Gwyneth Keyworth interview
Gwyneth Keyworth admits to BCG that she's had a crush on Sean Bean's Sharpe character for years.
Hi Gwyneth. We talk as you've just finished on topical sitcom Power Monkeys. You must be knackered now?
It's been really fun. It's been tough at times with what's been going on in the news; having to always be on top of what is happening...
It's been a bit of a brain freeze of a situation at times, but it's been really fun and I'm really proud of it.
Do you think Power Monkeys could return? We'd love to see what your little 'Brexiteer' gang is up to now...
Well, Power Monkeys follows Ballot Monkeys, which came out last year and was about the General Election, so if there is another election there will quite possibly be another series, but whether or not that happens is definitely in the hands of Andy and Guy [writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin]... but I'd never say no to it. It's been fun!
So on to Wasted. Could you setup the premise of the show for BCG readers?
Wasted is about four friends in the West Country plodding along with life in their own little weird and eccentric way. It's really just about handling adult life - 'adulting'. It follows their adventures as they try to be adult in a small village away from the big city pressures.
Is it a premise you identify with?
I grew up in Aberystwyth, which is West Wales. It's really similar in that, in my hometown, we have a shop that is almost exactly the same as the shop Morpheus runs. So I instantly identified with it.
I think there's something kind of glorious about small towns, about the fact that you know everyone else's business and they know yours. When I take my friends from London back home they are weirded out that I literally know everyone as I just walk down the street. I know where people will be, what pubs they'll be at and I can go and find them really easily. I really enjoyed the quirkiness of small towns.
What do your friends from Wales think of your career?
They think I'm a bit mad to be honest. But they're very proud, and very supportive. They'll take the mick when they think I'm being a bit of an idiot. They've always got a little comment to say, but they're usually very supportive. They're also keen on keeping me grounded though!
Your character in Wasted is from the West Country. How did you find the accent?
Alison is born and bred of the West Country and doesn't have any interest in going anywhere, so I have got a West Country accent in Wasted. To be fair, they're relatively close; they're not too dissimilar... so I didn't struggle with the accent. Rose [Sarah] and Dylan [Kent] are both from the West Country themselves, so if I did ever go awry they were there ready to correct me.
Did you make friends on set?
We had such a great time filming. With Rose, Dylan and Danny I couldn't have asked for better cast mates... they're really so supportive. We had the best time.
To be honest, it didn't feel like a job a lot of the time, we just pissed about trying to make each other laugh. It was really, really fun and really supportive and I hope that comes through on screen. We genuinely are friends and we still meet up regularly!
So you'd be up for making more?
Oh, yeah, definitely. You don't turn down that much fun!
Did you get to meet Sean Bean?
Only Danny did, and I was really heartbroken about it, as I was a big Sharpe fan.
Sharpe was my first ever crush so I was heartbroken when I didn't get to meet Sean Bean. In fact, I tried to convince the runners to sneak me on set but everyone was like "Gwyneth, get a grip of yourself!" To be fair, I probably should, as I'd only weird him out by saying "I've had a crush on you since I was 6!"
We first spotted you in the short BBC Four sitcom The Great Outdoors. You seem to have gravitated into comedy roles. Was that a deliberate plan?
I don't know if it's been a plan as such... I don't tend to do plans...
I love comedy, I've always loved it. My Dad says when I was little I used to tell him: "Dad, I want to be funny!" and he'd be like "Go away, just leave me alone" but I'd be like "No, Dad, you don't know how important it is that I'm funny!"
I've always loved comedy, and whenever I'm acting I try and find the comedy in the situation, because life is funny. So it's not been the plan as such, but it seems to have taken off that way at the moment.
What's next for you then?
I don't know yet. There's always things in the pipeline but I'm waiting to hear back on when the dates would be. I've been very lucky and very privileged to have been working for the past year and a half solidly, so I'm really looking forward to going back to Wales for a while and having a bit of time off.
Wasted is on E4 on Tuesdays at 10pm.