How did you get into acting?
As a kid, I loved putting shows on for my grandparents in front of the TV, reenacting scenes from ‘Steptoe’ and ‘Only fools and horses’. After attending local drama schools in Leicester, I started traveling to London on a regular basis to further my education. Things started to pick up for me in my late teens beginning in Theatre, then TV and eventually Film.
How do you find shooting movies in comparison to filming a soap, and which do you enjoy the most?
I don’t really have a preference personally, I’m just thankful I’ve had the opportunities to be part of the magic. The biggest difference is time and money. You could be on a show for a number of years, finding out your character arc month by month, shooting on roughly the same sort of budget throughout. Film budgets on the other hand, can differ immensely from project to project, and that has a huge impact on how much time you have to prepare and execute each scene. You also get a sense of exactly how long you’re going to be working on that specific project for and what your characters full arc looks like from the get go, so you can prepare accordingly… Most of the time anyway!
What drew you to the project of Override when you first read the script?
The surreal and sinister take on the concept of reality TV was something that intrigued me. It’s probably impacted our culture and civilisation as a whole, just as much or even more so than any other concept to come about in modern history. It’s right up there with social media, often running in tandem for maximum reach etc… I’ve never fancied taking part myself, but making a film based around the idea of one going horribly wrong certainly had appeal.
How did you prepare for the role of ‘Jack 25’?
My preparation was focused mainly on being generally healthy and physically fit enough to shoot 12 hour days back to back for however long I was needed, as well as the accent required to play the role. Whenever I’m taking on a specific regional accent, I like to live in it for a little bit, walk it out around town and see how many genuine conversations I can have without raising any red flags. Then stay in the accent for the duration of filming. It’s something I’v heard of and seen other actors do from job to job, and it gives you one less thing to think about when the cameras roll up!
For our readers who haven’t seen the film (YET!), why is your character called ‘Jack 25’?
Jack 25 on the surface is just the Jack that came after the other 24 Jacks… but underneath that quarter century landmark show contestant title, there’s a whole new dimension of the story for the audience to get into.
Is there anything you think people will relate to or take away from watching the film?
I’d like to think, as with any story I’m lucky to be a part of telling; If you get anything from it, if you are entertained by it, or if it provokes something within you, maybe a thought, an idea or even a feeling, then hopefully… the magic has worked.
What’s next for you?
As well as developing my own projects as a writer/producer, next up for me on screen is the role of ‘Jamie Allen’, starring alongside the incredibly talented Spencer Locke and the absolute delight that is Juliet Mills, in a feature length romantic comedy set for release between 2021/2022.
Charlie can be seen in override out on September 6th
OVERRIDE IS RELEASED ON 6TH SEPTEMBER ON DVD AND
DIGITAL PLATFORMS
Amazon DVD pre-order: https://amzn.to/3lCxqGg
HMV DVD pre-order: https://bit.ly/3lPZNBh
