Tell us about how you got involved with Rick and Peter
Jamie Campbell and Joel Wilson (the frustratingly talented duo behind Eleven Films) and I had been trying to conjure up an excuse to work together for some time. Eventually Jamie and I hit upon this idea (in Nando's, obviously). And then we developed it some more, before I suggested getting Tom (Basden) on board to write the thing.
Were you aware of the writer Tom Basden's work?
Yes, in the sense that he's been one of my best friends for about 12 years. We've written together on and off throughout that time, so he seemed like the obvious choice of scribe. It's also worth mentioning that he's quite funny.
Were you hesitant to make the move into comedy, or was it an ambition of yours?
In some respects I started out doing comedy (at university, and then open mic nights in tiny, ill-ventilated rooms above pubs etc), so it didn't seem that daunting. But in other respects, it was terrifying, because I am by no means an actor. I've never acted. If it had been feasible to cast someone else in the role of me, we absolutely would have done. But it wasn't. So I had to do it. In all honesty, one of the reasons I wanted Joe (Wilkinson) involved was that I was desperate to surround myself with people I knew and liked. Many years ago, Joe and I had a short-lived double act called Beauty and the Beast. Joe's character in this is not that dissimilar to his masterful portrayal of 'the Beast'.
How much do you have in common with the Rick we see in the show - is he a subversion of your real self?
I hope that we are not that similar, but you're better off asking Tom or Jamie really. I was more interested in playing around with the notion of being a TV presenter, and how people perceive them i.e. as vapid narcissists. Of course, in many cases, that's entirely correct.
How did you find working with Peter?
I hated it. Only joking. Or am I? No, I definitely am. Peter is genuinely a brilliant performer. His timing and delivery are impeccable. I find it difficult to watch back our scenes together (which is most of them) because he acts me right off the screen. Twat.
How did you film that scene at the school assembly?
Basically, we went in to a school, hauled a load of kids into the main hall, and did the scene for real. You haven't experienced total humiliation until a roomful of kids think you've just shouted at and then physically attacked a man in a wheelchair. Joel tried to explain it to them afterwards he had his work cut out.
Would you like to film a full series of Rick and Peter? What do you think Tom has in store for the characters?
Yes, of course. We've all spent a lot of time working out where the series would go. Suffice to say some of our ideas are quite 'risky'. And by 'risky', I do mean horrifically out of order'. Funny, though.
