From supermarket shopping to big time movies, and from bare footed publicity photographs to charity work, actor Rupert Graves shows he still has the decent touch.

RG: Hi.
PB: Hi, How you doing ?
RG: I’m fine, how are you ?
PB: A bit weary, just back from a mad day at ASDA.
RG: ASDA ?
PB: Rupert, you must have heard of ASDA ?
RG: I’ve heard of it, I’ve heard of it…..
PB: It’s a bit like Tesco, but a bit cheaper.
RG: Not as good as Iceland though.
PB: You’re joking, it’s expensive there.
RG: Really ?
PB: I prefer ASDA because I like walking around the supermarket smacking the back of my arse!
RG: Ha ha !

(For overseas readers: The above supermarket chain run a highly successful television advertisement, where the ending always portrays a customer patting their behind, to “pocket the difference”.)

PB: So Rupert, how are things ?
RG: I’m hot !
PB: I know what you mean, it’s the same here, far too warm, it’s shocking - can you remember I had the builders in ?
RG: Yeah.
PB: Well, they still have jobs to do, and this is like fourteen weeks on.
RG: Oh God!
PB: Yeah, and I’m just sick of complaining, it’s a waste of time.
RG: Our builders just ran off!
PB: Did they ?
RG: Yeah, they just ran off, and left it half finished, and a year on we still haven’t got our floor done. We have half done, and it’s not finished..
PB: That’s awful, I can’t imagine anything more annoying!
RG: I know.

PB: Oh, before we chat about your work Rupert, I think I need to apologise (laughing).
RG: Er, why ?
PB: You remember we spoke about the batch of photographs I had, take when you were a lot younger, and I said you looked naff ?
RG: Oh yeah (laughing).
PB: Well, that may have come out wrong, I didn’t mean naff in bad way.
RG: That’s fine, it’s ok!
PB: No really, I sort of meant it in a nice way, well, I think you know what I mean ?
RG: Which one was it, the one with my Dad ?
PB: Well, there’s quite a few really. What I’m going to do is sort them out this end, then I’ll pop them onto a disc for you, then you can have them printed at a chemists.
RG: Oh great - thanks!
PB: Yeah, the one with your Dad is really quite sweet, a nice photograph.
RG: Right, yeah.
PB: Some of the others …. can you remember, there used to be a time, or it still happens, when celebrities pose for photographs for magazines etc, they always seemed to get them took and they always had bare feet ?
RG: Yeah, and they look bloody awful!

PB: So your busy as usual, just finished “Rag Tale”.
PB: Your role in that is Eddy.
RG: That’s right.
PB: And what’s he all about ?
RG: Eddy, he’s an editor of a tabloid.
PB: As in “The Sun”, or “The Mirror” ?
RG: Well, it’s not necessarily like one of those, it’s an invented one, called “The Rag”, which is kind of a cross between “The Sun”, “The Express”, “The Mirror”, a mixture of them all if you like. Yeah a mixture of them all, and he believes, well ….. he’s kind of anti monarchy and pro Europe, and he has his little campaigns, and in the story he’s having an affair with his bosses wife.
PB: Played by ?
RG: Jennifer Jason Leigh.
PB: That’s right, Jennifer - tell you what, I wish I could get a job like that!
RG: (Laughing) It’s not all bad this acting lark.
PB: Not really!
RG: But I didn’t get a kiss or anything, which was great shame, though the wife is desperately pleased.
PB: Hold on a second, I’ve actually seen a picture of you kissing her!
RG: Sorry ?
PB: You must have kissed her at least once, because I have a photograph, a still of it.
RG: Oh yeah, you know I did, in the lift!
PB: (Laughing) Nothing escapes me!
RG: That’s true (Laughing).

PB: So how does your character fit in, is he a bad guy, a sleazy guy ?
RG: Well no, is a bad guy …. I guess he is what he is, he basically immoral, he has no recognisable moral centre.
PB: That would have been helpful with your last play then, “Dumb Show” ?
RG: Exactly, yeah.
PB: Bit of a tie in there then.
RG: Definitely a tie in, yeah.
PB: And in “Rag Tale”, this was the film when you were given a basic script, and then just carry on and do ?
RG: Yeah, it was.
PB: Is that the first time you’ve done that ?
RG: Yes, and it at times it was difficult because we shot it out of sequence. So we had a bit of a guideline of the story, but we didn’t quite know what information needed to be said here and there, so in the last week, it was kind of catch up, plot wise, trying to make it all come together.
PB: Right.
RG: It was very interesting, and it was filmed on digital, which means you can have very long takes.
PB: I see.
RG: So sometimes it was dire, and other times it was great.

