That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Sam Palladio

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

Actor and musician, Sam Palladio, joins Gaby for a chat about all things joy!Sam takes us back to the start of his acting career, at drama school, and the amazing time he had and friends he made there.They discuss his TV work, which include 'Nashville' and 'Humans" - and most recently 'The Couple Next Door'. This is a new dark and twisted Channel 4 series, which iexplores the complexities of relationships and the dark side of human desires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam, how lovely to see you. You've made me and my daughter's very happy. Thank. Great. That's a strange way to start. Yeah, yeah. The best way to start. It's all kosher and aboveboard. Nashville.

Right. Yeah. Humans. Princess Switch. Wow. And now the couple next door. Yeah. So thank you very much and that's it. You can go.

Thanks very much. That's just lovely. So should we go backwards or forwards. You choose. It's absolutely up to you. this is reasons to be joyful I want you to feel joyful should we start now

go backwards should we go back to Rose Bruford oh yeah let's maybe do that should we go back to drama school we can no oh we're supposed to be reasonable no yeah no we should happy time

we should did you enjoy it I loved it I loved it yeah I went to this lovely school Rosebreuford College and they did for me they I could never decide

if I wanted to be an actor an actor or a musician so they did this amazing actor musicianship degree, which was basically a classical actor training, but everybody played instruments, so it was all about bringing live

music into theatre. We do Sondheim musicals with I remember playing upright bass for a Sondheim, then we do Shakespeare and compose scores, and it was amazing. It was kind of the perfect course for me. Because I also wasn't an amazing, I can't read music,

I don't know theory, I just was a bedroom guitarist, played in bands, loved it, and I didn't want to put the guitar down, you know, so that just meant I had it on my shoulder for three years every day. And, yeah, sort of writing songs and then learning lines. So did you want, so before you went to drive school, is that what you, how you saw it? Did you think, oh, I can't choose? Yeah, in a sense. You know, at school, initially I wanted to be a marine biologist because a lot of my family on that side are.

And I grew up in Cornwall, grew up in Penzance. So in the sea every day, snorkeling and, you know, and so. But then I started really enjoying theatre and getting good at that at school. And then, like I said, sort of playing in little garage bands. And then, yeah, I guess the performing arts just were a clear path. But I didn't want to choose. And I've been lucky to actually my career so far as pretty much done music and acting in tandem. And so I haven't had to choose, which is great because I'm about at decision making.

Oh, are you? Clearly. But Nashville. Yeah. Must have been the dream role then for you. 100%. It was wild. That was pretty soon as well after you graduated.

Yeah, I graduated in 2008 and then did a few years of sort of theatre and whatnot and bits of British TV. And then, yeah, 2012 I got the... Bits of British TV. You've done some really great bits of British TV. Yeah, I suppose back then it was... No, I did do episode actually then. Love that show. Oh my God.

Matt Leblonk and Tams and Greg and Stephen Manget. Just... Yeah, that was my first, like, proper TV role. Playing this character called Stoke opposite Matt Blanc. So like learning from the best. And then, yeah, I got this amazing sort of lucky audition where they wanted actors who could play and sing and were, they didn't want a load of actors

for this TV show Nashville that were faking it that couldn't play a note. You know, they tried to go as authentic as possible. And that was all through Callie Corey, who was the creator and showrunner and did, you know, wrote Thelmer and Louise and her husband's Tebow and Burnett, incredible music producer.

So they were really adamant that it had to be right. And so I can play and sing. So who was that you? Did you read about it? Or did you get, they call you? I had a, the beginning of 2012, I got my first American manager. So she came to meet me in London and then was like, I'm going to represent you in L.A. I was like, oh, my God, this is great.

And then about a week later, the first thing she sent through was this pilot for a show called Nashville. They want actors and singers. You know, he should audition. A week later. You're kidding me. And then I did a self-tape from my show. my bedroom in Charing Cross. And then I was the first person they'd cast on the show.

