That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Max Beesley

Episode Date: February 21, 2022

In this episode Gaby chats with actor and musician Max Beesley. He talks about the endless list of musical legends that he has played for including George Michael, Stevie Wonder and the most incredible story about playing piano for James Brown. You'll hear how Robert De Niro got him started in acting and about his close friendships with Guy Ritchie, Ray Winstone and Jason Statham. They discuss the upcoming Sky drama 'The Midwich Cuckoos' which he stars in alongside Keeley Hawes and he tells Gaby what it's like living with his family in LA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to that Gabby Rosin podcast, part of the Acast Creator Network. Musician, actor and downright lovely guy Max Beasley is my guest this week and he's the most brilliant storyteller ever. We talk about his incredible list of musical geniuses that he's worked with, including Take That, Stevie Wonder and the best story ever about being on stage with James Brown. How he started acting, thanks to Robert De Niro and about working with Guy Ritchie. His friendship with Ray Winston, being Jamie Winston's godfather, and he talks so fondly about his great friend Jason Statham. We discuss his upcoming drama with Keeley Hors, the Midwitch Cuckoo, and he chats about living the dream in L.A.

and about how important kindness, friendship and loyalty are in his life. He's one of the good guys. Please, can I ask you a favour? Would you mind following and subscribing, please? By clicking the follow or subscribe button. This is completely and utterly free. by the way, and you can also rate and review on Apple Podcasts, which is the purple app on your iPhone or iPad. Simply scroll down to the bottom of all of the episodes.

I know there have been quite a few now. And you'll see the stars where you can tap and rate and also please write a review. Thank you so much. Lovely, Maxton. Oh, lovely. How you doing? I'm good, thank you. Let's just get the embarrassing thing over and done with, shall we?

Have we made love? What's happened? No, no, no. So I very, last time I saw you, actually was really long time ago, but last time I saw you, you were with Ray Winston. And we were all in a club in London and I was still drinking. And I went straight. Ray came up and said, Gabby, I'm Ray Winston.

And I laughed and went, yeah, I know you are. And then he said, do you know Maxton? And I said, yes, I always fancied him. And then you looked at me. and you said, no, you didn't. I said, yes, I did. And I've just got to put it out there at the beginning because we're both happily married.

And that night you kept saying to me, no, but why didn't Robbie tell me? And I said, well, I don't suppose I told Robbie. It was the most showbiz night, the most embarrassing showbiz night. So there we are. It's out. It's gone.

It's there. I tell you what. I'll take that every day of the week. What a lovely compliment. Where were we? Because my brain, when I was drinking, of course, that's now battered all my brain cells. Where were we?

It was the century club. I think it's the only time I've ever been there. I think that must be the only time I've ever been in as well. Because, yeah. Well, how lovely. What a lovely little treat for me to hear. No, but then also, you got very, you got quite anxious because I kept saying that you were, when you were younger,

you were a redhead. Oh, yeah. You were, weren't you? Maybe, yeah. Would I have got like a bit freaky about it. When you say you're anxious, so you being polite, was I an asshole? Disappear.

No, you weren't, actually. You weren't. I have to tell you, no matter what, that, and I know we'll go through all the stuff, but you were always dead polite. Anyway, listen, you, Mr. Actor, Hollywood, movie star, film star, TV star, happily married, daddy. Wow, wow, wow.

Two little girls. Aw. That's what it's all about. Is it the best thing? Of course it is. I heard you, I heard your podcast last night with Rob and I went, hold on, four kids. What?

I didn't even know he had four kids. Don't be silly. Amazing. No, didn't. Did you not see each other? No. Not very much, unfortunately. I mean, I think I last time I was about eight months ago.

He flies emails in occasionally. What's happening? Where are you? Because he's in Switzerland, didn't he? And but the four children, I was like, Hold on a second. When did he have his fourth child? They keep popping them out. But you know what? I mean, I think I always associate you with Rob because I know Rob since he was 16

and I all the take that stuff and you were always the you were there. You were the drummer, you were the percussionist. You were Rob's mate in my eyes. That's how I always see you. So I think it's quite because I'm really surprised you two want to touch. You're very similar. You're very. you're gentleman actually both of you well that's nice of you to say yeah we are there's definitely similar nuances

and then when he he was actually 12 years old when his mother brought him to the alma lodge I think it was in Stockport and I was playing with a band called Shades of Kenton it was a big band and he said to his mum I want to do that because he'd seen a young kid on state

I mean I was 14 at the time but I was doing a big bang and that was it. And then about four years later, I rather, no, five years, I met them in Wales for their first ever sort of

arena stadium tour. And we were rehearsing in Wales and I met Gary and all the, all the lads. But Rob, I felt a kinship to, you know what I mean? There was something quite similar with him.