PB: Ok Rupert, with the same director, Mary McGuckian - are you actually doing “Funny Farm” ?
RG: Yeah, definitely.
PB: And what’s you role in that please Rupert ?
RG: I’m not really sure because it’s the same kind of deal you know ?
PB: Well, I know there’s a lot of the same actors in yeah ?
RG: Yeah, and it’s improvised, but we’ve not really done the cover couch. I think, I think he’s an ex porn producer.
PB: (Laughing) True to life then ?
RG: (Laughing) Yeah, I brought my own experience to the part.
PB: (Laughing) I’m only kidding.
RG: (Laughing) I know, I know. He’s um, an alcoholic, and a drug addict, who’s drying out.
PB: Right, and this is with the same production team right ?
RG: Yeah, that’s right.
PB: And when do you start filming ?
RG: I think it’s sometime in September.

PB: Going back to “Rag Tale” - I think it’s going to be shown at the film festival, I forget it’s name for the moment.
RG: It’ “The Locarno”.
PB: That’s the one thanks, and I think I’m right in that it’s also going to be on at “The Edinburgh”.
RG: Yes, I’m not sure of the dates though.

PB: Sandwiched in-between you’ve also just finished something a little different really - “V For Vendetta” ?
RG: Yeah, that the one.
PB: Fro memory, I think this is the first time you’ve played a policeman ?
RG: Yeah, he’s a kind of a cop.
PB: Right, and that was filmed a lot different from “Rag Tale” - directed by James McTeigue ?
RG: It was very, very different, it was the direct opposite from “Rag Tale”.
PB: James McTeigue, “The Matrix” guy ?
RG: Yeah, and The Wachowski Brothers, who wrote “The Matrix” were doing second unit on this one.

PB: Are you expecting big things from Vendetta ?
RG: I don’t know, you know - I’ve never been on a film that was so big, and done in so many different parts, so it’s difficult to get a sense of the whole thing.
PB: Well, the publicity for it is immense already, a big Warner Brothers production, and of course, after the success of “The Matrix”, I would think that it’s going to publicised big time.
RG: Right.
PB: And what sort of setting does the film have Rupert - time wise ?
RG: It’s set in the future, probably about fifteen years from now, perhaps twenty.
PB: And with it being different, did you get a sense of it being different when filming ?
RG: Yeah, and I’ve never done a film that sort of size before - you had a second unit, you had The Wachowski Brothers doing a bit, then you had James doing a bit, and someone doing another bit, like three sets all in one go.
PB: Enjoyable ?
RG: Yeah, it was great, and Berlin was fantastic.
PB: And a shoot in London ?
RG: Yeah, two weeks in London, and three months in Berlin.
PB: Right.

PB: Any plans for theatre work in the near future Rupert ?
RG: Not at the moment no, I haven’t.
PB: You normally like to do one a year, or one very two years if possible ?
RG: Yeah, I normally like to one a least a year, when was the last time I did one, I finished one at the beginning of the year didn’t I ?
PB: Yeah.
RG: No, I haven’t got any plans at the moment, no.

PB: So after “Funny Farm”, you’re having a bit of a rest, being a Dad to two now ?
RG: (Laughing) Yeah right, exactly, bloody rest, talk about rest!
PB: Being a parent has got to be one of the most life changing things.
RG: Yeah, it like when you were young, and you were told not to do this, or that - now you know why.
PB: Yeah, a bit of a worrying time. Of course I don’t have any kiddies yet, because, um, oh that’s it, I’m younger than you! (Laughing).
RG: (Laughing) Hmmm, exactly.
PB: Exactly, though I do have a little niece, who is two, and a little nephew who is one, and you know, when you get the baby sitting jobs ?
RG: Yeah.
PB: You just fret all the time!
RG: I know, it’s tiring!
PB: If I do it for anything like a couple of hours, I’m thinking “get me out of here”.
RG: It does make you knackered.
PB: I know, it’s not just the physical stuff though, it’s the mental gear, very stressful., but it must feel good to be a Dad yeah ?
RG: It’s wonderful, it’s great.

PB: Looking forward to the football season then ?
RG: Yeah right!
PB: I‘m not at all, I reckon we are going to struggle to score goals without Bellamy and Robert providing the width.
RG: I think so too.
PB: You‘ll have to get up here for the match, not sure when the day is though.
RG: I‘d love to in principal, it‘s just getting the dates sorted.
PB: We‘ll have a look nearer the date then .
RG: Sounds good.

RG: Oh, there is one thing you can mention on the site ?
PB: What’s that ?
RG: I’ve become patron of a charity.
PB: Right.
RG: Yeah, it’s called Springboard.
PB: Right, the kids one, I’ve heard about that., shall I put a logo and info or similar on the site then ?
RG: That would be brilliant, that would be great. Yeah, it’s basically there to help parents with kids who have learning difficulties, they might be deaf, or they might be autistic, any kind of difficulties at all. It’s kind of pre school. They have experts to help them, with a support network.
PB: Right, and was there any particular reason you became involved ?
RG: Well, they approached me, and it’s based in Weston-Super-Mare.
PB: Right, a kind of home thing then ?
RG: Yeah.
PB: It sounds pretty good, very worthwhile.
RG: It is, it is.

PB: Alright then Rupert, lovely talking again.
RG: You too.
PB: Good luck with the new football season.
RG: Nice, You as well!