Reece Shearsmith

Reece Shearsmith

Reece Shearsmith refuses to work on "s**t" projects.

The 44-year-old actor, writer and comedian has revealed he went through a period of not working at all because he didn't feel as though any of the parts he was being offered were good enough.

Quizzed on whether, as a writer, he finds it difficult to act out other writer's scripts, he told BANG Showbiz: "Yeah, I do. I've had a few things offered and said no to them all and consequently not done anything for ages.

"[Director] Ben Wheatley said, 'It's because you know a good script when you see it, and you write good scripts, so you can see others are s**t'.

"It's arrogant to think it but I have a level, I can't do anything that's not as good as the things I do and I don't know what that means but I can only relate that to me and what I think is acceptable."

The star of 'The Widower' also confessed that he finds it difficult working for writers who don't allow actors to change a single word of their scripts, as he himself is happy with people doing what makes them feel comfortable.

He explained: "The first thing I say is that if something doesn't sit right in your mouth or if you always have to say it the other way around then just change it, it's fine.

"I know other writers that absolutely can't change a single comma. I know writers who get people back in to add things to put gaps in where they didn't do it.

"I think that's really restrictive as you can make things better on the day. You can't presume that eight months ago in a room you wrote the best thing ever and it can't be changed and made better."

Reece is set to star alongside Noel Clarke and Alex Kingston in four-part thriller 'Chasing Shadows', which premieres on ITV on September 4 at 9pm.

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