And yeah, and then we lost, there were years where we didn't speak. And then we got back in touch in 2001. And then I mean, I lived in, with him for three years in LA he looks after me in LA you know which was great I had nowhere to stay when I first went out there but no I love him dearly you but you do remind me of one another

there is that thing about your dad's actually a quite similar soul yeah Pete I love his dad what a good what a good man lovely man but we're not here to talk about Robbie we're here to talk about you right let's go you are the most extraordinary musician and I think when we'll come to the acting in a moment because you just on so much but but musician wise and you just you really i know you released recently you release music again but you can play every instrument can't you how did that where did that come from it was interesting you mentioned that because um yesterday we were talking about this and we were we're talking about you know how we strive to achieve a certain level of excellence on your instrument and and and and suffering from perfection which is something that up until about three years ago I suffered from that, you know, being a perfectionist and ultimately, obviously we both know there's no perfection. So you're always disappointed.

When I was younger, I was a naturally, I'll say gifted, it sounds awful, but I was a naturally gifted pianist and drummer. And I lived in South Manchester in Burnage, and my parents were like, when he's 11, he's going to have to go to Burnage Grammar School and that was not a great option. in those days. It was a very rough school, you know. But there also happened to be one of the best musical conservatories in the country in Manchester in Cheatham School of Music. And they had the

foresight to say, let's get him on piano lessons at seven, let's get him going because at 11, we need him to get into that music school. And that's what happened. And I wasn't good enough at 11, and I was quite proficient to get a scholarship there. as a pianist, but I did get a scholarship as a chorister. And at 13, they re-audition you. And when your voice breaks, if you're good enough on your musical instrument, they'll give you,

you can continue your education there until you're 18. If not, unfortunately, you have to leave, you know. But there were kids there at 10 and 11 playing Messian playing, you know, phenomenal musicianship. Anyway, I got a scholarship as a chorister and then I re-auditioned as a percussionist and a tune percussionist. And I remember thinking, all the percussionists here, they're not really veered, you know what I mean?

People look at them as just they play timps or a bit of snare drum. Let's start playing Paganini violin concertos on the marimba. Let's do a little bit of a bark flute sonata on the vibraphone. And let's, you know, up the impression of what people think this percussion department is. Anyway, I got a scholarship and then, yeah, percussion drums, vibraphone, and that's kind of what I focused on for the rest of my life and decided to be very good at all of them rather than excellent at one of them. Do you know what?

It's very interesting because you say perfectionist, and there's something about watching you, when I've seen you backstage or been backstage and watching you on the drums or doing the percussion, you are so focused and you're like that about, you're acting as well. And it's interesting you say up until three years ago. So what changed for you not to be that perfectionist anymore?

I think that just getting older, also I stopped drinking about eight years ago. And of course, when you stop drinking and self-medicating with alcohol, the brain all of a sudden, there's an influx of thoughts, everything. You have to sit with them. You can't escape anything, you know. I think through sitting with the brain working through things, having clarity in the mind,

I saw that that goal that I was trying to achieve, you're always trying to get better and better and better and better. And ultimately, you'll never reach ever. You'll never reach the heights that you perceive that you want to be at, you know. So

it's more comfortable to be your own judge and jury and go, I'd like to attain a certain level, which is great. And that will do. And I'm not on about, you know, mediocrity. I'm on about still high, high, the upper oscillants of your craft. But going, we're not robots. You know, we're human.

And so, and that gave me an immense amount of freedom, actually, and made things relax. And my life in general became a lot more relaxed, you know. And also, I think having children, my first daughter is eight in September. And she sort of changed everything really. I mean, everything became about the kids and you're not as self-obsessed. But it's really interesting because all, if I, you know, when I think of you, apart from I just think you're utterly charming, but you are incredibly focused.

And then all the stuff I've read about you doing, you're a method actor, and that is about focus. That's about being there. I mean, I think more than any other musician I'm seen on stage, you're so in the moment that it's sort of quite compelling to watch. I remember being backstage at a huge charity event that we all did at High Park and I can't remember what it was for and I was hosting it bizarrely with Ronan Keating and you were on stage but with somebody, I can't remember who it was

and he was the one that said, my goodness, look at, look, you didn't say my goodness but hey let's just keep it polite. He was just going, look at Max. And I was just, we were both, you were, I've never seen somebody that focused. And is that what the method acting is all about as well, is being that focused. I'm not saying perfectionist now, I'm saying focused. Oh yeah, no, there's no doubt about it. It's bulletproof focused and attention to what you're doing and being in the moment.

And the music compliments the acting beautifully. And you're right, you know, on some of the gigs, I do remember some of the early gigs. I remember one in particular with the brand new heavies. We went on stage and I can't remember where it was now, but I can't remember the two-hour gig. It just flew by in about two seconds, but I do remember feeling like I was floating out over the audience when I was playing them.

