“HE’S working his way through Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes casts.
“He’ll be casting Keeley Hawes in Prey 3, probably. I would’t be surprised.”
Philip Glenister talking to me about his role as prison officer David Murdoch in the second series of Prey, created and again written by Chris Lunt.
Joking about the fact he follows on from former Life On Mars – and Mad Dogs – co-star John Simm who appeared in the acclaimed first series.
“WE nearly died in there. Doesn’t it make you think?”
Daniel Cotton (Philip Glenister) asks the question of his father Samuel (Bernard Hill) in From There To Here.
The three part BBC1 drama, written by Peter Bowker, opens with the June 1996 Manchester bomb which destroyed a large part of the city centre.
But this is not a story about the IRA attack. It charts the ripples of that initial trigger on two families across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Last night I attended a screening of episode one at BAFTA in London followed by a Q&A, including Phil and Pete.
You can read my full transcript below, edited very slightly to remove any major spoilers.
“DON’T measure me against him. He’s won an Oscar,” smiles John Simm.
We’re sat in a conference room at BBC TV Centre in west London, where a few days before I’d also interviewed Jim Broadbent.
John and Jim co-star in superb new BBC1 drama Exile, to be screened over three consecutive nights from Sunday May 1.
Relaxed in a grey V-neck jumper, white T-shirt and blue jeans, an unshaven John was in good spirits during the small round table chat back in January.
Where the conversation ranged from Hamlet to Harry and Paul via Exile, Doctor Who and Sam Tyler.
Destined to be discussed long into the night once it’s screened.
Firstly, let me say yet again that I know just how lucky I am to be able to see episodes of Ashes in advance.
Plus interviewing the cast on set and elsewhere.
But mixed with the excitement of seeing episode one is a sadness that now there are just seven left to go.
Life of Wylie 