#project: transcripts

Stella: Really? Right initials?

Tom: That's not the connection. A law student - Susan Harper. Do you think she looks right?

Stella: Yes, absolutely. Just a bit younger.

Tom: 21. The only problem is, there is someone doing time for it. It's an individual called David Alverez. (smiling) Now, I remember that I saw his name yesterday on the list of children who were recording the call at the same time as Spector. I've done some digging, and they are one and the same. (with satisfaction) The David Alverez who is doing time for the murder is the same David Alverez who was a fellow pupil of Spector's at the home.

Stella: Why was Alverez convicted?

Tom: His DNA on her body, and a subsequent confession.

Stella: That's pretty conclusive. What year is this?

Tom: August, 2002. (meaningful look) In London. And there's a gap in Spector's timing there. (leans forward ominously) We don't know where he was or what he was doing.

What can you tell us about your exciting new show, The Living and the Dead?

Well, it was exciting to get to this point, it’s one of those shows that from episode one, as soon as I read it, I was drawn in. My jaw dropped when I got to the end of episode one, because it’s got such a great hook, such a great twist.

And to work so hard on it, to work so passionately on it, with a passionate group of people, and the love and affection that have been put into this, and hard work, it’s finally able to share it with everybody. It’s all such a special experience, it always has been, because you have to got to put your heart and soul into everything you do, so it’s always nerve wracking, it’s always scary. But ultimately that’s why you do it, you want people to enjoy it, so that’s why we’re here.

What can you tell us about your character Nathan in the drama?

First and foremost, Nathan’s a healer; he sees other people, he sees the pain, the hurt in them, and he wants to take that out somehow, he wants to help them. He’s fiercely determined, he’s passionate, he’s full of love, especially for his wife, Charlotte, and he’s driven for his future.

But again, the big thing with the show is ‘what lies beneath should be kept beneath’, and he’s got a lot going on beneath him. I think it starts to unravel, it starts to come to the surface.

Could we say that he’s almost a bit conflicted as the series goes on?

Very conflicted. He is a man of science, but he has a very traumatic past, having lost some very close family members. I suppose, if the science end of things could be disproved, and that there was perhaps evidence of a supernatural world, God, that would be amazing for him. So he’s got this scientific mind, but with a fatherly need going on underneath as well… so he’s very conflicted and he’s looking for both.

So is it something that he’s trying to fight? He starts seeing things, or does he start seeing things?

Yeah, I mean…you’ve got to question your own sanity, I think. For a man of science, to start experiencing things, and know what the psychological diagnosis is, but yet know it is its own experience is at the same time, it is a very very very confusing place to be. To think that you’re seeing things, and what if I went to a doctor right now and said, “I should be locked up”? And in fact he knows that if it’s real, then it opens up a lot of possibilities for him, in terms of his past, and having lost his son.

Do his experiences start to cause friction between him and his wife?

There is a lot of love between Nathan and Charlotte, that’s the heart of the show really. They’ve got this amazing relationship, an amazing chemistry, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. But as with any relationship, when someone becomes so embroiled in one thing, the focus just gets taken away, and they’re drifting away, friction happens. And Charlotte is this grounding force that is trying to pull him back to life, to live and to move forward. But when there’s so much unresolved issues going on inside a man, particularly a man, I think, who is not often great about getting things out, it causes a lot of friction in the marriage.

It’s a very spooky drama. Did anything spooky happen on set?

[laughs] I didn’t have any direct experiences with anything, however, our wonderful sound man, Tim, he put a microphone in the house overnight to see if he could record anything that went on. We had a listen the next day, and there were some very, very strange, unexplained noises going on throughout the night, which Tim then actually used to put them in the episode. So they’re actually featuring in the soundscape of the house.

And wasn’t it that the house was haunted or something, anyway, wasn’t it? Were there reports?

There’s rumours, strange parallels to something that happened to a little boy in the house, I think in the 1920s, which actually happened to Nathan’s character in the show, which I only found out about halfway through filming, after certain shots, certain scenes, and they made everything a little bit more eerie.

So what’s your standing on the paranormal? Do you believe in ghosts? Did you? Don’t you? Has it changed since you filmed the drama?

I think I believe in the spirit of things, whether that’s a person, a place, an object…if you believe strongly in the spirit of something, then it’s real to you. So I think I believe in that.

You have an English accent in this drama. Did you stay method throughout, or…? How was it, sort of nailing that? It’s very good.

Oh, thank you. I did stay in accent for the whole time on this one. It was something, again, I have different approaches to every role, and generally it’s the role that kind of dictates what I have to do. For some reason, for this one, I didn’t really plan on it, I just ended up staying in accent the whole time, which just helped. It was just a purely technical exercise, I suppose, but it definitely helped.

My name is Colin Morgan. When I was five years old, I really wanted to be an actor. In five years’ time, I really hope I’m still out there.

A couple years back I did a great shoot with Hunger and with Hackett, which was in this great big old house, with a bunch of great people, a bunch of great crew. I was doing a theatre job at the time, so whenever we did the shoot during the day, it felt like this weird surreal dream by the time I got on stage that night. But it was a really good fun shoot.

I’d say the highlight over the past five years was working on the play Mojo, which I did in the West End with a fantastic company of actors and a fantastic director. It was one of the most creative fulfilling experiences.

I want to wish Hunger a massive happy birthday!

I think what’s so relevant now is the youth and taking it for granted. I think we do take a lot of things for granted ourselves. And to see this film, to have studied it in the way that we did, and taking part in the film, and understanding exactly what these young people went through and what they lost. They lost a massive part of their youth, a youth...that part of your youth when life is just about to begin. You’re on the cusp of things, and that cusp is taken away. And those who did survive...they were very lost, they were in a lost place, and it said a lot about Vera Brittain herself, to have gone through that, come out the other end, with such resilience and such determination to go on. It’s hugely inspirational.

And for you, does that make you think “Yeah, I’ve got to do the things I love to do”! Because it’s brief, isn’t it? Any way you look at it.

Absolutely. Life is fleeting, and you have to take the opportunities when they come. And...simple things, you know, it’s things with your family that you don’t often say what you feel, or you say things you regret. Of course, you can’t go through life without regrets, but I think you can do things to help lessen them a little bit. And if this film, in any way, reminds people that aren’t the people who fought back then, the people who went through what we can only ever imagine, what we can only ever read about, I think it’s a lesson to learn to take the moments when you’ve got them, because you could easily not be there at all.

It was a lovely film, thank you very much.

bless your soul i hope you slept really well after transcribing all that and thank you :’)

HE WAS THE SAME GUY?!

listen to the audio version here

MATT: Hi, Colin Morgan!

COLIN: Hey, how’s it going?

MATT: Yeah, pretty good. I’m not on the radio today, Phil Taggart, a fellow Northern Irishman’s in. Have you got anything you’d like to say to Phil?

COLIN: Um... Hey Phil. Uh...

MATT: He can’t respond. This is pre-recorded, Colin.

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Don’t make me explain the concept of time to you!

COLIN: Okay, okay. (laughs)

MATT: Cuz he’s here and he’s in the future, but we’re recording in the past.

COLIN: Oh, I see, I see. Lots of Northern Irish love to you, Phil.

MATT: Yeah, there you go. In fact, if you say ‘hello Phil’ and then ask him a question, we can leave a gap, and he can fill it in with a real bit live? So what would you like to ask Phil?

COLIN: Uh...(laughs)

MATT: The pressure’s on. What you’re - Phil, what you’re maybe sensing is that Colin doesn’t know who you are and also doesn’t care. He has no interest in asking you any sort of question. Colin, just ask a man any question.

COLIN: Hey Phil. (laughing) How's it going?

PHIL: Well, Colin, I'm actually really annoyed that you don't know who I am. We're both from Northern Ireland, we used to sleep over in each other's houses all the time, our mums are actually sisters, we're actually related, but - ah, well, anyway, enough of that, on with the interview! (laughs)

MATT: Alright, really dug deep there. Phil! Please answer!

PHIL: I just did.

MATT: Good! Good! And that’s, uh -

COLIN: Oh, I thought it, uh -

MATT: It's nice to know! Nice to know. I'm sure you'll tune in when he plays this ep.

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: So Colin, let’s be aware that Humans on Channel 4 is on tonight at 9. Now I don't think it's weird when people come in to talk about TV shows, because the world we live in, some people will have started watching it recently, some people will be banking them, recording them, some people will be coming to it at a later date. So without giving any spoilers away, what can you tell us about the series?

COLIN: Uh, Humans is set in a parallel present. It deals with the fact that in this world that we’re in, there is a synthetic human being creation that lives in every home, and it primarily follows a family who've decided to take on one that has been refurbished, and that they are now discovering the effects it has on them. That's one of the threads, and there's many other threads within this series.

MATT: Okay, so it's a bit like what we were promised in The Jetsons, isn't it. That thing about having a robot help around, although obviously a bit darker than The Jetsons.

COLIN: Mm.

MATT: I'm quite keen on the idea of robots doing pretty much everything; what are your thoughts on that?

COLIN: I'm more of an independent person, to be honest.

MATT: I’d love that, yeah. Cuz I've always got a dishwasher - that's like a little robot, isn't it? Doesn't have a face -

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: - but it does a job that I don't wanna do. I'm really excited as well about self-driving cars.

COLIN: Uh -

MATT: Do you drive?

COLIN: I do drive, yes.

MATT: Do you enjoy it?

COLIN: I do. I love driving.

MATT: Are you just saying that cuz you want Chris Evans to hear this and get you a job on Top Gear?

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) Ah, I find it so boring! I'd love to be able to do something else whilst I was in a car.

COLIN: What could you possibly do, like, I mean - (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) Use your imagination. I would do anything. Absolutely anything.

COLIN: (still laughing)

MATT: Get some tinted windows up, no one can see inside, I can have a great time!

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: No, you know, you can read a lovely book, or um, look on the Internet, whatever - basically the stuff you do when you're not driving, you could do whilst you're moving somewhere.

COLIN: ...Okay.

MATT: I mean, basically, I've just described getting a bus, then, haven't I?

COLIN: Exactly. (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) That does currently exist. That does exist. That's great. Now, you won 'Best Drama Performance' in the NTAs for Merlin. Where do you keep your award?

COLIN: Mm, my award is back in Ireland, actually - um, with my folks.

MATT: I mean more like, specifically, like on a shelf or something like that, not just the region of the country that it's in.

COLIN: I don't know where they've put it! you know, I just assume it's on a shelf somewhere -

MATT: What, you just dumped it on your parents? "LOOK AFTER THIS, GUYS!"

COLIN: (laughs) Yeah, you know, it's for them, you know, as well as anyone else, and also for the people that voted to give it to me. It’s - it’s - I can't think of a better place for it.

MATT: Hang on, Colin, are you saying that if people turn up to your mum and dad's house, they will get a little tour where they get to see the trophy?

COLIN: Um - (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) Cuz when you say it’s -

COLIN: You say that as if it's like a random museum that anyone could turn up to!

MATT: No, Colin, but when you say that, well, the award's for everyone, it's not for everyone if no one can see it. You know. It's either your award or it's my award as well. Can I turn up to your parents' house and have a look at this award?

COLIN: You absolutely can.

MATT: Thank you very much. Thank you. We'll exchange addresses and details later.

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Now, Colin, you and I are gonna have a little round of a game which I think you're going to find tricky. It's called "Leave It Yeh". Are you up for this?

COLIN: (long pause) Um...yeah...

MATT: That's a hesitant 'yes'. I always like that. Um, we'll find out just how ready Colin is, after this!

-break-

PHIL: Here’s part two of Matt Edmondson’s interview with Colin Morgan.

MATT: I’m still here with Colin Morgan. His show Humans is on tonight at 9 o’clock, and if you missed the series so far, check it out of 4oD right now. Colin, you ready for ‘Leave It Yeh’?

COLIN: ...Yeah. (laughs)

MATT: I’m intrigued as to how you’re going to get along with this game.

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: First up: What have you been given for free, that you’ve then re-gifted to someone else?

COLIN: (without hesitation) A Red Hot Chilli Peppers CD.

MATT: Okay. So under what circumstances were you given that?

COLIN: Is this a different question?

MATT: No, it’s the same, it’s a line of questions, and then we’ll come back to the next one. It’s like a police interview! (laughs)

COLIN: (laughs) Does this count?

MATT: This doesn’t count. Under what circumstances were you given that CD?

COLIN: I think it was for a birthday present.

MATT: Oh, so not even something like, not a showbiz thing that something sent in to your agent or whatever? Someone has given you a gift thinking, “What would Colin like for his birthday? He’d love this Red Hot Chilli Peppers CD.” And you’ve gone, “Aw, thanks so much,” and then immediately given it to someone else.

COLIN: Yeah, he thought I’d like the CD.

MATT: And who did you give it to?

COLIN: A very good friend.