I mean, it's amazing. Because, you know, there's things that happen. First of all, you have a job and you know that if you're playing a percussion rig, there are specific parts of the song where you'll hit a different instrument. You're playing congas, then you're playing timbales, bongas, whatever. Bridges, core.

it's all different. So you've got the arrangement in your head. You've got the groove in your head and you've also got a click track in your head. So you're playing bang on. But then you have the organic feel of the whole band and that time shifts a little bit, but it sits right in the pocket. And then if it's really grooving and everybody's on the same nuance, then you're lifted, you're elevated and it really is like Concord going through the just the cloud, breaking through that first cloud and before it reaches a supersonic speed and you're just, you're just floating, man. And that was what the gigs are. And I managed somehow to, when I started acting and studying, I'd reached a really good level as a musician, as a session musician. But it was that perfectionist thing. Again, I wanted to be challenged and acting was it for me because I kind of didn't know anything about it. So I had to go to New York. I had to study. I had one wanted to learn. And actually now when I'm on at work, yeah, I am some of my friends, Jason Fleming's like, you, Max, you're not present, you're not present in the room, mate. Well, come on, let's have a vibe.

And you put too much work into it. And I'm like, Jay, I'm sorry, I can't help it, mate, because it's on camera for 100 years, mate, it's just the way I work, you know what I mean? I'm quite boring on set, you know, I'm quite quiet. But not after. I'll have fun and in between and, you know, things like that. But I love it. I love it.

I love and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be working. And I want to do really good work. You know, so I'm very, very lucky with that. And like I say, the music compliments the acting perfectly and vice versa, actually. Some of the people that you've done music with, with, oh, my. I mean, Stevie Wonder. And I mean, you mentioned brand new heavies and obviously take that and things, but so many more as well.

I started at 18 with Weller. That was amazing. That was, he was just beautiful with me. And we did, we went on tour. That was great. And then we did Wildwood. That was a terrific album. And then, and ironically, you know, about two years ago,

I called Paul back up and I said, I remember playing on Moon to, Moon on Your Pajamas. It's called Moon on Your Pajamas. It was a song that he wrote for his boy, Nat. and I said I've written a song for my daughter song for Sabrina I said Paul would you sing it and he's like yeah yeah well let's have a listen

and I sent it him and he said it's really nice have you got the chorus lyrics yet and I said no he said I like everything else can I put can I have a go at something and I think he's like one of our best lyricists in the country you know and I said yeah and then he put something on and then the next minute we're in Capital Studios and mixing his vocal in the Frank Sinatra chamber.

There were chambers in the floor at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. And his vocal on it is absolutely beautiful. And I love him. But I started with him and then, yeah, I had a list of 20 artists that I wanted to work with before I died. And I think I'd done 18 of them by the time I was 24. What? So, yeah, I'd done 18 of them.

Michael Jackson and Prince were the last two and they died. so I couldn't work with them. 18 by the time you were 24 and you had a list of 20. I mean, that's pretty unbelievable. There's not many people in the world that can say that, that they have a dream and they've ticked most of them off. Very fortunate. It was very lucky.

Best yet? Who, okay, apart from Paul, you just mentioned Paul. You say he's the greatest lyricist, but who else? Who's one of those people that you just, those pinch me moments? I'm going to ask you that as well about acting. But we're sticking with music for a sec. Best frontman, Mr. Brown, James Brown. Oh, God, you played with him as well.

Yeah, and then the best musician in presents is Stevie Wonder, no doubt. They're the two governors. It's right. We had, I remember James Brown being on The Big Breakfast and Chris and I, and he performed in the garden at the Big Breakfast. And that was one of the times that Chris and I, we found ourselves live on air sort of hitting each other's faces. Because, you know, when your jewels drop and you just think, unbelievable.

What has just happened? What have we just witnessed? I got an email saying, because you go call him Mr. Brown, there's no James, there's no baseball caps, there's no swearing. I mean,

it's a regimented regime, you know. But I got a call saying, an email saying, Mr. Brown wants you to play piano with him at the Roundhouse on the live TV show from this chap, Super Frank.

So I just replied and went, yep, great, sounds great. I thought it's a total wind-up. And then the next email, yeah, the next email came. in saying these are the tracks georgia on your mind prison of love and it's magic and i went sounds

brilliant uh and then the next email came in saying george is normally in g but you know he's older now so it's going to be e flat and i went oh hold on this this now sounds legitimate so i um i was actually filming i was filming near the grove i was staying at the grove in hartfordshire and and there was a piano down there. I got the music and started practicing for a couple of days. And a friend of mine had, at the time, he was in jail,

he was in remand on, in jail on remand. And that day he got released. He got, found not guilty of this specific thing. And I said, come down, come down, come down. James Brown wants to make the play with him. So he came down and we got here and I went,

I'm not going to do it. I'm too nervous. And he went, yeah, you are. We're both going, man. I've been in a cell for two years. We're going. Oh, my word. Yeah, so we get to the gig. And I pull up and I see James come out of the bus

with the Cuban heels on the hat, the leather jacket, and all the band come out of the bus outside the roundhouse. And I'm like, what? Jesus, it was freaking me out. And I was overqualified. I could do the part. I could play the, the tune, but it was just,

there was just something there with him. And anyway, I walked up to the stage with my little briefcase with my music in it. And I mean, I'm like a 40-year-old man at this, 38-year-old man at this point, you know, but I was still very, very nervous.

