That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Jeremy Swift

Episode Date: July 24, 2023

This week Gaby welcomes actor and singer, Jeremy Swift, to the studio. Jeremy is probably best known for his role as Higgins in the smash hit series, Ted Lasso, which we LOVE! He talks to Gaby about being in that show, the possibility (probably not) of it coming back and thinking he was going to be sick through his hands if he'd had to do a speech at the BAFTAS! He also talks about his other passion - music - and about his new album which is just out. Jeremy is so funny and joyful, we really think this episode will lift your spirits! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And welcome to Reasons to Be Joyful. My guest this week is the actor and singer Jeremy Swift. Of course, known for Ted Lassau, Downton Abbey, Gossford Park, many, many things. And he has a complete joy. But also, he has a brand new album, Songs of Escape and Endless Night. And that comes out this week. So we're going to be talking all about his music, but of course his shows too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jeremy, when you were at GSA, Guilford School of Acting, which is not what it's called now. No, it used to be called Belize as well after Beechie Belize, didn't it? Was that in your day? Yeah, people said, oh, Belers, yeah. So you, okay, so you trained as an actor

at GSA, the greatest school, not the biggest school, the smallest acting school, where I was lucky enough to go as well, and Laps absolutely loved it. Did you do the musical course or the acting course? No, I did do the acting course.

It was funny because after the first year, the first year people was called the foundation year. Yes. Sounds a bit sci-fi. And then you split up into the acting and musical theatre course and suddenly became aware that like, oh, I see. Because all the musical theatre people were wearing, you know, pink, furry track suits. And all the actors were a bit smelly and smoked roll-ups and things like that.

I went to the Brit pub. Oh, the Brit. That's all we ever did. Yeah. So you were there, there were a few, we worked out a few years between us. We also worked out the guy that you're still friendly with. All I remember about him is he never bought a drink. Oh.

He's now a cartoonist. He's now a cartoonist. He's a regular in private eye. It's a very funny person. He was really lovely. Michael Ball was there as well. Again, after me, yes. Wasn't he in the first year when you were in the third year?

No. Oh. No, he wasn't. Are you that one now? I'm sorry. I'm 33, so there's 30 years between us? Oh, I see. You must have been not. I was.

And I went to GSA. I went before I was born. Ah. Yes. Well, there are parts for those people. So you said there's a connection between GSA and Ted Lasson. We have to go straight to Ted Lasson. Oh, yes.

I just think you found me watching clips of Ted Lasson. Yeah. Well, understandable. Yes, Christo Fernandez, who plays Danny Rojas, went to Guilford. Yes. And he was even taught by, there was a teacher there people called Ian Ricketts, who was like Yoda, basically. He was! Yeah, and he was brilliant.

And I still think of things that he said, and he was a beautiful man. He was wonderful man. And it was, you know, Krista went about. 36 years after I left or something like that you know because he's only he was only out of charm he only left there about four years just before Ted Lassow started really Wow so we could both do an impersonation of a teacher that was you know had spanned all of that time

Dear boy Oh wonderful So was music always a part of your of your realm when you were training as an actor? Well I was in a band when I was at drum school actually. I was in a punk band. But my mum and dad were music teachers and they had choirs at our house. Quiet.

What, living with you? That would have been very weird, wouldn't it? That's a new spin on... First thing in the morning. Good morning, Jeremy. Yes! Love that. No, they did practice downstairs and

yeah, they both taught music at schools and, you know, they had instruments around the house. We had pianos and loads of... Pianos? Yes, we had a keyboard. We had a...

And my dad bought an organ. And then we bought a synthesizer, but it didn't work properly, and it only had one note that went all the way up. So he'd go, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, about five minutes later,

wow. It went up about a semitone. So there's lots of things to sort of mess around on. And then I learned piano and violin at school. Yes. So that was where the music was. It wasn't then when you went to college,

your train as an actor. You didn't do musicals there. I didn't. I think I did one or two musicals. You inevitably did. But as we were saying earlier, I did the acting course. So I went on to the heavyweight stuff,

the check-offs and all that kind of thing. So the action. Where should we go then? Can we talk? I'd quite like to talk about the music because I think that's the side that people don't know about you as much. Which is fair enough, yeah.

But it's something you love, don't you? You absolutely love me. I do love and I had bands when I was in my 20s. I had a couple of bands but it was very hard to keep together. This is pre-mobile phone. You'd sort of turn up to a rehearsal

and was like, was Tony? Tony the bass player? And you know, it's like, oh, I don't know. and he lived, you know, sort of miles away. So it was all a bit chaotic in those days. What do we do without bones? But also trying to keep, you know, my acting career, you know, from not falling on its face, you know,

I had to keep getting work. So doing stuff with the band sort of got in the way, unfortunately, a little bit, even though I loved doing it. I couldn't do both. So is that why you've gone back to music now and making albums. Well, a little bit, yeah. Also because of, you know, technology and multi-tracking,

I can do a lot of things just by myself, which I have to say is great, but I would love to play with people. And when I do play with people, on the odd occasion, sounds a bit risque, isn't it? I'm like a 12-year-old child, sitting a giggling. Sniggering away. I do really enjoy.

it. But yeah, that's why, and also having kids and having to make sure that, you know, they're old enough so that they don't die if I stop looking at them. What? You know, so I can go off and do other things and they don't, you know, set fire to the kitchen or whatever kids too. We've all been there. So, yeah, so it's only recently that I've started.

in about the last few years. I have done the odd little bit of sort of incidental music for TV and things like that and a bit of theatre as well, which I really enjoy doing soundscapes and things like that. Oh, lovely.

Yeah. Please let's just go to TED. We have to start with Ted. We can go to Downton. We've got to go to downtown. With so many things we have to go to because I want to. Yes.

But Ted, I'm just so sad. It's over. I think you're with a lot of people there. Are you sad it's over? I am to a certain extent. And I think they wrapped it up very conclusively. But you never know when things are totally over until they contractually over, really. Oh.

Well, the thing is with... What? What do you? Because here's the thing. They still have a year to decide whether to keep... bring us back because you have a year from the last

day that something dropped or was broadcast contractual-wise so they have another year to decide whether they want to bring back the show personally I don't think that they would yeah they did wrap it up very nicely it was very well wrapped up and beautifully done I think

and I think that the last episode for anybody you've seen it. It just had such great chapters in it and it was just really satisfying and very emotional as well. Very emotional, very uplifting, very positive and the baddie got his comeuppance

but all the, I love the way it was all neatly wrapped up and it didn't feel cheesy. It just, you thought, please, in this day and age there's so many awful things that we hear just to see. have happy endings.

Yeah. And satisfying endings as well because I could point to about three or four because I love American sitcoms. I think they do it so well. Three or four of my favourite American shows that was so fantastic and then just faded and ran out of energy

for the last two seasons. And were you stuck with it because you loved them? But there was a kind of flat, disappointing tone. And I'm really glad that that didn't happen with this show. So I've also scouring all of your social media. And you are quoted as saying as well. And you've done in other interviews that Ted Lasso has changed your life.

And I know Hannah Waddingham has said that as well. And Nick Mohamed, lovely Nick, who's been on a podcast as well, on this podcast. So is it as dramatic as that, has it changed your life? Well, I suppose it has, yeah, I was asked after the first season and I said, I went, not really, no. Just like that? Yeah, in that voice. I am available for Zip.

There's never a rainbow reboot. But yes, it has because, well, particularly in America, because it's, it is a phenomenon in America. I mean, I was just there for two weeks recently. I think the amount of selfies I was asked for must have approached about three to 400 or something. It was ridiculous. And you have to go with the spirit of the show.

I understand people's excitement and they also love the show. And the commonality is that people, when they speak to you, they put their hand on their heart and say how much it's... I get that. Get it. I absolutely get it. Get it. But your billboards everywhere and you went to the White House.

We did, yes. What was that like? Head-spinningly amazing. It wasn't just showbiz meets politics. I think that would have been seen as unsavory, possibly. The pretext, which was a decent one, which was that there was talk about mental health and anxiety. And it's very important to talk about post-pandemic as well.

So that was the pretext. And we went to the press room where I wasn't on the stage, but the press officer introduced Jason and a few other members of the cast and talked about mental health. interestingly, just as it began, as they were brought onto the stage, they were sort of heckled by an African journalist who was complaining that his questions were never been submitted and been answered. So it was like, oh, this is real, you know, this is happening.

And he was very cross for about a minute or two, literally. and there were other journalists going, you know, shut up, man, and decorum, there's a place for this. You complain, you go to the office and all this kind of thing. But excitingly for me, because I've seen the West Wing so often, I went to the back and there was a cameraman there who was really welcoming and I stood upon this high a bit at the back and he gave me the lowdown about the whole of the press room

and the whole history of it. And he'd worked there since Reagan's second term, right? Oh, my word. So he knew everything. It had a shelf full of political memorabilia that is on my Instagram post, should you want to have a look at that. But he told me that it used to be a swimming pool in there, and it still was.

In the press room? In the press room. Used to be a swimming pool. And that the Kennedys had girls there, and there was a window into the, interior so that they could keep an eye on Jackie Kennedy if she was in the building and they would get all the girls out through another door.

Oh my word. I know. And it was, I was exactly that's my response. So he was, yeah, he told me, you know, where all the, which windows were bulletproofed and which ones weren't and all this kind of thing. It was really fascinating. Can we go back to the swimming pool?

There was a swimming pool in the press room. Yes, and it's still there because of, you know, kind of building laws, they're not allowed to mess with it. So it's just basically sort of covered over, you know, with... But they don't use it as a swim pool anymore. They do not. You would never know. Oh, my word. Well, thank you for that, insider knowledge.

Yeah. But in America, as I said, there are billboards of you everywhere. Did that not happen with Downton, though? I wasn't part of the named cast of Downton, actually. Well, you're not. No. But you were in Downton and you were one of the main character. You were there.

Oh, well, yes. Well, I'm glad that people remember at that point. My name was never at the front of the show and that makes the difference. In fact, I didn't even realise that because I managed about six years ago to sort of gate crash the SAG Awards. Just because I happened to be going... Gate crash. Well, yeah, I asked the PR people for the... show and I said, were you wearing, were you just in shorts and a tipper?

And you went, hey, let me in. Yeah, very drunk. Hey, Hugh Barville. I, I, no, I, in advance, I did know about it. So I was going to, I was not real gatecrack. Well, well, ostensibly a little bit because I wasn't part of the named cast, but I ended up going there. And they won Best Ensemble.

and I went to get a little statuette and said, oh, sorry, there isn't one for you. Because you're not in the named cast. Oh, oh, I see. Oh, no. Did Hugh, a little mold one for you then? Did he get some, he needs to get you. We need to get on the phone to him now.

Hugh, can you please? Hugh? He needs to make one out plastic scene. Out of plasticine? Yeah. Yes. I'd love that. We'll do one.

Yeah. The team here, Joe, and Ed, they'll make you one before you leave. Oh, goodness. That's so kind of you. But the awards in America are very different than the awards here, aren't they? It's a whole different world. It is. And I didn't really know. I mean, I was nominated for an Emmy two years ago. And I didn't really, I was so ignorant.

I didn't really know what the Emmys were. It was just a word. Because we don't see them broadcast, and it's in the middle of the night or whatever. It's just a word. I think I might leave here laughing more than I have with anybody else. It's just a word. It was just a word. I was up for a word.

What, do you know what I mean? I didn't know. It's significance. I didn't have any images in my head of what the Emmys were. And, God, you go to these things and they're just massive. I mean, it's like... All right, take us there. Right.

We're going with you. All right. Right. This is what I've been to two Emmys things. And you go in a car on your own. It's totally ungreen. You know, it's... You should really be sharing, but, you know.

