Misfits star Joe Gilgun returns as Woody in This is England ’88, Shane Meadows’ follow-up the Bafta award-winning This is England ’86, available on DVD and Blu-ray from Monday 12th March.
CultBox caught up with Joe to chat about the fourth series of Misfits and Luc Besson’s futuristic new film Lockout…
Are you returning for Series 4 of Misfits?
“Yeah, I think I’m allowed to say that I’m doing Series 4 and I’m looking forward to that ‘cos there’s going to be some new characters and I think that’s a really good thing, and a fresh outlook.
“I’m really looking forward to it, and I’m also mildly terrified of it, ‘cos there’s a lot of work involved, but it’s such a good laugh when you’re doing it.
“And I’m getting to the point now where I’m sick of sitting on my arse, ‘cos you know when you’re out of work as an actor you like to say that you’re ‘resting’ but we’re not, we’re out of work.
“Every now and again you’ll get a foreign journalist who’ll say ‘What do you want to do next?’, like we get the fucking choice. You know, you get what you’re given and just hope that you’re right for it.”
Do you know when you start shooting Misfits?
“Well, I’m doing another project before Misfits, I’m doing a period drama called Ripper. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say about it so I’ll not say much more.
“But I’m really chuffed I got the job, and I play a Scouse. ‘Cos I’m really good with accents, I get no opportunity to show that and it gives me a go at showing everyone that I can do it.”
You’re playing a Glaswegian in Luc Besson’s new film Lockout, alongside Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, aren’t you?
“Yeah! That’s going to be hilarious. We shot it in Serbia – which is a mental place – on a really small budget, with a load of Irish people. I swear to God man, I have never experienced a more mental filming process in my life.
“We shot everything on an MDF spaceship, and there were Serbians everywhere, and they were a lovely, lovely people but they love to get pissed. So they were constantly red-eyed.
“I just went up to watch the film in Paris, and I actually thought it was like a press thing but it wasn’t, they were literally just saying ‘Here you are, come and watch the film’, and they just sat me in a room in a big cinema and made me watch it on my own. And I was really dressed up, you know what I mean? I thought there’d be people there!
“And the night before I’d been arseing around with me mate and he banged my tooth, so I had to have my tooth out the night before, so I went completely dosed up, and I’m frightened of flying so I had one of them Diazepam. And I had a glass of wine and I found myself being sick when I got home – I don’t know whether that was the stress of the day or watching the film, cos I have been nervous about it.
“I play a Glaswegian and I want to come across well. There’s no voice coaching or anything like that. We just didn’t have the money for it. But man, it was mint.
“I hope that everybody goes to watch it. It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant, from what I remember, off my head on Diazepam and Codeine! In fact, why don’t you go on Diazepam and Codeine, instead of popcorn!”
Would you like to do more film work in the future or do you think you’ll stick with TV?
“Yeah, I’d love to do more film. The great thing about film is you do dip in and out and the great thing about the telly that I’m doing at the moment is that I’m dipping in and out.
“I’m so bloody lucky and happy to be doing what I’m doing, and to be in the position that I’m in. I just want to keep working and keep being successful, ‘course I do, and just want to be liked like every other bugger in the world.
“So yeah, just keep giving me jobs. In fact, I could do with one now-ish…’cos I’m really skint and need beer money!”
> Read the first part of our exclusive intereview with Joe.
> Buy Misfits: Series 3 on DVD on Amazon.
Watch the This is England ’88 trailer…
Are you looking forward to Series 4 of Misfits? Let us know below…