And I said, hello, Mr. Brown. I'm Max, and I'm here to play with you. This evening, I think I'm playing piano on some of these tracks. And he just looked at me, smiled and he just went we're going to have a little fun right here

that's all he said we're going to have a little fun right here that's all he said I've got goosebumps yeah we're going to have a little fun right here and I went okay and I sat down and started playing with him and he goes drop it down

drop it down so now I'm in a different key drop it down again I'm going oh Jesus I'm trying to transposing my head as I'm playing with him this is rehearsal And then we get to the main gig, sorry to go on about this. No, no, no, it's fantastic. Go, go, go. I've never told this story, but it was a phenomenal night.

And then we get to the evening. I get my suit on because I want to look mint for him. I want to look right for him, you know. And they say, come into the dressing room, Mr. Brown wants to see, sit, walking. And he's got a beautiful petrol blue silk suit on. And he's sitting with his feet up with one of the backing vocalists that became his wife.

massard in his feet and he's just looking at me smiling and I don't know I don't know what saying I'm just I mean I'm literally in the room for 10 minutes to say saying nothing and looking at him and then the hair's being done and he's you know and then we get up and walk out of his dressing room and all the band stand in line and they're all there immaculately dressed and he's inspecting everybody and he walks past everybody gets the golden seal the band go on and he's very cleverly used to have the band warm up the crowd about 10 minutes before he comes on James that was the vibe 10 minutes and we stood at the back of the stage and I

started grooving a bit you know and I just saw him tap his wife's like and point at me like look at the kid enjoying himself you know he's amazing and then he goes on and then he does introduces me proper showbiz he's like you know one of my great friends a terrific actor musician welcome me ex beasley boom I walk on and you're going to die. I walk on and he goes, and it's just me and him. Spotlight on him,

spotlight on my hands, piano bum. And I start playing Georgia, the intro, and he starts singing Prisoner of Love. And I go... No! Yeah, and it's live broadcast, live telly. I've never froze in my life with anyone. And I go, I look at him

and his beads of sweater dropping down off his forehead. and I went, oh no, I can't. I don't know how to rectify it. And I stopped playing. I put my hands on my lap, and I just sat there and froze. And it was horrific. And he went, when a man plays with his idol, he could sometimes get a little confused.

Now we're going to hit the game. And he filled him for me. And so I've changed the music, and I've got Prisoner of Love. And I play that intro. And then he goes, Jo-J-J-J-No, no, no, no. Yes.

And I went, for fuck a heck. But this time, instant kicked in, and I went, do-d-d-d-d-d-d-j-j-j-ch-gun-shh-gung-gun. And I rectified it, and I started blown with him. And he then, after the first chorus, he just goes, and then, where's grabbed by? Where's Montgomery? So the guitarist comes in, then the drummer kicks in.

And then he just looked at me, and he goes, hit it. solo basically. So I do a chorus. I'm thinking, Jesus, just got around those changes. Great. Hit it again.

Boom. I'm doing it again. He made me solo for about seven choruses. He roasted me because I'd messed up. No doubt about it. But yeah,

there you go. It was an amazing story. Sorry to waffle on about it. No! That is the story to end all stories. I feel like we should just end it there. I'm cringing for you, but also,

What an incredible night. Amazing. Amazing. Okay, from there, let's go to the acting. It just feels absolutely the right place. So how do you follow that? So how did the acting start then? Because you say that the music led to the acting and you went to New York.

But did you literally just wake up one morning and go, okay, I'm going to be an actor? I was in Manchester in Loving Jew with my dad. And my dad said, there's a great movie on tonight. I want you to watch it. I said, okay, I watch it. It's Raging Bull. De Niro. And at the end of the movie, I go, wow, I've got empathy for that character and he is an asshole.

I said, for Jake Lamotta, and I said, that's, that's at De Niro's craft. What an amazing craftsman. Look at all those levels that he's putting me that guy. That's unbelievable. What a level, again, a level of perfection that you're looking at, you know. And I went, I know somebody that has had a bit of a bit of a vibe with De Niro in the early days. I'm going to call her and find out who are good acting coaches and I'm going to go and be an actor.

You're kidding with it? And I was playing at the, nope, and I was in Manchester, it was raining, it was like a Monday night and I was playing. I'd recorded that week with George Benson in London

and I played live with George Michael in Berlin. So musically things were fantastic. And I found this girl that I knew and I said, you need to find out of De Niro, who are great coaches in New York. And she called back next day. She said, this is a...

Sorry, sorry. Sorry. Whoa, whoa, whoa. So you called somebody who called Robert De Niro and said, where should I try? I mean, if you're going to go and get... You go straight to the source, straight to the source. And I said, you need to call him and find out who's a great coach.

