.
Ben Waters leaves the room
