Taheen Modak interview
Taheen Modak, who plays Jay, says he is keeping his fingers crossed for a second series.
What appealed to you about the project?
Aside from the fact that the cast is filled with wicked people who are very experienced and who you can learn from, it's just a great show with short episodes of great action-comedy. It's not just comedy for the sake of comedy; underneath it's all about relationships and there are connections made throughout the show as you watch. I could picture myself playing this character while I was reading it too.
Obviously, Al [Campbell], our director, was a draw too as he's been around for so long and done so many things. You don't pass on opportunities like these when they come along, you give it your everything to try and get the job, so I am super happy to say that I am a part of it.
Tell us about your character.
When we meet Jay, he's sort of in no man's land. His brother has just come back from university and he's trying to cling on to him in that first episode. Jay aspires to become a landscape gardener, a business that his dad always wanted him to set up, which is funny when you meet Jay, that that's what he wants to do with his career. He's very insecure; he puts on this facade of a lad persona, this tough older brother, who might only be able to take part in surface-level conversations but underneath, he's still a complex individual with emotions. I think that's what makes him relatable to an audience. He still aspires, even though he's not as clever as his brother or most people he finds himself with.
How does Jay evolve as the show progresses?
Well, they obviously go on this batshit crazy adventure, so he's forced to face some home truths about Nicky and his relationship with his girlfriend. He's really forced to grow up, strip down his insecurities and get rid of this lad persona that he has built up for himself and actually share his emotions which I think is pretty topical right now. There is a discussion about men starting to show their feelings and, of course, they should because only good can come from it.
How much did you bring to the character compared to what was written?
Obviously, Gaby [Hull] has written real three-dimensional characters and you want to adhere to the words on the page but when you turn up on the day, things happen that you just can't plan. So you might spot something and realise there is more juice to be squeezed out of this moment, than necessarily what has been written and, actually, our director was very open to us bringing our spin because you hope that you can offer something to the role and not just be a mouthpiece. So it was very collaborative, especially when you're working with wonderful actors like Maisie [Williams], Sian [Clifford] and Sean [Pertwee] and Jason Fleming and Mawaan [Rizwan], who is a comedian.
How would you describe the comedy, and was it easy to master?
The comedy was very challenging, especially in a dark comedy like this where you're trying not to tell jokes. It's almost like you have a sixth sense; you're aware that there is a gag there but you're trying to be deadly serious, you're trying to be as honest and earnest as you can be, especially when you're playing a character like Jay. A lot of the stuff he says is pretty absurd and people watching will know that, but you've got to play it straight and honest. Then obviously throw in the one-liners so even when it does get dark, or characters are fighting and there's action, the comedy still brings it back into the light.
How much did having an experienced cast of comedy actors help?
It was awesome, I was like a sponge. Everybody on that set had so much experience and it's not just the people in the front of the camera, everybody who was a part of this production has experience. I've got drama school training but nothing can really prepare you for turning up on set and seeing the mechanics of filming, people acting on camera, etiquette and all of these wonderful qualities. So, I was both watching them do their thing, learning from them, but also being switched on so we could all figure out the scenes. The greatest thing about working with them is that it never felt like they knew who they were. Maisie [Williams] and Sian, they were just normal people working on set and I felt really accepted.
So, what kind of audience do you think the series is aimed at?
Well I think a Gen Z-Millennial audience will enjoy it but it's still a really clever series that's grounded in relationships that I hope, fingers crossed, will appeal to most viewers.
Are you already thinking about Series 2?
I know I am optioned to do a second season and I would love to do one. They've left enough channels open at the end of the show so fingers crossed.
What's been your favourite moment from shooting the series?
The first day that we were all together - me, Sian, Maisie and Mawaan - was great because it was the first day for me that it felt real. You hear horror stories about things going wrong so until I was there on the day, I didn't believe that it was actually going to happen. On that first day on set, knowing I would be there for six weeks shooting, I was playing it pretty cool but internally I was screaming!