And major streets in downtown L.A. are blocked off. Like it's a zombie apocalypse. And there's nobody on the streets. And they have little bollard things in the middle of the road. So the cars have to zigzag down the road, right? So there's about six streets before you even get to where it is that are really weirdly blocked off. And then you occasionally come to the end of a street

and there's like loads of men in black guys going, who have you got in the car? Okay, okay, go, go, go, go. And all that kind of thing. As if, you know, it's a big Mission Impossible gig. I don't know, it's just really bizarre. And then you go in and you have to show ID a million times. They sort of like check the cars to see if they don't have bombs on them,

all this kind of stuff. It's really bizarre. And then you get in there and it's like, like it's like a presidential wedding or something. There are something like a hundred, 150 tables. I'm sure you've been to some award things.

It's not the Emmys. No, but things here, I mean, I've never been to like the BAFTAs or anything. Oh, actually I have been to the BAFTAs. A long time ago. But, you know, it's just massive, basically. It's huge.

And every star that you've ever seen is there? Oh, it's bizarre, yeah. I mean, you just, oh my goodness me. Did you do have a, a, chat with an oh my goodness person. I did. Did you pinch? Was it a pinch me moment?

Well, actually, when I went to the SAG Awards, when we got the award, we went on the stage and Leonardo DiCaprio was sat about 10 feet in front of us. It's like, what? It's very strange when you actually see somebody. I know it's, you should get, you should get you. Oh, I don't. They will. Yes, of course they will.

I suppose so. But you know, there's always. another level, isn't there, of like, icon sort of, you know, amazing levels. I've gone a bit off piece now. No, I love it. But anyway, it's quite, I find them quite exhausting, basically, because there's a lot of nervous energy in the room. And like, for example, when I was nominated for an Emmy,

I really thought, and I was pretty sure, and I was right, that I wouldn't get it. However, when they, the two previous awards, the last person that they showed a clip of got the award, like Hannah Waddingham got, you know, best sporting actress, deservedly so she's amazing. And then my, and then the same thing happened with me.

and I suddenly got really nauseous and I hadn't written an acceptance speech of any sort because I thought it was narcissistic so I really thought I'm going to vom. I'm going to do a splurt vom from my fingers. If I stand up, I'll go, thank you for... Which would make great television and I would be remembered forever

for the very wrong reason. But I literally, I mean, there's probably some footage somewhere and I said, I know when it was Brett Goldstein and I literally went, oh God, thank God for that. Jeremy, you have the most wonderful outlook on life. Have you always been like this? Oh, I don't know. You'll have to get somebody else to check on.

But you're, there's a really lovely photograph. Well, there's quite a few lovely photographs. on your socials of you with your family. I don't know, I'm just laughing because you just make me laugh. You properly just make me laugh. But you and your family and just strikes me as you're just, like you said, if I'd want, I would have vomited. It just.

Through my fingers. Through your fingers. That you're just a regular person who is really thankful for what you do as a career because it strikes me that you love both. Yeah. Well, that's just, I don't know any other way to me. But thankful and grateful, I think. You know, there's, you don't, to me, you don't seem blasé about it all at all.

Oh, blamming. Well, it's because, I think it's partly because I've been working for so long. And so I appreciate it, probably a bit more than I would have done if I was, you know, 22 or 23. I'd like to think that I would still be amazed then and appreciate it. But probably not. You know, they're probably sort of thing, well, of course. Of course I'm so successful.

Rightly so, or something I don't know. Okay, so let's go to Downton Abbey. That was a, again, and it's so different from Ted Lassau. Obviously, I don't need to say that. But it was an extraordinary worldwide phenomenon. And everybody around the world, I remember interviewing various cast members who say that it changed their life so dramatically, one of whom is coming on the podcast next week.

But it changed their life so dramatically that they never imagined. They never imagined it. And lovely Julian, who I've interviewed so many times, he has a sort of wonder about it when he talks about it still, a deep love. I think we all did as viewers as well. Eddie works on the show saying he never missed a night.

