Dave Johns' only goal when he was shooting 'I, Daniel Blake' was "not to ruin Ken Loach's career".
Dave Johns at the Empire Awards
The English comedian made his feature film debut in the gritty British drama which is about the titular middle-aged widower who lives in the North of England who is left unable to work as a joiner or get government benefits after suffering a heart attack.
Although he was thrilled that Loach decided to put his faith in him by casting him as Daniel Blake he didn't want to be the person responsible for giving the acclaimed filmmaker a critical mauling.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the Three Empire Awards at The Roundhouse in London on Sunday (19.03.17), he said: "When I made the film I just wanted to make sure I didn't ruin Ken Loach's career! I just thought, 'As long as I can get through this and do a half-decent job I'll be happy.' And, you know, it's gone great. Ken is an amazing bloke you know. He has a great sense of humour, is a gentle bloke but knows what he wants, we had some great times, I still call him the gaffer."
Johns shouldn't have been worried about the film as the movie has earned universal acclaim, as his own performance.
'I, Daniel Blake' was named Best British Film at the ceremony, while Johns took home the Best Male Newcomer accolade.
Johns isn't going to rest on his laurels as he is about to start shooting a new comedy which is being backed by a big Hollywood studio.
However, the project is so secretive he had to check with his bosses about what he could even reveal about it at the Empire Awards.
Johns said: "I'm making a new film which starts shooting in Yorkshire in May or June. It's a major British comedy backed by a Hollywood studio. I asked before this, 'What can I say?' And that's what they told me, that's all I can say."
Loach - who won the coveted Palme d'Or for 'I, Daniel Blake' at last year's Cannes Film Festival - wanted the movie to tell the real struggles of working class people all over the UK at the moment.
He said: "We must give a message of hope, we must say another world is possible ... The world we live in is at a dangerous point right now. We are in the grip of a dangerous project of austerity driven by ideas that we call neo-liberalism that have brought us to near catastrophe."
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