Oh, I love stories like this. Yeah, and it was like, I'd never been to America. I was saving up to go maybe for pilot season and I couldn't afford it. And then, yeah, just got this like one in a million audition. And, you know, because at that point you get the job and it's like a three-week job, you go and shoot the pilot. And then you never know. But it actually, yeah, it turned into a six-year 125 episode and I still live in Nashville.

So it's like 30 years later. Yeah, yeah. I've been there ever since. Oh, I think you lived here and you've gone. Oh. Just for you. Oh, yeah. And all the other shows are you doing and filming the show.

But so you're full time there now? Yeah, I moved out there. That's it. It changed your life. It did because, you know, I love music. So it is like the sort of heart of it's Music City, you know, literally in the title, National Music City. And the communities there.

I'm sorry for my experience. Is that what it's actually called? Well, that's its kind of catch line. Yeah, it's Music City, USA. Like Nashville, Music City, USA. But yeah, it just meant that I love the people, the creative community, the songwriters, the live music that comes out of it.

So I thought after living there for six years, I bought house and I was like, you know, this is my community. So do I need to move back to London to keep acting? Do I need to? No, I could probably do it from here and send out audition tapes and that's kind of how it's worked. That's how it's a way.

Yeah, yeah. So it's good because it's a really kind of grounding place where I can write music, which is very personal and very important to me and not get too caught up in the, when's my next acting gig? Like, waiting for the phone to ring. So your music, he's just said how important it is.

Yeah. Is that something you're doing alongside everything? Yeah, so I put out my first, I mean, it's crazy, it's the first album, but it came out in September last year. And, you know, I grew up songwriting. I then spent obviously a decade in Nashville working with some of the best songwriters in the world.

But slowly trying to figure out what my style was because I grew up in Cornwall. I loved rock music. I love this and that. But I mean, Nashville making country music. So anyway, eventually sort of found my lane and went through a lot of life to get me. I lost my mum back in 2018.

It was like some big things. Life had things happened. You were young and she was so young. Yeah, she was. Yeah. Not too young. But, you know, that's all inspired this really fruitful, creative last couple of years. She'll be very proud.

She'll be up there just saying, look, you see, you see what you do. The album's all dedicated to her. It's all about her and everything, so yeah. No, I will have listened. Oh, thank you. It's lovely. But it's really, it's so funny, because I listened to that when I knew I was going to be speaking to you on this and the radio show. Yeah.

So I listened to the music, and then I watched the couple next door. And I just thought, this is weird, okay. I thought, why aren't you in Benjamin Button? Right. Have you seen the musical in town? Oh, no, I haven't. Oh, it's music on, it's musicians on stage. Okay, right, beautiful.

But it's also set in, they've set it here in Cornwall. So it just. Oh, really? Wow. Yes. You've got to be in it. The next, yeah. Yeah, the next.

The recast, yeah. Take it to Broadway when they do. There we do. I don't know if it's on Broadway yet. Not yet. I'm about to Google it. I need to find out. It just felt really right.

I suddenly thought that. So your music and you keep doing the music, you're not going to, you've done that album. You're going to do more though. Yeah, I mean, I'm sort of halfway through the new one right now or whether maybe it's going to be a load of singles. But yeah, in a really nice place of having just sort of finished filming the couple next door. I've had a couple of months to get back to the real world

because we were in Belgium shooting that for a long time. But that's only just wrapped, hasn't it? I know. it's a crazy turnaround. We wrapped at the end of February and here we are. It came out a few days ago. So it's a really fast turnaround.

And I think because it was a big hit for Channel 4, they were really excited to get it out after the summer. It's so, so good. Right, let's talk about that and then we'll go back and do other stuff as well. I was sent early copies. And so I watched the first two.

And now it's out on telly. And it's, I watched it again on telly because I watched it on my laptop. Oh, it's so. good. And it doesn't go where I think it's going to go. Yeah. Yeah.

How far have you got then? Have you got to three yet? Uh-uh. So I've seen the first two. Okay, right. Ooh, three, it really, it really goes places. But it's not what I imagined it was going to be. So I loved season one.

Okay. Loved season one. Then we got to, then tuned into season two and I just thought, well, I know this is going to go, not as I'm expecting it. Yeah. And I was hooked within. in about 20 seconds. It's really, it's so,

it's very intimate. Yeah, it is, yeah. It feels like it's just me in the room with you. Yeah, well, the beauty of actually the sort of opening of that, of the new series, I thought there's this sort of dinner party scene, which I love where you get introduced to my character, Jacob, and Annabelle's character, Charlotte, and they just took their time. It's not, you know, I've been on some of these American shows where it's like 35-second scenes.

And then we're here, no, we're here, now we're here. But it's this sort of slow burn, okay, welcome to the world. But I'm there in that room with you. Yeah, yeah. It's very naturalist. It's like, it's intense. It's like, where are we going to go now? Yeah.

Okay, so for people who haven't seen it yet, they've got to. They just have to because it's so good. Give us a sort of an idea of the show. Yeah, so it's a psychological thriller really. It's really about what happens when you perhaps follow those darker thoughts and darker desires and the consequences of maybe making some bold

relationship choices, you know? Season one, it introduces you to, you know, the sort of two very happy couples that get intertwined romantically and yes,

the sort of fallout of that is quite intense. Series two, it was about welcome people back to that world, but of course, introducing this brand new family, these new relationships,

And yeah, but exploring some of the similar themes that the audiences will really enjoy from season one. But I feel like it's, this is also, this season's set sort of half in the local hospital. So myself, Jacob is a consultant, anesthetist, and my wife's this high-flying heart surgeon. You know, they're both sort of top of their game. The sort of perfect power couple, really. But with having been together for 20 years, cracks are showing this sort of, is it a midlife crisis? It's not really, but Mia then played by the wonderful Aggie K. Adams sort of comes into the town, into the mix. Incredibly mysterious siren kind of character and yeah is quite sort of manipulative really.

And you can't work out what she's trying to achieve by weaving her way into this couple. But Jacob, who's quite, he's quite jealous, he's quite proud. He's got this sort of status complex really with. with Charlotte. He's quite macho, isn't he? He's like, hold on. What do you mean? My wife's more important.

Yeah, yeah. And when, you know, you see the sort of seduction of Mia and Charlotte happening, and he sees that. It's so good. And Hugh, Hugh Dennis. Oh, my gosh. There. Absolutely. The best.

You know, he's obviously hilariously funny, but he's something about Alan that is pitiful. But it's, you know, and he has slightly more of a redemptive story in this series. And it's really great to say. Oh, it's so good. So how do you pick and choose? I mean, so do they, so you've got to, obviously, now you're international superstar. Do you, do you? And I mean that for real.

So you have an American agent and you have an English. So how do they know? This is a really weird question. It's just because I'm thinking it, so I'm going to ask. If you're working in America and you're doing stuff in England, How does the, do they work with each other? Yeah, it's all very much a team. You know, it's not, that's okay.

They're all competing. They're not competing, no. They all commission everything. So it's fine. Yeah, so I have a great British team here and the stateside team. And yeah, you know, the state size will bring in some opportunities. The UK does the same. But for me, this was, I really wanted to come back and do some British TV.

Oh, good. Because I feel like I've been gone for 13 years. I'm back a lot, you know. But in terms of sort of working, over here. I come and do a lot of tours and music over here, but I really wanted to, I felt like, yeah, I'm still a British guy at heart, you know, and I think there's just some beautiful productions and scripts and stories that come out of British TV. And so I was really looking for a role that I didn't have to be an American. I didn't have to like, hey man, you know,

be some sort of, you know, G.I. Joe character. I wanted to find something quite natural. It's really good. Yeah. And, you know, working with Annabel Scully, he's just an amazing amazing actress and we felt our connection was sort of instant and the work was really easy and felt like, yeah, felt really natural. Because that's how it feels to watch it is like that. Oh, great. We felt like a couple, like a couple, you know, instantly. It was weird.

I want to know, when you go into a shop in America, do you say, I'm not going to do it, do you do American accent? And you just go to the local store? No. Oh, you don't, you keep your... Oh, absolutely. Oh, do you? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Definitely. Always? Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't ever go in. The only thing, and I think a lot of Brits say this when they're over in the States, when you just need a glass of water and you say, can't have a glass of water please? And they're in, what? You need a glass or what? Water, water, he needs a water, man, you know.

So you do do it. I suppose there might be the occasional, but I don't go out of American action, but it's like, I'll have a water. A friend of mine who lives there in the States. I have a water. No, I wouldn't actually. And it feels weird coming up my mouth. So he says exactly the same. He's a musician.

And he says that if he has to be honest, that if he's just going to the local store to get something, he'll just... But he'll like do full accent the whole time? Hey, how are you? Oh, right. Yeah. That's absolutely psychotic. You never do that?

No, no, no. Well, you could do it here. You could be in doing American accent. That might be more fun here, actually. And then people would just think, I thought you were... I had this, my favorite tweet, got years ago was I did

humans for Channel 4. Yes, I know, I was going to talk about that. And I had a, it came out a few years ago and I had a tweet from an American that night watching the show and she went, Sam Paladio's British accent in humans is awful. And I was like, oh, what a reverse compliment because that means you think I've got a very good American accent.

Take that as a compliment. Yeah, yeah, it was great. British accent is awful. So we need to talk about, You mentioned episodes. I love that. I wish they'd do more. I said it to do the stars.

Each time I see them, every time I see Stephen Mayhem. That would be something they could easily bring back, you know. It's not like it died and they can't go anywhere. They could go a million places. Yes. Can you please tell Stephen to do it? I will. Then he'll think he'll know who you've spoken to because I'm like an...

I'll call Matt. Should we call Matt now? Should we call him? He'd be asleep? No, he won't be asleep. Is he a friend of yours? I mean, he was for a long time. I don't think...

We just call. Hi, Matt. Hey, it's Sam Palat. No, no. I was on the show... No, no. No, he's done this and he's... Let's speak to Gabby Roslin, Matt.

The first, the only UK show that the guys from Friends did was with me. They did a thing called Friends with Gabby. So we, let's call him. Matt, bring back episodes. We'll just shout it. It'll be fine. We're just hoping for it. No, but I want to talk about Princess Witch.

Okay. So every Christmas, you're a part of the Christmas world. When it's not Christmas, do people... This is a really strange question. When it's not Christmas, do people talk about it or do people only talk about it at Christmas? No, I actually get...

Because I did a couple of the songs for the soundtrack as well and I put them out with the movies. And so the thing I get most is, you know, when I'm doing concerts or something or even like a live stream, Instagram live or something, it's forever and it might be middle of August or it might be July or whatever it's like can you play under the tree

can you play bring the snow no it's July you can't really it's it acting against the law it is I think it should be that's why I wondered if people talked about it because it's so Christmas it's so Netflix Christmas oh my prints like all the time which is very sweet

do you yeah yeah yeah I think there are there's a fandom that just put that movie on like throughout the year and I don't understand it but I mean I'm here for it I have, I'm really sorry. I mean, I wouldn't do it, obviously. First of December.

I leave it to the first of December. Yeah, even that's a bit soon. Oh, really? No, no. You go later? No. When do you start your Christmas? I actually had Christmas by myself for the first time this year.

How was it? Brilliant. You can come? Oh, really? Yeah. So you can come to us for Christmas. Okay. You're more than welcome.

Thank you. Very welcome. So on, out of choice on your own? I was in, we were filming a couple next door in Belgium, and I had like a 10-day window, and it was just, Logistically, like, do I try and get all right back to Cormor? I also had my dog at that point. And I thought, I'm just going to, no, I'm going to do a very unique. Yeah, yeah.