And she called back and she went, this is who he suggests. This is who he used on his movie, a Bronx tale. and it's a woman called Sheila Gray in New York and I went brilliant now this is Tuesday and I wait till it's like you know seven o'clock

I phone Sheila in New York I say hi Sheila I'm wondering if you've got taking any students I'd like to come over workshop and maybe you know take some tuition and she said yeah

how about tomorrow at 6pm I went okay and she said what's doing in New York yeah because I was I didn't know whether I could get in her class I didn't know what the deal was.

I didn't know, you know, so. And she said, what are you doing in New York? And I'm like, oh, I'm doing a little, I'm doing some theatre. Really? What theatre? I said, the Segal, check off. I don't know where they're bleeding now that came from. But I went, she said, whereabouts?

I kind of know all of the theatres in. And I said, I've got to go, Sheila. I'm so sorry. I've got to go, but I will see you tomorrow. Because I was fannying because I didn't think, I didn't know whether she'd let me get into her class or not. Anyway, next day. I flew to New York and that night I was in New York in a class with her and I walked in and went, wow, I haven't got a clue of what this is. And it was brilliant because I thought I sort of had a good idea about how to act. You know what I mean? And that started the relationship. And her methods that she taught me to this day, right at the moment, I'm using them. They're just instinctive. And in fact, when I did, I did a thing called the outsider two years ago in Atlanta.

No, where were we? Yeah, we were in Atlanta. And it was such a in-depth, high-pressured gig. I went, I'm going to call Sheila and actually do some work with her on the Skype. And we worked on it. And the same for this job that I'm doing now. We work on it. And I think you should always, you know, sharpen your tools, you know.

So, yeah, that's how I started. Raging Bull. Good God. Okay, I didn't. Your stories, you're a great raconteur. I mean, you just need a one-man show. to be honest and these stories. So, okay, so you've got, you're with Sheila,

you start your method training. And for anybody that doesn't know, we're saying that as it, you know, we've got to be careful because obviously people don't know, but that's about really you become that person all the time, don't you? They are you, you are one. Not quite, not quite. What really is, is you use sense memory and personal,

like you personalise stuff and visualization, but you also most importantly turn it on and off on the set. Because unfortunately, I think it's got a bad sort of name method acting. It's not really that well understood, but it is using, you know, finding nuances in the script that you can relate to. And if you can do direct choices where you can remember,

you know, experiences in your past and use them in the scene and they're correct for the scene, great. And if not, substitutions, sense, memory, smells, places, times, you know, people and turning it on and off during the day at work and then forgetting about it at night. You know, you've got to forget about it when you go, go home, which takes practice because you can get imbued with the sense of what you're playing. You know, you've got to, that's very important to, because if you're playing a psychotic serial

killer, you don't, you don't want to be in that 24 hours a day, you know. No. Yeah, that's the understatement. Absolutely. You don't. But, but that I, I, I, I remember when we did it at GSA, when they were doing method with everybody, and everybody sort of the sense memory and bursting into tears and then leaving the class and being, you know, feeling shattered for days. And the teacher always saying, that's not what we want. That's not about being shattered for days. You've got, use the sense memory. But I sort of get the feeling that you do that now, that you would do, sorry, that you were doing that before, even though you weren't aware that you were doing it. it feels like a completely natural match.

Maybe it's a good point, maybe. And also when I look at all my influences, they all are out of that school. They're all out of the Strasbourg school. You know, they're more, I mean, I do like some of the greats that we've had in the UK, Burton, Hopkins. But most of my influences are like Hackman, Lancaster, you know, the older.

And they're all American, they're all American trained. And there's something that swings with that, if you know what I mean. It's like there's something that swings and it gels nicely with that for me. But yeah, I love it. It's preparation prevents piss poor performance. And I prep my ass off on every job. You know what I mean? So you go, you know, yeah.

I can hear it in you. So of all, I mean, I remember everybody got such a surprise when Tom Jones. I remember it when you did that. And it was, it's very funny because when you did it, I think, weirdly, I saw you near that. And I think everyone was going, oh, Max, we didn't know you could act like that. Oh, you're fantastic. Oh, my God.

And you just went, this is what I'm supposed to do. This is absolutely, this is me now, as if it wasn't a surprise to you. And now all of the things that, you know, as you say, the outsiders, which was huge and the bodies, and we go to Hotel Bablots. So we're all over the place from the UK. Now you're working with Keeley, which we're going to. to talk about them the my most the most terrifying film I ever saw ever in my life is the one you're working on so we're gonna leave that to the end because I had

nightmares about it but but all of the things you've done in the States here just this you're you are a really great actor now as well and you just feel that you're I just feel that you found what you were always looking for is that bit heavy no no think maybe a bit of both. I think that I think it's great to still do some music. You know, I was recording only this week. You know, and I think they, I did a Guy Ritchie movie in February, right? I'm not seen Guy for 22 years. And Jason was on its stadium as well, who I haven't seen properly for quite a while. Hugh Grant and an American actress called Aubrey Plaza. And Guy said to me, he's quite an interesting man guy. In fact, he's an incredibly interesting.

man and um i watched an interviewer guy before i went out to do the movie and i was like bloody hell he's really wow i mean we all change don't we as we develop and we learn things and life life's experiences but i went he's really saying some poignant things here this is fantastic so that's one of the reasons of what's going to do the job and he said to me you know because i said guy you directing the beer the brewery um the barbecues that you're going to bea the brewery um the barbecues that you've created. And he went, well, yeah, then we've got the outdoor living thing. And he's listed about eight things.

