Emmett Scanlan interview
How did you get the job?
Well I'll tell you a funny story actually. My agent rang me up and said, "Scan, Sharon Horgan is doing a new..." and before she could even finish her sentence I said, "I'm in."
And she goes, "I don't have the scripts," I said, "I don't give a shit, it's Sharon Horgan, I'm in." Because that's how much I love her. I think she's an extraordinary woman. Just so clever at what she does.
And then the audition scene came in, and it was my character having sex with a lady in a toilet, and I just burst out laughing. And I'm like, "Okay, well, let's do this."
So, I got up, my wife got up with me and set up the camera, she's still in her dressing gown half asleep. I'm standing there with my shirt open. The curtains are open overlooking our courtyard, where our neighbours are leaving their houses, going to work, taking their kids to school, walking past our window while I was air-humping an invisible dancing partner.
It was just one of those surreal moments. It was like, "Thank God, they know we're actors, because this is just so weird right now."
I found it hugely liberating, to be honest with you. I like those kinds of bold scenes where you have to really commit. But it was a new experience for me and my neighbours.
What is your character Kieran like?
He would describe himself as a bit of a Casanova. I think he is slightly narcissistic. He's manipulative, he's dangerous, he's very good at what he does [as a news editor].
He's a ferocious flirt, a serial adulterer. He's pretty much the embodiment of the cliché 'having your cake and eating it'. In a nutshell, he's a really cool guy, a really nice guy [laughs].
He's got this insatiable appetite for sex and success. So obviously, I joke when I say he's a really nice guy, but he's a lot of fun to play.
You know, when someone's moral barometer goes this way and that way, and you get to play that without any consequence, that's cool.
He's married but sleeping with Laura. Is he concerned that Laura is going through a lot of emotional pain?
I don't think it's that he is or isn't concerned, I just don't think he notices it. And maybe I'm wrong, but it's certainly how I play it.
I think if you're slightly narcissistic and you've got a love affair with yourself, you don't really notice the pain of other people. He's a man in a position of power and I think he cares for Laura, I think her neuroticism is quite attractive and entertaining for him. He doesn't care for her as much as she would care for him. He doesn't seem to care for his wife as much as the wife cares for him, either.
You mention being a fan of Sharon's. What do you like about her?
Well, Catastrophe is genius. It's an amazing, amazing show. I only got into it quite recently. I remember coming back from America, and going to my parents' house, and I slapped on the box and I was watching this show and I went, "This is absolutely hilarious."
And then it suddenly dawned on me, this is Sharon's! This is Sharon's thing that I heard about, like, God knows how many years ago.
She's realistic. Nothing's over the top. You buy into everything that she does. She's a fantastic actress, she's so smart, Rob [Delaney] is brilliant. The both of them together are genius.
I'm just really attracted to her brain and how she's able to do these things. We've been in contact over the years, you know, mutual fans of each other. Although I'm probably more of a fan of hers than she is of mine - I'm probably blowing my own trumpet a little bit there. But anyway, I finally met her. It was great.
It takes a lot of people to say 'yes' but, after my audition, she messaged me directly on Twitter to say that she liked the audition, and that she was going to talk to certain people. And I was like, "Oh, thanks so much, that means a lot to me." And then the next thing I know, the part was mine.
I was just over the moon to get to work on something that her and Lorna have created. It's amazing.
What's it been like, working with her?
We haven't shared the screen together! I would absolutely love to share the screen with her. We're like two passing ships. She was finishing up a scene while I was arriving, and then she was coming out of the dressing room, and I just went, "Sharon!" and she went "Ah!" and we just gave each other a hug.
And I said, "Thanks for the job. Thanks for the opportunity." And she says, "Thanks for coming on board." That's all.
How has it been filming with a cast that is very female-heavy?
Brilliant! They're great actors and I think that's all that matters. I've been very fortuitous in my career, especially for the last couple of years now, that the actors I've been working with are these really strong, ferociously talented leading ladies. Gillian Anderson, Amanda Abbington, Anna Friel... it just seems to be going that way, and I'm honoured to have them as dancing partners. I just watch them, and I devour it, and I'd be an idiot if I didn't learn from them.
In another life, do you think you might've enjoyed working as a journalist, like Kieran?
That's a nice question. When I was about fourteen, I looked into journalism because I like to write and that was an artistic expression.
In fact, I did work experience for the Irish Press before it closed down, we covered Steven Collins winning the middleweight championship of the world, and all that sort of stuff. So, I really toyed with that idea to become a journalist because it's very respected, hugely. And then I looked at how many points were needed for journalism, and I was like, "I'm not fucking that clever! There's no way in hell I can get that." So, I was like, "Forget it, I'll just do acting."