Daniel Rigby interview
Daniel Rigby talks about playing oddball inventor Donald.
What attracted you to Flowers?
Just the fact it's so weird. I've always been a fan of things that are slightly odd and this is a really unique project. The way it combines the subject matter and comedy with the surreal aspects really appealed to me.
Tell us about your character?
I play oddball Donald, who's one of a set of twins. His twin sister is equally odd [played by Sophia Di Martino]. Donald is a troubled boy who's desperate for his parents' approval, but more so his father [played by Julian Barratt] as his dad's a bit more distant with him. He's ploughed all of his energy into being an inventor - he always tries to come up with the next big thing but unfortunately he has neither the scientific ability nor the required intelligence. He tries though! Luckily, as Donald is so rubbish at inventing it required no research on my part whatsoever.
What do you wish you'd invented?
I'd quite like to invent something that allows me to in eat the shower - not sure what it would entail. Some sort of funnel that goes from the plate to my mouth to move the food to my mouth and keep it dry perhaps.
The Flowers are an interesting family to say the least... were there any similarities or differences to your own family?
I have two younger brothers and we're very close in age. When we were younger there were fierce battles in the living room - lots of fights so I could relate to those feelings - irascibility with your fellow sibling. At one point my dad made a make-shift boxing ring because we were fighting so much and he was like: 'If you want to fight, go on then fight!' and of course as soon as he did that we were like 'No, no, we don't want to!'
What was it like having Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt as your parents?
It was very nice! They make very good parents. I've long been an admirer of both of them. I was a crazy fan of The Mighty Boosh and I love Olivia's work as well. I think she's incredible, so it was a real thrill to get to work with them and quietly fan-boy my way through the shoot.
Your character is very jealous of Shun, played by the show's writer and director Will Sharpe. What was it like acting alongside someone who was also directing the scene?
Will is amazing - he took on so many responsibilities on set. Any one of those jobs is stressful enough and he was doing three simultaneously. I would have lost it or panicked or got tense or started screaming or had a breakdown but he was on an even keel throughout the whole thing. It was lovely.
It was a real joy working with him; he's an exceptionally talented man. The only thing that was difficult was that some of Shun's lines were absolutely ridiculous so I would find it very difficult not to laugh in his face. There was one scene in particular where we are in the garden and I thought that we'd never get the scene done!
The house the Flowers family live in is almost a character in itself, what was it like filming there?
The house is essentially not a set - most of the stuff was already there so it did feel like a lived in place - like the Flowers' actual home which was great.
For a comedy drama, it has serious subject matters at its heart - the things that families don't say to each other and the affect that can have - what was it like exploring those ideas when filming?
One of the things that made the script so wonderful for me was its very unique combination of dealing with "issues" in such an irreverent, surreal and dark way.
What's your favourite flower?
A lot of the flowers I like are weeds. Oh and dandelions but they're a weed too.