I went, how on earth are you juggling all that? He said, you've got to always be creative in different realms. If it's just a one nuanced dynamic, it's no good. And he said it's the same with actors. You know, you really have to, and he said, you're lucky because you've got the music and you write and, you know, and I think he's right. So it's good to do both. but the acting does feel very, very natural for me.

I do love it because it's like a 12-hour gig. You're doing a show for 12 hours on set each day, and it's that moment when you're filming, and you know that is it, what they're capturing, that's going to be on something for 100 years. It's got to be right. You really want to do your best work, you know. I can hear you smiling when you say that.

You have the most eclectic mix of friends, I mean, you know, Jason, you're saying Jason Statham. There's something, I met him very, very briefly at something, and I completely fell for him. I thought, what a sweetie. He wasn't what I'm. Oh, what a sweet lad. Actually, I should get him on this, because I think everybody gets a completely wrong idea of Jason. So we'll try and get him on this podcast.

He's lovely, lovely, man. Yeah, really sweet. But also Ray, I know you know Ray very well. And you're saying Guy Ritchie, but you have this incredible. eclectic mix of friends and what looking at social media what I love is that you still seem to be friendly with all of these people you're all very real I mean I absolutely adore Ray I and I love Jamie as well Jamie's my quote goddaughter oh is she yeah or whatever yeah he's like no you've come up with it ain't me and I went well we sort of sort of agreed on it one night when we

were both drunk he's like no no I'm in charge I'm like okay but he's he's amazing Ray's like 12 years ago I wrote a script which might be getting made next year right and Ray oh my God congratulations thank you for 12 years Ray's always been

makes whenever it's going on there and I'm like you're a diamond he's just 100% very loyal and in answer to what you were saying I think that one thing you do get with us Beasley's is if you're a friend

that is it we're very very loyal you know, for life. And I think there's something in that. There's not enough of that in the world anymore, you know. And yeah, so I'm very, I've got some of my, one of my best mates is still in Manchester that I speak to every week. If I've known in 50 years. I thought, I said it to my dad the other day. That's a 50 era, 40 years, 38.

I think the, I think raised the shortest amount of time I've known someone, which is 30 years. Wow. That's about it. And then you do meet new people, don't you? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You weigh it up and then you go, oh, they're lovely nuance. They're very nice.

I can see they've got a nice heart and they're kind. Yes, please. That's great, you know. I'm going back to how I started this by saying, I think you're a gent. And that comes back, and you're saying loyalty. And I think that's all part of the importance and respect. You have tremendous, I've seen you show unbelievable respect towards people. And I think that's another thing.

Actually, you did that. I know this isn't going out for a little while, but, but, you know, when the football, happened and the all the racism the horrific abhorrent things that happened on the streets in the UK and the racism and you you again you spoke out and I I applaud you for that and I you know I wish more people would and I think what you said was absolutely apt because you care you do care well I think you know social media's it's strange isn't it I I went on social media years ago to try and promote I was I was trying to get a snowboarding brand going with a friend of mine.

And I was like, okay, I guess I'll sign up. What is it, Instagram? Yep. And we'll put a T-shirt and whatever. Then you get imbued with this sense of itself. And it's a nightmare, really. It's just a constant affirmation, isn't it? Instagram.

If you really think about it, why am I posting this? And you go, no, I'll leave that. You know, there's plenty of times I've done that. This is just for affirmation, really, I don't need to do it. but then you do as well. But if something disturbs you and you have a view on it and it's a great tool to use and I never, ever, ever, ever really get involved in politics

or anything like that on that platform. But that morning when I woke up and saw those news headlines, I was like, oh no, oh no, I've got to say something, you know. So it can be useful for things like that and helping people that are poorly and they're ill and awareness about different things. But ultimately, it's a nest of vipers, isn't it? All the social media is awful.

Spread the joy, that's all I'm about. I just think it's really important to spread the joy. Let's talk about what you're doing with Keeley, Midwitch cuckoos. I have to say, it's the only thing in my life that if I think back to I can remember a nightmare I had as a child because a friend of mine played it, or their parents were watching it or something. And I was about 10 or 11.

What were you watching, Village of the Damned? Oh, my God. Those blonde children in black and white. It was on and I remember walking in and I was freaked out. And then when I was older, I read the Midwitch cuckus because I just, oh, what a book. Oh, and now you're working with lovely Keely. She's another one.

She's got her production company. She does all of her different things. She's keeping her creative juices going. She's a good girl. I really like me. I love her. Really good girl. Send her my love.