I'm going to do a very unique Christmas and do it by myself in Nashville for 10 days. It was kind of great. FaceTime my dad, face time my brother, you know. All right, have a nice time, right. It's quite nice. You should switch off because you're around a lot of people all the time. Yeah, yeah. How's your dad doing then?

He's good. He's down in Cormall. Yeah. You know, he's a painter and a sculptor. My mum used to run an art gallery, so they're very artsy family. And he's very excited about The Couple Next Door, which is hilarious, because he's always been critical in a very dad way. You know, I'll send him a new song or this or a project,

and it's, you know, he's always encouraging, but it's sometimes just slightly, you know, well, I think it was good, but a couple next door came out the other night. Got the best text, you know, wow, absolutely fabulous. This is pure class, great drama. I think he's in. He's in. He's in, which is great. Oh, that's so lovely. I'm not sure if he's got to the bit where I'm naked yet. I'm going to say this does get quite raunchy.

Yeah, yeah. How do you feel about your dad seeing? Oh, it's all right. He would change your nappy when you were little. He did, yeah. I've warned a couple of aunties, you know. Oh, no, you know, I didn't think of that's a thing. His aunties, yeah, so yeah, it's like, ooh. Did you warn them? Yeah, yeah.

Did you really? What did you say to them? Well, it was just, you know, just be prepared. There's a few scenes that I can't. you know, I'm watching it. Oh, God. Oh, that is so funny. I'd never thought, it's so weird. A very well-known actress, who's a friend of mine, had to do a full frontal news scene,

and she told her family they were not allowed to see it. Not allowed to watch, yeah. Because she didn't want them to see that. But we all did. I understand it, yeah. We all did, which was a little odd, but she's an actor. Yeah, yeah, true. Oh, I love the idea.

Will you please tell me what your aunt who say? Yeah, I mean, tonight's the night The third episode comes out So that's the where all the action happens So that's the bit I haven't seen yet So that's why I can look at it Okay, so when I see you on Sunday I might be looking at you differently

No, it's not that bad But it's an exciting scene Just think about the, what's your aunties name? Tony, shaney and Nikki So they're all right Blokes names and my dad's called Kim Which is funny But yeah

That's all right That's okay You're Sam which can be anything And anybody can be whatever they want to be. They absolutely can. There we go. All right, so all the other stuff. Can we talk about humans as well, please?

Yeah. Because that was another show. It's the amount of actors that I speak to who were in humans, there is not one of you that something fantastic hasn't happened. Such, such a good show. It really was. Yeah, I loved it. I'm a big sci-fi fantasy nerd.

So that was my first, like, foray into, even though I'm, I wasn't a synth, but I was having a relationship with a synth. Obviously, the amazing Gemma Chan, gone on to be absolute global superstar. But, yeah, I was so excited to be part of that world because it was so well done. It really was. And just so creepy because it was so close to life. And just, yeah, again, a sort of great example of British TV doing that subtle, creepy thing very, very well. It might have been a bit too over the top in the States or something,

but it was like, they nailed it. It was on AMC over there, yeah. But yeah, great thing to be part of. I think I was in series two for a bit and then a little bit of a cameo in series three. But that was in the middle of film in Nashville, actually. I think I had a... I think we'd broken up for the summer or something

and I had a window where, yeah, I auditioned for it whilst being in the States. And then, great, you've got that. Oh, it fits in this three-week gap. Oh, that's nice when that's... Yeah, yeah, it was really nice. So for you, okay, because you said you live, you didn't say, you do, that's a weird thing to say. You live in Nashville.

So is the acting now you're going to carry on doing the acting as well? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I mean, this feels like, you know, the couple next door feels like a really great, almost like a reintroduction to my, you know, to me. Because Nashville was. The Barney walls and everything. That's you.

