Films, Tv Series, plays…Alistair Petrie has done it all, and we had to stop ourselves from keeping asking him questions 🙂
Find out about his love for the stage, the experience on the set of “Sherlock” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
One last thing, keep track of him since we will soon see the British actor on Netflix and back on the big screen with a biopic! And apparently, we have agreed to put together a stage production of his favorite play “Tango At The End of Winter” for next year…sounds like fun 🙂
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Your career began in Theatre. What was your relationship with the theatre as a child?
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I was on the move every three years as my father was in the military so had no particular relationship with theatre, certainly not professional theatre. That said, the moment I knew I wanted to be an actor was watching my mother in an amateur production of “Toad of Toad Hall.” She had a small part with one line but when she said it, the audience roared with laughter. I looked around, stunned. I thought it was utterly magic. I even remember the line. “He called me Fatface!”
“…the audience roared with laughter. I looked around, stunned. I thought it was utterly magic.”
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What was the moment when you felt most “free” on stage?
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Feeling “free” on stage comes when the lines are so ingrained in your head you don’t have to think about them and when you have an instinctive synchronicity with the people you are acting with. It’s then that you are “free” enough to play, to listen, to be available to hear new things and be surprised by what’s coming at you. When you are absolutely in “the moment.” Weirdly, the freest I ever felt was when I was doing “Brand” with Ralph Fiennes. I forgot a line, had to stop and figure out where I was. Ralph stared at me expectantly, the audience took in a breath. I’d never felt so calm. It came to me…eventually. Not sure what all that meant.
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You starred in many plays, from Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” to the West End production of “Shakespeare in Love.” Is there a current theatrical project you’d like to take part in?
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Yes. One of my favorite actors is Alan Rickman. I say ‘is’ because his magnificent screen work will always be with us, so he is, for me, very much here. I saw him in a play by Peter Barnes from a book by Kunio Shimizu called “Tango At The End of Winter” in the West End. It takes place in a derelict cinema and is about saying goodbye. I saw it on the last night of its run aged 20. The removal trucks were parked outside the theatre ready to pull the set out. It was the most powerful piece of work I’ve ever seen. I was in tears at the end. I want to do that. Badly.
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What’s your biggest goal, as an actor, when you walk on stage?
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My biggest goal when I walk on stage is to make sure I’m ready and committed to tell the story. I always listen to the tannoy speaker as the audience take their seats before a performance – even months into a run. I remind myself that although we may have done this dozens and dozens of times, this audience will be here for the first time. That’s pretty powerful motivation. My personal goal is to do what I can to make sure my brain and mouth are working as one. There are times it just doesn’t happen and every word that comes out of your mouth makes you wince.
“My personal goal is to do what I can to make sure my brain and mouth are working as one.”
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Regarding your role as Major James Sholto in the Season 3 of BBC “Sherlock,” how was the experience with such a well known and loved series? Were you a fan of the series before joining the cast?
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“Sherlock” is populated by the most fantastic people working in this business. It’s a family business. Steven Moffat, the showrunner, and Sue Vertue, the producer, are married, Mark Gatiss is Steven’s best friend, they all have worked with the same crew on previous projects. I was nervous about coming into a very established team but they welcomed me like a brother who had just come back from a long trip. We laughed like hell throughout too. I would also love to mention the “Sherlock“ fandom. It is vast, committed and has embraced me as one of their own. Hearing about the show’s positive effect on so many people throughout the world is very moving. They rock.
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“The Sign of Three” was a really intense episode, and your character was a central part of it! How did you shape your character and how did you work with Martin Freeman (John Watson) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) on set?
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Because the episode was based around the wedding of John and Mary – specifically the best man’s speech given by Sherlock – and due to the nature of the structure of filming, I witnessed one of the truly awesome technical acting feats you’re likely to witness. 8 days of Ben having to deliver over and over again a 40-page speech in front of a large audience of supporting artists and actors. It was effectively a one-act play he had to learn and repeat relentlessly (with no pre-filming rehearsal time) whilst we just all sat around listening. 7 days in, with the bulk done, we all had dinner as a cast and Ben was delighted and relieved. The wine list that night took a happy bashing. It was extraordinary to witness. Martin, I knew from before and he’s such a brilliant, intelligent actor. Quite a formidable duo those two when you see them fly.
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What was the best moment of filming “The Night Manager”?
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The best moment of filming “The Night Manager” was about 1000 best moments. I loved every damned second of it. I once beat Tom Hiddleston at Table Tennis in the hotel we were staying in. We had an audience of two, Jo Laurie, Hugh’s wife who was visiting and Natasha Little who played my on-screen wife. So there were witnesses. In sport, he’s fiercely competitive and so am I so it was a real humdinger. Maybe we’ll get a rematch. I’m ready.
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You played General Davits Draven in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” What was your first reaction after reading the script and entering in such a huge fictional universe?
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We never got a script of “Rogue One.” It was so secret. We got given our scenes a couple of days beforehand and went in to work to shoot them and then had to hand the pages back at the end of the day. Once, during a rehearsal, I saw Felicity Jones with a full script in her hand. I was aghast. “How the hell did you get THAT?” I asked her. She said she’d had to promise to give up the rights to her entire life past, present and future.
“A New Hope” was the first film I saw in the cinema in 1978. I’m the kid who stood up out of his seat, climbed onto the stage and walked into the screen. What a privilege.
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Do you think that we’re going to see more of General Draven in the future “Star Wars” movies?
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If asked, I’ll be there like a shot…
“The best thing about acting is the fact that you never ever stop learning.”
“The worst? It’s an industry built on rejection.”
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What actors or directors would you like to collaborate with, in the future?
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I’ve been lucky to work with some of the very best. But there are more out there. They get regular emails from me. On screen, I will cross hot coals to work with Marc Munden again. Ron Howard too, of course, who is a master storyteller. In theatre, Marianne Elliott. She’s the Queen.
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What’s the best and worst thing about acting, for you?
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The best thing about acting is the fact that you never ever stop learning. You never stop meeting interesting, energetic, creative, funny people. There are always new things to discover, new stories to tell, issues to delve in to, new emotions to explore. I love hanging out with actors too. I laugh hardest with other actors. The worst? It’s an industry built on rejection. For everyone at whatever stage of your career from starting out to the top of the tree. The disappointment you feel when you don’t get a part you feel so desperately strongly about. Someone fresh out of drama school and someone who has three Oscars will both have a story or 10 about that.
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What’s your rêve (dream) for the future?
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My dream for the future? Healthy, happy children. Interesting projects. Fine Wine, a good gossip. A saner, kinder political world than we are having to contend with.
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What’s next for Alistair?
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What’s next? A series for Netflix, a biographical film, 4 months in Cape Town, a quick sandwich and then you can help put together a stage production “Tango At The End of Winter” for mid-2019. Deal? (It’s a Deal).
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