I will do. Midwitch Cookers, at last, it might be take away my nightmares from the village of the damned. Well, I'm not sure about that. It's quite scary. And I think what makes it more terrifying than not is the adaptions written by David Farr, who wrote the night manager, which was terrific, I thought. Yeah. And he, if you read the book now, you know, it's 1957, I think, I can't remember. But he, he's modernised it, obviously. And rather than the take being, I think the networks were like, yeah, it's not, you told me, if we're not having this, you told him weirdness and shot all weird. And it's very organic, very rusey, very real, like a drama that you watch. And it's very real, very, very real. So when, you're, very real, very real. So when, these the children are born alien children yeah nuances start kicking in where you go hold on they've got

like hive hub lot type behavior going on here this is very very strange it also becomes incredibly unsettling and um i'll tell you it's i was thinking before about work that you do and work that you're proud of and and most of the time it's it's good writing good writing and someone says to me bodies was great You're really good in that and I'm like, it's down at the writing. Because as actors, you should be able to do anything really. But if you've got great scripts, then people think that works great, you know. And this is, I only said to Keeley the other day, I said, yes, I love it because I'm going home exhausted. I'm taxed as an actor on this, you know, it's really taxing multiple levels, all on subtle, multiple nuances, you know, all very subtle.

And it's a really hard job, but it's so exciting. And I think it's going to be fantastic. I'm really, really exciting. She's beautiful. I love working with Keely as well. It's Sky, isn't it? They are churning out some incredible things. Yeah, they're banging out really good dramas.

And I've worked with Sky numerous times now for Mad Dogs, for Jamestown, something else. James Town. I see, I thought that was super. Yeah, that was great. But they're great, Sky, because they go, boom. Here you go, be creative. And then when it's all done and we're all happy, we're going to hammer the promotion.

And so people are aware of the product, you know, which is brilliant. When is this coming out? Do you know? When will be June? It should be June of next year. Yeah. Should be June of next year. But it's very exciting and you will love it, I'm sure.

But it won't be, it's going to be quite terrifying. But you'll be all right. Okay, thank you. I trust you. I'll come around and watch it with you. I'll come around and watch it with you. So, right, let's go. to living in America, what's it like living in the, is it, is it the Holly, are you living

the Hollywood dream that we all imagine? I know you said you lived with Rob all those years ago for a few years, but, but now you're married, your beautiful wife and I love the story about you two. You were on blind date and she was her friend. Yeah, I'll have that one then please, not you, I'll have that one please. Yeah, yeah, that's right. So cute. But now with your two girls living in in America is it is it as we all dream it should be no no no no it's not I mean you know you've got as you've got beautiful weather all right that's the first thing yeah that's the bit I want yeah I mean that's quite a large part of your existence you've got beautiful weather system you've got the PCH one and you've got that coastline all the way up

Monterey is absolutely beautiful. But then you've also got the mortgage, the school bills, the health insurance, you know, you've got the normal pressures of being a parent with a wife and two children that depend on you, you know, and our business is so volatile,

and certainly out in America, it's incredibly volatile. There's half a million actors live in Los Angeles, you know. So it's difficult. And I love a... My children are California babies, you know, they're very, very, very, very LA, the two kids. And they love the ocean and they love that and they like, you know. And I genuinely am like, I said to my wife the other night, she's like, we got, we got to move from LA, you know.

We've got to move somewhere. And we were talking about Oregon or she's from Minnesota. And I went, well, I don't think I can do that, darling. It's minus 40 at Christmas. It's going to be freezing. but we are thinking about quality of life and why are we in Los Angeles and an enormous amount of people are moving out of L.A. now

and because of the pandemic and you know one doesn't have to get into a room with producers anymore it's you know you can literally so I'm not sure it is by the way it's don't get me wrong I wake up I look at the garden the flowers the mountain ranges around the back because we're at the top of Mulholland so we can see there's.

Saninez mountains. Oh my word. And it's absolutely gorgeous and I love that space because it's good for the mind. And there was the routine there. You know, the schools for Sabrina and then Bella's just started a new preschool

and it's what, it's nice, but it's a high octane pressure. It's like there's a jet hose firing on you all day long to go, you've got to win, you've got a win, you've got to win. If you're going to keep keep up a lifestyle.

That's very interesting. I find years and years ago when they offered me a deal to live there and to do a show there. And I said no because I actually for a whole bunch of reasons, but mainly because I couldn't bear it when somebody says, hey, how are you? And if you said, actually, I'm not good today, they go, great, have a good day. Nobody, I felt that they didn't care and it was until the next one, onto the next one. And that, I found the people. people, I love the Brits there because they sort of stuck together.

And I like some of the people who were from outside of L.A., but some of the people in L.A. and that business, ooh. Well, that's great that you would say not great today, because 99% of people out there wouldn't say that. And a lot of the Brits out there won't say that. It's like, yeah, I'm busy. I'm filming this. I'm doing that. And I just go, sometimes in my last 20 years, I've got, I'm on my ass. I'm not working.