The what, sorry? The Marvel verse, the Marvel. Oh, yeah, that would be fun. But that's, I can totally see you doing all of that. Is that what you'd like to do? I'd love to. I'm just a big old nerd. Henry Cavill's about to start the Warhammer universe,

which I'm a real like tabletop model building nerd in my spare time when we're talking about things that bring you joy. And so that's been like since I was a kid, those novels and that board game and everything has been like my favorite hobby. And now finally like Henry, the king of the nerds is bringing that to. Amazon so I'm like manifesting that. Have you been in touch with Henry? Not yet. I don't know Henry, but I will...

Should we call him? Should we call? Let's talk. Let's talk. Yeah. Okay. So Henry's the one after Matt. When you see Henry, I'll talk to Matt. You talk to Henry. We'll meet in the middle. Yeah, no, no. We'll both call. We'll call Henry. Right. Go, oh, hey, cab. Hi, mate. Yeah. Can, yeah. Want to roll some dice? So what do you... So, uh, and anyone else are we going to be calling?

So Matt the Blanc, Henry Cavill. She put them all in this issue. Who else? Who else? What else would you like to do? Who else are we going to call? Exactly, let's get McKellen in here. We'll get Gandalf in the mix. Okay, all right, that's easy. This is becoming a really cool show. Okay, yeah, we got Serena, as everyone calls him.

Okay, so we're going to be speaking to Serian. Yeah, yeah. We need another, come on. Right, well. We talk perfect, come on. Oh, like a perfect cast. Yeah, yeah, go on. Right, okay.

Okay, who else is going to be in Warhammer with Cavill? With Cabell. And you? And well, of course. You're the lead? Yes. I mean, he wants to be the lead, but you know, come on, Henry. No, second lead.

I had this idea. Second lead. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Who else is in it? Who do we put in it? Well, maybe we certainly put all my mates that have been like, if you get in that, I'll just be an orc that gets blown up. They can be orcs.

Yeah, they can be orcs. Yeah, they can be orcs. I have no idea what you're talking about, but yes, they can be or who else? Can we have a woman, please? Of course, of course. Maybe Zendeo be a pretty amazing. Oh, we've got her number. You got her number?

Yeah, yeah. Should I call her now? wait. I mean, maybe we'll do like a group chat. We bring them all in. Ian, Zendaya, Henry. Yeah. Yeah. Well, actually, you know, Annabel Scholar, who I've just my best acting experience with. Annabel, you want another job? Yeah, come on. You were just so brilliant. I wish there were more people like you around. You've just got to be, you've got to do more and you've got to be here in the UK and your team has been behind you. Probably agree, totally agree. Yeah, it feels like I've had an amazing sort of 13 years in Nashville and I'm obviously still going

to keep making music. But it feels like I've had a lot of life kind of change in the last year with ends of relationships and losing friends and family members and stuff. And it feels like, okay, there's a bit of a reset now. And so, yeah, I haven't. It's, yeah, quite a unique thing to get a bit of a restart at, you know, my late 30s. So I'm like, okay, if I can be anywhere in the world, where I want to be? Okay, if you could be anywhere in the world, where would you want to be?

Oh. You just said that. You've asked the question, yeah. Well, no, I think that's the point. there's a pool, there's definitely a pool to be back here and be close to family and close to my dad and my brother's here in London and yeah, you know, losing my mum and everything

it's like Cornwall's still got this very important, a massive part of my life so it's a little far but you know, you can make it work. Yes, you can do that. Yeah. That's all right. Yeah. And your brother's in London? He's in London, yeah. He's down the road somewhere. Just so lovely to meet you. Thank you so much for coming in. When you do that show with Henry Cavill,

I'll do the onset reports. Please do. Is that all right? Yeah. I really feel like I'm going to be this. We're making this happen. Okay. And where are you filming it?

Well, it's filming here, isn't it? Oh, it's filming here? Yeah, so there we go. So I've got to move back here. That's the whole point. Good. Yes. Right, Henry?

It's filming here. Sam, you are totally the biggest joy ever. Thank you. Thank you.