Chris New
Chris New is best known for his extensive theatre work but he stepped onto the big screen last year for Weekend.
Weekend is released on DVD on Monday and I caught up with the actor to talk about the role, collaborating with director Andrew Haigh and what lies ahead.
- Weekend is about to be released on DVD so how would you describe the movie?
It’s a neat little romance. I don’t know I can’t really describe it, it’s indescribable. No it’s neat little romance and it has been amazing how people have reacted to the film, across the spectrum.
It doesn’t seem to fit into any niche which is fantastic. I think people are always a little surprised when they see the movie and they always have really strong reactions to it - I don’t think it is ever what people expect it to be.
- You take on the role of Glen in the film so what was it about the character and the script that drew you to the project?
The script was so obviously well written, that was the best thing. Andrew (Haigh) writes characters very clearly and precisely and that is a great bonus because a lot of the scripts that you see often they are not as precisely written as this.
And the subject matter is obviously about two gay guys but at the same time it’s totally not about that - it’s just about human beings being in a specific situation.
Just from reading the script I knew that Andrew would be an interesting director to work with. When we met it was very clear that we got on very well and we both had this same drive and passion to get this kind of story made. So it all came down to the script.
- And how do we see Glen develop throughout the movie?
Well at the beginning of the movie Glen is a bit like a brick wall, he is quite closed off and aggressive and he feels under pressure from the world around him. But slowly through the film you see all of these defences fall away and you start to see what is inside.
That is a great character to play because you set the character up in one way and then you get the opportunity to release the character in the other, and hopefully the audience will go along with you and see that transformation.
- The film sees you star alongside Tom Cullen so how did you find working with him - there is a real chemistry between the pair of you in the movie?
We don’t really know why or how the chemistry was there but it was there from the first time that we read together. And we tried not to get in the way of that and to allow that to happen.
So it was just about acting and respecting each other and just trying to enjoy ourselves as much as we could while we made the film and then hopefully things took care of themselves.
You strike up friendships with people and you have no idea why but you just get on with and that is exactly what happened in the film - it was a stoke of luck really that the pair of us seemed to snap.
- This is your first cinema feature film so how have you found the transition from TV work?
Most of the stuff that I do is theatre but I do some TV work. But luckily with this film it did feel very much like a play, so the takes were really long and it had that relaxation and the guiding of an audience through a storyline that was similar to a play.
So I felt very relaxed, if it was more traditionally shot with lots of coverage, different set up and shooting from different angles I would have found it a bit more challenging technically. But the way that Andrew shot fitted me very well, I got to enjoy myself and it didn’t feel like work at all.
- You have mentioned working with Andrew already so how did you find him as a filmmaker?
I think he is our greatest export. I have spent a lot of time over the last few months meeting film producers and funding bodies and I have said ‘please take care of Andrew Haigh because he is one of our greatest talents.’
- And is he the type of filmmaker that allows you to take the character on the journey you feel you need to take it on or is he very direct in what he wants and what he needs from you as an actor?
The good thing is he trusts actors and he knows that actors will probably know how to act it better than he does, so he completely trusts us. I think that there is a decision that he makes when he casts is it’s like he hands the character over to us and says ‘right you are in charge of this now’.
And to be given that kind of trust is great because then you feel very involved with the process and you feel that you are really engaging and investing in something, rather than just hitting your marks.
- Love scenes are always challenging for any actor so how did you find shooting them?
It was just embarrassing more than anything, you can’t hide or anything. So we tried to get them out of the way as quickly as possible and we vowed to never speak of them again, and we haven’t. So yes we have been saving all out blushes.
- The move has played at festivals all over the world and been met really well with the critics but how have you personally found the response to the movie?
It has been incredible! We went into making the project with very realistic ambitions; we thought it would be seen at some festivals and then go to DVD after possibly a very small cinema release. So we were all quite down to earth and realistic about what we thought would happen.
So the way that it has taken off in America and all round the world, it's playing everywhere, is incredible and we had no idea that it could or would do that.
So I would describe it like a strange child that we have reared that is now running around the world and getting up to things and we are constantly rushing to catch up with it.
- You have worked in theatre, TV and film throughout your career so how do all of the mediums compare or differ? Do you have a favourite?
My home is always the theatre and I have committed myself to the theatre, I will always go back to it and it’s where I learn the most. I have worked at the National and in the West End so I have been blessed with all these opportunities.
You learn things about film while you do theatre and you learn things about theatre while you do film, so working on this movie was a very complementary experience.
- Clearly theatre is where your heart lies but how much is movies where you want to be as an actor?
I don’t really have any ambitions of being a movie star. But it’s always down to the script and the project. The only real commodity we have is time because we don’t know how much we have so I say ‘right for the next six months, if it seems like we will have a really good time, then I will do it’.
The main thing is you get on with who you are working with and you have a nice time. It’s important that you have really good experiences.
- Finally what's next for you?
Well I am doing a play at the moment in London so I am continuing with that, I have nearly finished that now. And then it will probably be more plays this year and possibly another film, when the right thing comes along.
I am quite laid back with my work schedule I feel like I am in the position where I can choose projects and I do only two projects a year now - the rest of my time I spend enjoying myself.
Weekend is released on DVD 19th March
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw