Rachael Stirling and Martin Freeman interview
Here is an interview with Rachael Stirling and Martin Freeman, the stars of Boy Meets Girl...
Rachel Stirling (Veronica)
Can you describe Veronica Burton and the character Danny, whose body she's trapped inside?
Veronica is a well-to-do northern fashion journalist who is climbing the social ladder. Whereas Danny is at the other end of the extreme; he works in a DIY store, he's a bit of a geek, a conspiracy theorist and an absolute fantasist. Danny's a man who's never grown up, but he's full of passion.
What happens to them?
She and Danny are electrocuted late one stormy night and he enters her body and vice versa. In Veronica's body, Danny sets out to find the person he used to be, whilst at the same time trying to pass himself off as Veronica. It's quite difficult for Danny to live Veronica's life as a fashion journalist with the mind of a geeky DIY man!
Did you enjoy playing the part of Danny trapped in Veronica's body?
It was the most fun, extraordinary testing character to play. We define ourselves by our gender so when that's taken away and you're placed in a foreign body, you have to get used to a different mind set, a different voice and a different environment. It's as much about gender as it is about class and it's quite dark as well as being funny.
How did you prepare for the role?
I watched everything that featured transgender roles, but I have also now played four male parts in my career. Martin and I worked incredibly hard at getting the right physicality and the right voices. We video taped each other and copied each other's mannerisms. Waking up in someone else's body would be a nightmare and I hope we've told that story.
Did you find it challenging?
Yes, it was all very challenging. In almost every scene I made notes about where I would be mentally. I used to do a full day of filming, go home and then do two hours of homework before the next day! It was all plotted so carefully, even down to costume as Veronica is a fashion journalist so she has a capsule wardrobe in which tracksuit bottoms do not feature. The challenge was to be true to Danny and think about how he would navigate her world and her relationships. Veronica has a boyfriend and there's a scene where they make love and my performance had to convey Danny's mind-frame which is trying to cope with the situation by thinking of his fantasy woman, Keira Knightly.
What does Danny make of Veronica's world?
We see Veronica's world from Danny's point of view which is very interesting. For example, when he discovers she's been having an affair it's totally mind boggling for him. He's so naïve and simplistic that he doesn't understand why you would be with someone if you didn't love them.
Does Danny enjoy any aspects of Veronica's life?
In a way, he enjoys the privilege because as Danny he lived in a very grotty bed-sit. He enjoys how the other half lives in a way he never expected he would as he's a socialist. Even he is seduced by the trappings of the middle classes. For all the frivolity there are serious elements of the script. It's entertainment with an element of darkness at its heart.
Martin Freeman (Danny)
Tell us about Boy Meets Girl...
Boy Meets Girl is a four part drama that charts the progress of Veronica and Danny after an accident which causes them to swap minds. I play Veronica trapped in Danny's body - trying to find out where I came from and who I am.
As you say, you play a woman trapped in a man's body - what research did you do for the role?
I had a few meetings with an acting teacher who gave me some clues about female physicality and how it's different to male physicality. Of course all women are different but there are some things that hold true, such as the way a woman carries herself and the way a woman speaks. Voice projection is very different, and it's very easy to get it wrong and end up being a bit too panto. It was very helpful to have someone say put your chin down, make your chest softer, use your head less and use your eyes more, because those are little clues that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up on.
Did you and Rachael study each other to help you get more into character?
We did, but we weren't around each other that often and you don't see much of Veronica or Danny before the accident so there wasn't much for us to go on. We did tape each other acting the scenes to pick up physical clues.
Do you feel you learnt what its like to be a woman from playing this part?
I learnt less about what it is to be a woman and more about observation, and the technicalities of being a woman. As an actor it's my job to observe things and to distil them. I didn't come away thinking I know what it is to be a woman, but as an actor I learnt about building a different physicality.
Was there anything about being a woman that appealed to you?
Being purely superficial about it, women have got a better choice of shoes! I don't envy the heels - it's a mission to walk in heels.
What is next for you after Boy Meets Girl?
I've just finished filming a contemporary remake of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock for the BBC in Wales. I'm playing Sherlock Holmes! It's a great cast and a thrilling, funny, fast paced take on the crime drama genre set in the present day London.