Greg Davies interview
We Are Klang and Inbetweeners star Greg Davies talks about his role in Cuckoo...
Hi Greg. Tell us about your character Ken...
I think Ken is essentially a nice chap who loves his family but is not quite as relaxed and enlightened as he likes to think he is.
Are there any similarities between you and Ken?
He has my face and magnificent body. Apart from that we're not exactly peas in a pod. He is organised and opinionated and has a plan for life. I can barely do my own shoes up. I think he is a decent chap though and - apart from that time I nicked two Yorkies from Mr Bowen's shop - I try to be.
It's clear that Ken is not Cuckoo's number one fan. Will he keep quiet for the sake of his daughter's happiness? Or does he hatch any cunning plans to get rid of him?
I think it would be fair to say that Ken's principles and loyalty are put to the test with the arrival of Cuckoo. There is no doubt that he wants what's best for his daughter but his view on 'what's best' is not necessarily shared by the rest of the family. I think Cuckoo helps get in touch with a darker side to his own character...
Would you allow your daughter to bring a man like Cuckoo home?
My dad always told me that as far as he's concerned I can do whatever I choose in life as long as I'm happy and can handle the consequences of bad decisions. He only ever said that when he thought I was doing the wrong thing. I would employ similar passive aggression.
How would you react if you found out your daughter, if you had one, got married without you knowing?
I think you might be a little hurt that your child would not want you at that particular milestone but ultimately you just want those you love to be happy. I would give her my blessing and then immediately deal with my disappointment by getting drunk and giving all her inheritance away to the first stranger I met.
How does the relationship between Ken and Cuckoo develop? Will they ever get on?
There is no doubt he brings some excitement into the Thompson home but he is so far away from what Ken would have envisaged his son in law to be, I'm not sure he'll ever be happy. Stuffy people need a kick up the arse from time to time though and in that regard, Cuckoo delivers.
How would you describe the relationship between Ken and Lorna? They seem to have a lot of fun together but have different ideas. Do they have a strong marriage?
Yes they do. Without Lorna's gleefully naive approach to life he could easily become a total curmudgeon. She keeps him young, baffles him and makes him laugh. She does a great job of puncturing his more pious side and they clearly still have fun together.
You played the authoritative Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners. How does playing Ken compare to him?
Gilbert is a man totally in control in his environment, no one tells him what to do and he never questions himself. He's essentially a psychopath and I love him. Ken at least tries to compromise and it's nice to play someone who's a little kinder for a change. Gilbert never attempts to disguise his less savoury behaviour the way Ken does.
A lot of the comedy comes from the relationship between Ken and Cuckoo in the series, but what about off camera? What's it like working with Andy on set?
Andy Samberg makes me laugh on and off set. A lot. He's a very talented man who I'm delighted to have worked with and I've not totally ruled out killing him.
Did you and the rest of the cast just spend your days on set laughing?
It was really great fun. Rarely did a day of filming go by when I was not reduced to tears of laughter. It's a strange experience spending weeks being part of a pretend family and the cast and crew were really lovely, a more talented group of people to do it with I can't imagine. That said, I don't intend to see any of them ever again. Life moves on eh? Seriously, not one of them. Ever.
Ha ha. What were your highlights during filming?
I hate that anyone would make me get up before 6am, and I'll never truly forgive those responsible... but outside of that I had a great time.