It's really difficult. I'm like, what? Really? Yeah. And I think that, you know, when I first went to Los Angeles, I was, I came from a very privileged position in the UK where I was working constantly. And then I got out there. And I think I remember the first audition I did was for Nurse Jackie with Edie Falco. And I walked into the room and my mouth nearly hit the floor. There were 30 men in white coats. with the stethoscopes because it was the role of a doctor and I'm like oh Jesus Christ surely this isn't going to be it and one year I did 65 auditions and about 15 tests and I didn't get one job you know so it's difficult it's turned around since since um the the outsider

he's turned around a little bit which is great and now now I'm working in the states or here and I've got a couple of terrific things next year which I'm excited about and that's brilliant but one mustn't ever forget the salad days I call them you know where you are on your ass a little bit and it makes you very very grateful when you're working you know you're a good lad I'm gonna say it again you really are a good lad okay so I ask everybody in this podcast what makes you properly belly laugh and I've I've seen you pace yourself laughing and I can think of that's probably that same evening that we were all drunk now we don't drink anymore we'll we'll we

can still laugh and probably far healthier. But what makes you properly belly laugh? There's a couple of different types. Belly laugh, it would have been Freddie Star and my dad. And Freddie and my dad both went on the road at the same time. Freddie used to use a lot on my dad's act, actually. Really? Yeah, but very, very, very funny.

Intellectually laugh my ass off, Coogan with Partridge. It's just genius, genius work, just genius work. And I also used to like, but by the way, Gabby, this is an interesting question because other than that, I really don't laugh that much. I'm quite miserable. Yeah, and I don't know what it is, but nothing, like someone will go, check this comedian out, it's fantastic. Nothing. Nothing at all. The only guy I've seen recently is a guy called Sebastian, is it Menascaal or Mascano?

He's an Italian-American comedian. Very funny. He's very, very funny. So those are the people, yeah. Oh my God, you see, that's so weird that you say you, and I love you for your honesty saying that there's not a lot you'll offer. I think of you as, I remember. Jolly laughter boy. Yes, because, and I remember you going, when you were going out with one of your,

well-known exes and I'm not talking about that because I get I when I was doing all my research even though I've known you for a long time I just got fed up with reading about oh he went out with this one go away I don't care no but I don't care that's not what makes you who you are but but you were going out with one of your exes and somebody fell off did you have a motor would you have a motorbike I have had a couple of more yeah yes right you were on a motorbike and somebody fell off the back of the motorbike. Where the hell was it? And it doesn't matter who it was,

but it was one of your age girlfriends. And she fell off the back of the motorbike and I was pissing myself laughing. And then you were laughing at me laughing and they got really angry. They got really angry with me for laughing and really angry with you for laughing. I have no idea where it was.

But that's what I remember. That's how I think of you as giddling. Oh, God, I wish. No, I wish. I think the, no, not really, no. I mean, you know, that's life. I mean, my daughters make me laugh.

My daughters make me laugh. Good. Isn't that? It can be, it's tough, isn't it? Life on life's terms. It's, you know, and you see, I was very lucky that I never, I never tried cocaine. And if I, if I tried cocaine, I'd probably be dead now. But I did get into drinking, you know, hugely.

and I do marry a lot of times of fun and laughter to the drinking days and not the terrible nuances that used to occur through drinking but and when that stopped you like I said to you you know you can't self-medicate or take the edge off if you like or you've got a sitting what's going on in your head and we're quite complicated beings and I certainly am and it's a bit of a bit of a bit of of an oxymoron, isn't it? Because it's those things that make you good at what you do, if you like, those idiosyncrasies that are quite difficult and the struggles that you may have or whatever mentally, they're the things that also light the fire for the work and the creative

juices. So, but yeah, I don't laugh that much. I mean, I actually, I was sat here two days ago when my dad going, I'm actually just going to walk around with a smile on my face like this. Maybe that'll send the brain cells. I said, because I don't laugh as much as I used to when I was younger. It's awful. Do you know, it does work.

I tell everybody to do it. I've tried it myself and, I've gone through horrible. You know, like we say, we both lost our moms very young. But if you force a smile on your face, first thing in the morning, I promise you this works.

And Max, you can message me in two weeks and tell me if it doesn't, okay? But if you wait, the very, very, very first thing you do in the morning, if you force a smile on your face, before you think, your body and your body, your brain is then tricked into you feel better and it is extraordinary what it does it's you know

like people do the gratitude thing first thing in the morning and all the rest of it but if you smile first thing in the morning instantly it lifts your mood so I hope it I hope it can help I've been doing it for the last 20 high seconds I feel amazing you are a gent you are a joy in a gent and thank you so lovely to speak to you so lovely you're a good lad send send everyone who who should be sent love, send them my love. And thank you for doing this. And we'll see you very soon, my darling. Okay, darling, lots of love. Loads of love. Thank you so much for listening. That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly produced by Cameo Productions. Music by Beth McCari. Could you please tap the follow or subscribe button? And thanks so much

for your amazing reviews. We honestly read every single one and they mean the world to us. Thank you so much.