Talk To Me : cast interviews
Joseph Millson plays Woody
Please tell us about Woody's character.
He's been pals with Mitch for a very long time and he's engaged to Claire. Woody and Claire are getting married and he, Claire and Mitch have been a constant set of pals for years. Woody's not perfect, but when you first meet him you think he's the *nice guy*. However, the great thing about this drama is that by the end, all the characters have been on a massive journey, and you get to explore a different extreme of their personality. For example, when Woody feels as though his world has fallen apart, he doesnt react to it in a *nice* way at all. I feel like I went on a big journey with him, the writing is fantastic and we had a brilliant director.
Tell us about Woody's work life. Does he feel that Mitch gets all the credit for the show?
Woody is the producer of the radio show that Mitch hosts and I think Woody is fairly happy to sit in the shadow. I dont think there is any jealousy there, in fact he likes to keep the limelight on Mitch.
What's his relationship like with Claire? Why did it take him 8 years to propose?
I think he had that lazy bloke attitude, that if everything is fine, why change it? He didnt see why they needed to get married. Woody was a bit of a commitment phobe and possibly deep down he may have been wondering if there was someone better out there for him. It was only after watching her give birth to his child that his feelings for her entered a different level and his love grew a thousand times. Having Jack, killed off any doubts he might of had about Claire, and he is in the happiest of places when we first meet him. Ironically, she was the one who wanted to get married sooner, and now that she is in that situation, she feels trapped. It's almost brought a sort of depression out of her and which causes her to go off the rails.
Does Woody suspect that Claire is not happy?
There is no solid evidence, but he's seen the odd strange look from Claire. He would never in a million years guess what is going on though, and certainly not that it is happening with Mitch.
What does he think of Mitch's womanising?
I think he almost admires it, and wishes he could have been a womaniser himself. I think he loves women as much as Mitch does, but he is shy and doesn't have the gift of the gab. It's a case of *the grass is always greener* with these two, because Mitch is jealous of Woody's life with Claire although he has never said anything about it. People always want what they cant have.
How does he feel about the wedding?
He is looking forward to the wedding, I think he's geared up for it. It is Claire who starts to have cold feet.
How does he feel when Mitch pulls out of his role as best man?
He knows that his best man is quite unreliable, and he finds it annoying but not completely unexpected. It's Claire's reaction to it that is completely out of proportion, and it leads in to this blazing row, which as far as he is concerned has come out of nowhere, and so does his reaction. He is actually really cruel to her and all these hidden feelings come out.
How did you feel when you read the script?
Well, I think they had trouble casting Woody because it's hard to find someone who can play a nice guy who's not a complete sap! I didn't get the script until midnight before my audition and thought there's no way I can read all this! I planned to read an hour and was still there reading at four in the morning! It had moved me to tears, especially as someone who is ten years into a relationship, I'm aware that even the best relationship in the world has ups and downs. I went into the audition absolutely knackered, but desperate to get the part. I really felt I could put my heart and soul into it and it felt like a labour of love. The writing is so rare in that every single line was ready to wear. As an actor, I didn't have to think about how to make it work, it was all fantastic.
Has it made you think about what love really means?
It is a good work of art and it definitely made me think.
What have been the most enjoyable scenes to film?
I had a good day every single day. The awards do was a laugh. That was one of the first scenes I did and I had to act drunk and dance like a lunatic! The scene in the rain was the very last thing we shot and it was really moving. I loved acting with Laura. There were six rain machines, and it was freezing cold, but it was the very last scene so we all celebrated afterwards with Whisky, Guiness and little Irish cakes. The whole trip to the Isle Of Man was a laugh too. We had a good time there.
What else have you got coming up at the moment?
I am filming the Doctor Who spin off series for kids. We did the pilot which was played on New Years Day. We did 12 episodes. I am such a fan so I am thrilled to be doing it, and it's nice to be doing something that my kids can watch.