He's 25. He said he never missed a downton. It was something. very special, wasn't it? Yeah, it really sort of hooked you in. And Julian, of course, wrote Gossford Park.

Which you were also. Which I was in. And the concept, which was really from Robert Altman, that carried over, I think, into Downton. And it's a very attractive one, which is a bunch, a big

cast. a big bunch of people. And as Hugh Bonneville has said, if there's somebody you don't like, there'll be somebody else along in a minute that you do like. So it's constantly, it's got so many stories

and it was really involving, wasn't it? And it went in different directions. But I think the concept is Altmanesque and I think it's a really strong concept. And when we did do Gosford Park, Robert said, the thing about all of my films is that when you're on camera,

you are the star of the film at that moment. And I think, again... That's interesting. It is, isn't it? And I think that really plays out, you know, because it's such a great ensemble in Downton and such a great cast. And really, really different qualities of people as well.

Really fantastic show. So when you get cast in these, I mean, obviously you didn't know with... Ted Lassau. Nobody did in the beginning. I remember, God, this sounds like a good name drop,

but I remember with Hannah, she contacted me, she said, I've just made this show and I think it's going to do quite well. And can I come on the radio show to talk about it? And Brett as well.

And they sent me a link to it. And I sat and watched it. I watched the first two episodes before anybody had seen it. So I'm an OG. I was there from me. And I just went, I think this is going to be massive.

She went, well, that's a real thing. You're working with Jason It was all of those sort of conversations And you didn't know I know none of you knew You will say that But with Downton

You sort of must have known That this was going to be A biggie Oh well I didn't come into the fourth season So it already was Was it by then? Yeah Yeah

I was in the first episode Of the fourth season And but of course I didn't have a kind of contract Where they'd say We'll probably have you in for eight episodes so sign up here, thank you very much. I literally got a phone call from a director,

fantastic director. I worked for six times on the telly called David Evans. And he rang me in. So we got this part and explained what it was. And he said it's only two scenes. And we said, what we want is a kind of, we find that the heads of staff are the kind of avatars of their bosses.

So given that you'll be working for Maggie Smith, we want somebody who's quite acerbic and a bit arsey, to be honest. So I was like, oh, that's interesting. And I wasn't sure about it because I thought, two scenes. All right, you know. So I did it and people liked what I did. And then I got a couple of other episodes in that season. And then the last two seasons, a lot more.

A lot. So I've forgotten it was big from the beginning. I thought it was one of those things that was sort of a couple of seasons in. People were going, oh, have you seen Downton? I think again in America, after the first season, they really went crazy for it. They love anything British, don't they? They do love a British thing, if it's that. I think they like it.

I think they like the glamour and the old-school class thing about it. Yeah, but it wasn't. Again, same with Ted Lassau. I mean, Downton's massive, all around the world, huge in China. China? Yes, they loved it in China. Did you tour China with it? I didn't do it China. You haven't?

No, no. But, yeah, you know, loads and loads of countries. Yeah. Americans took it far more seriously. They seem to take it than we did here. I think everybody said it was just. warm, lovely television. Whereas in America, they took it to heart,

didn't they? I think they did, yeah. So, all right, we're going to go back now, if we can. You do sound effects. Yeah, yeah. You do very well. I'll take you back to the music, because that's what I wanted to do. So you've got an album coming out and a new single.

For you, do you wish that people, and apologies if this is what you wish, do you wish that people wouldn't talk about all the acting stuff and just talk about the music. Well, no, it's inevitable, really. It's a way in, isn't it, really? But, no, I don't, I don't mind that because, you know, I don't really have a history in the public eye of creating music yet. So, no, I understand that, yeah.

But I do love making music. And, you know, if I had the chance, I'd do a lot more. But, you know, I have to do me day job. Okay. So people can download it now. It's available now to download, isn't it? The album is, yes. So what now, with that all coming out, does that mean you stop doing the acting for a while

just so you can concentrate on the music and say, right, okay, I'm out there doing that, or are you straight back in the acting? I had to judge when I wasn't going to be doing something. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, to fit the PR in for the music. really. And it seemed the right time because I was supposed to be doing a movie in Denver, April, May, but they lost some of their money because of, you know, these certain banks have gone under. And it's going to go again in the early autumn because I have a green card now so I can work out in America.

Oh, no, no, no, no. Green card. It has taken me for nearly four years to get it. It was four years. Because of the pandemic, you see. Oh, I see. So you can work there now. I can work. In fact, I have done a film there this year. I did a Disney film.

Tell us more, please. It's a little part, but it's supposed to be a trilogy. There have been some films with the same title, Descendants. There have been three movies. They're really geared towards young girls in particular, I would say. but a lot of kids who are Disney fans will go for it. And I play Principal Merlin, the head of a kind of wizardy college. So it's all a bit Hogwarts.

Oh, fantastic. Yeah. And it's a trilogy? Yes, this one's called Descendants 4, The Rise of Red, and it should be out next year. And real people, you're not a cartoon. I'm not a cartoon, no, I'm a real wizard. Of course you are. I knew that anyway.

Magic. But is that to be streamed or is it a cinema release? That, I don't know. I think it might be Disney Plus actually. But I don't really know. They might try for a theatrical release. I do not know. So many things just go straight to stream.

But that's okay. Yeah. Although I'm sad because I like the whole cinema experience. Me too. Me too. Yeah. You really are a joy, but you are properly funny as well. But you're also a wonderful actor.

I remember seeing you in the Railway Children, as you said, which I was going to say, I remember I'd come in to see you around the corner from here because we record very near Kingscross. That was just, wasn't that clever. Oh, I love doing that. And the thing about it was that, speaking of music,

it had such integrated sort of soundtrack that we had to, you had to sort of really stick to it, all the cues and everything. And it was like live incidental music. And that was really enjoyable, but it was such a great sort of community spirit kind of show. This was where they took, they did it at railway children, for people who don't know, railway children actually happened in the station.

Yes, we had a track in the middle of the performance area and a bank of 500 people on either side in sort of grandstands. and we could cross the track where there was a little what did they call on a little putty what did they call them a little thing that went up and down on the tracks

so we could cross over and it had sometimes What did you just call it? It's not right I don't know where I pulled that word from You mean a little stage though You said it's like a what did they call him You know you see

Oh when they crank it up They go back one person on one person Come on to me Yeah Oh yeah What were they called? I'm looking at the guys in Vegas. They want, he's 25.

He's 25. But they had one. It sort of, it was pulled on, actually. But then an actual train came on at the end of the first half and at the end of the second half. It was great, anyway. And although twice the train, which wasn't a real steam train, it had dry ice that came out of the top,

it was running electronics. One time in particular was a huge delay, and I had to go out and just riff whatever came into my head as the character or as you as me really what did you do? I can't remember now

but you know Did you sing? That would have gone that would have been I think I might have been terrified if I'd started singing because who knows what I would have started doing

after that no I just made stuff up you know and it was close to 10 minutes before the train was actually ready.

So I've never done that in front of a thousand people before. In fact, I don't think I've ever done it before or since. So your stand-up career might not be happening. People seem to enjoy it, but I blanked it out in my mind. Did they push you out there? Did you say, don't worry, I'll go and save it. I think a bit of that, you know. Because otherwise it was just like, oh, what's going on?

Mutter, mutter, mutter. you know, in the audience. So I thought, well, I better go and do some talking then. Who are you? Yeah. But it was a great show. I absolutely loved it. And it had, you know, loads of kids in it.

And it was quite a big, you know, past. Oh, it was a joy. It was an absolute joy to see, as are you. Jeremy, you know what? And I know I've interviewed you before and just to be able to spend time in your presence. You're just a sunshine. Duh. You are your sunshine.

Thank you. Thank you.