MATT: A very good friend. (laughs)

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Very good. Very good. Very sneakish, isn’t it, Colin Morgan? I’ve heard that said of you.

COLIN: (still laughing)

MATT: Alright, next up. Who, in your opinion, Colin, is the better actor - Rupert Grint, or Ben Whishaw?

COLIN: (laughs) This is getting…

MATT: Feel free to use it if you want -

COLIN: Use it -

MATT: LEAVE IT YEEEEEH! You’ve got two left. I didn’t think you’d go for that one. Next up. Did you ever accidentally slip up and say ‘I don’t believe it!’ in front of Richard Wilson whilst you were filming Merlin?

COLIN: I think I did, yeah -

MATT: Did you?

COLIN: Yeah.

MATT: That’s awful. How did you react after that had happened? Did he react to it? Did he lash out?

COLIN: No, no - he was very gracious about it, actually, cuz it happens a lot, I think, for him. I mean, it’s actually, I’m afraid, is that, you do say it every now and again - ‘Oh I don’t believe it!’

MATT: People say it! Sometimes you don’t believe things! Yeah!

COLIN: Yeah! And, eh…(laughs)

MATT: It’s the sort of phrase that can lead on to you saying it again. Because you’re like, “I don’t believe it - oh, sorry, I don’t believe I said it - OH NO I’VE DONE IT AGAIN!”

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Never-ending cycle! Over and over and over. Next up: what was the last role you turned down?

COLIN: (long pause)

MATT: I thought that was an a, uh, sort of African clicking play? Or you’re just thinking?

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) I’ve not heard of it (clicks his tongue) before. It does sound very good.

COLIN: It’s a big role.

MATT: I mean, the script is difficult to learn -

COLIN: I’m not going to answer that one.

MATT: LEEEEAVE IT YEEEH! Did you see your ‘The Fall’ co-star, Jamie Dornan, in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey?’

COLIN: No, I haven’t. I haven’t seen anything in the cinema in a long time.

MATT: Really? I don’t think it’s out in the cinema now. And that begs the question: will you be renting it for yourself to watch at home?

COLIN: (laughs) I don’t know. I can’t say for the future.

MATT: Possibly. It depends on the circumstances, right?

COLIN: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: Jamie Dornan’s brilliant in ‘The Fall’ - as are you! Well, I’m going to step aside for a second from the ‘Leave It Yeh’ questions and ask you some questions about that, cuz I’m genuinely intrigued. He suggested that there may be another series on the way, almost definitely another series on the way, but I don’t think that’s all been quite tied up yet, I don’t think, with the BBC. Do you know anything you can tell us about the next series of ‘The Fall’?

COLIN: I don’t know anything about it story-wise. I do know about as much as you know about that - that there’s going to be a third season. I think they’re trying to work out dates and everything -

MATT: Oh, okay. So, I say, Colin, keep a bit of time free, you might be coming back for this.

COLIN: There’s been conversations, but again, we don’t know…there’s been no specifics.

MATT: Lovely! Uh, let’s move on then. What is your go-to karaoke song?

COLIN: I don’t do karaoke.

MATT: Have you ever done it?

COLIN: No. It’s not my thing.

MATT: It’s not my thing, either. (whispers) I don’t - I don’t - why do people do it? Colin, I don’t understand.

COLIN: I don’t know.

MATT: Why do you do it? What’s everyone getting out of it?

COLIN: I don’t know.

MATT: I don’t understand it either! (laughs)

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Finally, if there is any role that another actor currently has that you would like to take from them, because you think you could do an equal or better job, what role would that be, Colin?

COLIN: I would love to do Bond, actually.

MATT: Would you do him in your own voice, or would you him in a - in an English accent?

COLIN: It would have to be an English accent.

MATT: Mm.

COLIN: I think.

MATT: Cockney Bond!

COLIN: Cockney Bond. Yeah, yeah, yeah - (laughs)

MATT: (laughs) That’s what we’ve been waiting for, surely. (laughs)

COLIN: (laughs)

MATT: Well, Colin, at the end of that, you only managed to use two of your ‘leave it yeh’ cards, which means you get to take one of those and use it in your own life if someone ever asks you something you don’t wanna answer, you can just say ‘leave it yeh’ and it means you get out of the situation, okay?

COLIN: Perfect.

MATT: Yeah, no worries. Oh, Colin, thank you so much for coming in to chat! Humans on the telly tonight on Channel 4. Cheers, Colin!