Ashley Bashy Thomas
Ashley Bashy Thomas is back on the big screen this week as he takes on the role of Mental Mickey in horror/comedy Cockneys vs Zombies.
I caught up with him to chat about the movie, the character and what lies ahead for him.
- You are about to star in Cockneys vs. Zombies so can you tell me a little bit about the movie?
Cockneys vs. Zombies does exactly what it says on the tin (laughs). I love telling people about it so when they say ‘what movie are you in next?’ And I am like ‘Cockneys vs. Zombies’ and they go ‘well what is it about?’ And I am like ‘well it is about Cockneys vs. Zombies’ (laughs).
It is about a care home that is about to be demolished by property developers and the main character has some grand children and the want to save the home.
But then zombies take over the city - a lot of them are the contractors so they try to kill the people in the care home and the grandkids come and save them.
I play a guy called Mental Mickey - he is an absolute nutter - he wants to rob the bank with the grandkids but really he wants to keep the money.
- So how did you get involved with the project and what was it that you liked about the script when you read it for the first time?
I was sent the script by my agent and then I just went along to the casting - I had an audition that I thought wasn’t so good (laughs) but they loved it.
So I got the role and then read the script and I really enjoyed it and thought it was really funny. When we did the first read through that was when I really saw it come to life.
- You take on the role of Mental Mickey in the movie so can you tell me a bit about the character and how we see him develop throughout the movie?
Mental Mickey is basically a bully he is a dark and really vile character who is selfish and only really cares about himself. He is a firearms dealer and he has lots of firearms in his lockup - he supplies the firearms for the bank robbery.
They rob the bank successfully and it is through his will that they manage to get out. He is not scared of anyone and so when the zombies are around he doesn’t care.
- Matthias Hoene is in the director's chair so how did you find working with him?
He was cool. He was really relaxed on set and he created a good bubble and a good environment of calm on set - even though there was a lot of carnage with live firearms being fired and explosions going on and car chases and stuff.
He was cool and so relaxed and that set the tone for everyone else as they were calm as well.
- You have slightly touched on my next question really as you say it was a very busy set to be on with explosions going off and so on so was it an exciting set to be on?
Yes definitely. There was like black smoke everywhere and it was like you were in the middle of total carnage and I felt like I was actually there - when all the police were outside of the bank it felt like it was actually happening.
Then getting to work with a cool young cast, we were all the same age, there were no egos on set it was all friendly. So it was just a great set to work on.
- The cast mixes youth such as Harry Treadaway with experience as Alan Ford and Honor Blackman are on there as well so how did you find working with them?
It was funny because my character doesn’t have any scenes with any of the older actor so I never got to work with them - I only saw them briefly off set. My story is really rooted in the young story - there are two parallel stories the younger story and the older story.
- The movie mixes horror and comedy so as an actor how did you find balancing those two elements?
I think it is really cool man. I really like comedy because it is really fun to be in -even though you are playing it straight.
Those two genres really do go hand in hand and if you believe in it then you can be quite scared of the zombies and if you don’t then you can just find the joke in everything.
- You kicked off your career in music so how have you found the transition and is film somewhere you are looking to stay?
For me I think that I have been blessed that it has been quite smooth and I haven’t noticed any bumps or difficulties. I was acting before I did music so it is an easier transition for me in my own mindset.
But people have been relaxed with me doing that as there can be a bit of an issue if they have seen you as a musician first and then transitioning into acting but everything has been fine.
I am definitely going to stay here and do a lot more. I have played my first lead now and a lot more main characters are coming along so it has been a good journey so far.
- You have worked predominately in British film so far in your career so how much is heading over to America something that you think about?
That is definitely an option for me. I know that that is where the biggest films are made and so it is my aim to be where big films are made.
So I am just going to try and put myself in the best place and best position possible but I will always want to act in British flicks as well because I am from here and it is my accent.
- Cockneys vs. Zombies shot out and about on the street of London so how did you find that?
Yeah it was cool because it is home for me and I didn’t have to travel far - it is not like I was shooting in Leeds or Newcastle like I did with my last film.
It was just wake up, work in London and then you were home by a certain time so for me it was cool. People were recognising me but that was fine as it is all part and parcel.
- You have worked with the likes of Noel Clarke who have turned their hand to directing so is this a move that you would ever consider making?
I have started co-directing my music videos as a way in to that area and so I can learn by way around the camera and direction.
I have written my first script as well and that has had some interest - I think Noel wants to produce it as well. He is an inspiration for me in terms of building your own entities as well as being an actor.
- So how did you find sitting down and penning a script?
I had not acting work at the time as I had finished all my movies and work on my new EP The Great Escape was finished and I had three weeks off.
I just said ‘I need to do something because staying up and watching YouTube and late night TV is not cool’ so I just decided to write a script.
So I did it and it is getting some interest which is great because I didn’t really know much other than the scripts that I have read. So yeah it was cool man.
- Finally what other projects do you have in the pipeline?
I have My Brother The Devil is out in November and The Man Inside is also due out on DVD at some point this year. And then I am working on my second album as well.
Cockneys vs. Zombies is released 31st August
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw