Skip Channel4 main Navigation
What were you in school? Were you popular or were you a geek? Or did you reside in the space halfway? Well, it’s the latter group of once ignored nomadic teenage misfits that’s been pushed out of their comfort zone and into the limelight to take centre stage in the new e4 comedy sensation The Inbetweeners. If you thought Skins was a bit too serious, a bit too glamorous, and a bit too far removed to ever be associated with your life, then The Inbetweeners is for you.
We caught up with Simon Bird (who plays Will, the new socially inept sixth former with a fit mum) and James Buckley (who plays Jay, the full of himself, obnoxious, woman obsessed idiot) and asked them pressing questions about getting laid, simulating sex acts, and MILFs…
What’s the best thing about being in The Inbetweeners, and do you have any favourite moments/storylines from the show?
Simon Bird – Personally the best thing for me was just the experience of doing it, meeting all the other guys and just shooting it was really fun. I like the scenes where we were just all together having a laugh really.
James Buckley – Yeah, definitely. Filming was always great fun. There was a day when we went to Thorpe Park and it was just like ‘we’re all in Thorpe Park, this is brilliant’.
You’re all pretty young still – had any of you done any acting before?
Simon – I hadn’t done much, well not ‘proper acting’. I’ve done comedy stuff. Joe and I have done a sketch show and a bit of stand up, where as James is the proper actor.
James - I started quite young. I’ve been in a few things, and even done The Bill, and Casualty etc – all the things you have to do. I’ve been in Skins and Teachers too.
So if you both have different backgrounds and experience, how did you get to be in The Inbetweeners?
James - I auditioned a couple of years ago, did the pilot and then, yeah - got the part.
Simon – For Joe [who plays Simon] and I it was different. The writers knew of us before and they’d seen us do some comedy in Edinburgh so they kind of knew us and it went on from there.
Sounds like you’re really into comedy Simon – so who’s your favourite comedian?Well, two really stand out for me. They are Daniel Kitson and Stewart Lee. Stand-up’s a real talent, I think. Those guys who are at the top end of it – I don’t know how they do it.
“Basically, they want to get laid” is the tagline of the show, but has appearing in the show actually helped your pulling conquests?
James – Erm, well - we both have girlfriends so, erm, no, as apparently that’s frowned upon?! I’ve been sent some naked pictures though, which is… quite interesting.
Does that sort of thing make you blush?
James - No, gosh no, I’m all for that – in fact, I encourage it.
Simon - I don’t know why I’m not getting any of that? Where are my naked pictures? I’ll take anything – I’ve been sent absolutely nothing.
James - I do have my own fansite as well!
What were you guys in school? Popular, geeky or inbetweeners?
Simon - Definitely inbetweeners.
James – Yeah, same. And I think after the show’s been out the inbetweeners will have become the new cool group.
Have you got any hideously embarrassing moments or stories from school?
James – I’ve got one but it’s a bit rude. I was sat behind my drama teacher once in my drama room and I was sat on a fire extinguisher. The hose had come out and because I like being a clown, I started… simulating something on the hose but because I was sat on it it didn’t have the clip on it and all the water just came out of the hose and all over my face. So that was quite embarrassing.
What was your favourite school subject?
Simon - English, for me.
James – Music. I play guitar and drums. I’m in a band now called London Waiting – we play proper indie rock.
In what way is The Inbetweeners different to Skins?
James - In every way. Skins is great - it’s really good and I think the stories are good and stuff but it was a fantasy. And, you know, that doesn’t mean if something isn’t realistic it shouldn’t be made or put on telly but I’m proud of the fact that, I feel, that The Inbetweeners is more realistic and reflects what it’s actually like to be young and British at the moment.
Simon– I think the characters in The Inbetweeners are people who wish that they were in Skins.
James – Yeah, they’d love to be that cool – to get drunk and get off with some really gorgeous girls but that would never happen to them. So I think The Inbetweeners is a bit more realistic, definitely.
Simon’s mum’s a bit of a hottie. Do any of your friends in real-life have yummy mummies that you’d like to declare your love for?
James – Yeah my friend’s mum who’s called Sharon.
On e4’s Inbetweeners website there are plethora of facts worth knowing about the characters, such as, Jay once thrashed Lewis Hamilton to become National Karting Champion. What trivial facts should we know about you?
Simon - I was in the final of the Chortle’s student comic of the year competition this year, so fingers crossed. It’s not really that trivial though. I spent a year studying in America at high school too.
Will plans on going to university, do you share this aspiration or do you plan on keeping up with this acting malarkey?
Simon– I’ve been to university so been there, done that. I want to continue with comedy and acting (I hope my PHD lecturer doesn’t read this otherwise I’ll be in trouble ), so yeah I think definitely that’s my main interest and what I want to do ultimately, but I really enjoyed university.
James - Well I’m a bit younger than Simon so I could go to university but I never went to a ‘proper college’. I was at a performing arts school and then I learnt my trade and I just love acting so want to carry on with that. I’d be up for a second series of The Inbetweeners if it goes ahead – we should get to know at the end of the run so fingers crossed.
