Post by Admin on Jul 10, 2011 20:21:02 GMT 1
With the new series of Primeval starting soon, Sue caught up with Andrew Lee Potts last week to find out a bit more about him....
The news series starts with your character having been through a traumatic time – do you have to prepare yourself to turn into Connor or can you switch him on and off quite easily now you have played him for some time?
When you have been playing a character for some time, it does start to feel comfortable and you know how the character is thinking so it is easier then you might think. But this time it was a little bit different because on screen we had been missing for a year, so I decided I would like to bring something different to the role. He is a bit of a puppy dog so I wanted to add some maturity to him and make him grow up a bit. So yes – I felt a bit tentative for the first time really when I came to start filming.
I haven’t seen the DVD but the blurb I was sent suggests that in the twelve months they have been away, Connor and Abby have got closer in every since –but then later it says that Abby feels uncomfortable with the relationship – working together, living together – does this mean we wont see the ending we want to see?
Well, when the series starts Connor and Abbey are a bonafide couple but they go through a rollercoaster of emotions. They aren’t just working together but they live together as well. Over the other series they have had a lot of things going on, but now they have a lot of serious issues to face as a couple and so its difficult. Can I tell you what happens in the end – no – Id better not!
That must be very similar to your real life relationship – how do you find working with your fiancé?
Well no – we have to get on , we have no choice. It’s nothing new for us though – its always been part of our relationship – we met on set and so from when we started going out we were working together – we have never been used to anything different.
While they are stranded Connor finds it difficult without his technological comforts – Are you a gadget man in real life?
Absolutely!!! I am totally obsessed! I like to have all the latest gadgets – am mad about anything with a remote! And I have got a bit of a thing about lighting. I drive Hannah mad because I am always buying lighting which I think will look cool.
There are a few new characters – will we like them? Or are there any we will choose to hate?
The thing with the new characters is that some of them are goodies and some are baddies but until the series progresses you don’t which side they are on. There is one new character who will be well liked – Jess – the new co-ordinator – she is definitely a goodie but you will have to find out the rest for yourself.
What is your favourite creature of all time?
I liked a creature called Future Predator – I thought he was genuinely scary looking and I couldn’t believe he was allowed on TV at that time. But kids are so reslilient aren’t they. My nephew is six and he is into Ben 10 and I cant believe how scary some of the characters in that are!!
I'm always amazed at the acting how you manage to fit the monsters in perfectly – is it done that way round – or are the monsters put into the film afterwards? (Andrew found this question funny when I asked it!)
Well – this is where the acting comes in I suppose. Its not really happening so you just have to look as scared as you can, run as fast as you can and hope for the best!
Do you think you will ever get fed up with Primeval – or would you like to do it for a long time?
I would like Primeval to go on for longer but I'm not sure whether for me personally it would be right to stay working on it for ever. We have just finished an 8 month shoot, so I will cross that bridge when I come to it and see what the future brings.
You have worked with some great actors and actresses – do you have a favourite?
Hannah Spearritt (his fiancé) of course! In terms of stars Gary Oldman – he is one of the reasons I became an actor – he is very versatile and I would like to be like that in my work.
Anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that you would really love to?
Robert Downey Junior – I love his style. He can just bring together action hero and comedy all at once and he has a swagger about him that I really respect.
And Ricky Gervais – just because I think working with him would be a real laugh!!!
If you weren't on TV what would you do?
I would like to be a director – I have done a bit of that and I enjoy it. But if I had to be something completely out of the industry, I would probably be a plumber – just because they can charge huge amounts of money for doing a little bit of work for you!!
Apart from your family what is the one thing you couldn’t live without?
My Dog. I have a King Charles Spaniel called Stanley. He makes me smile like you wouldn’t believe and I just can’t be cross with him.
What is the biggest misconception about you? (We had a real discussion about this one – Andrew couldn’t think what to say – said it was an original and difficult question - and by the time this is published he may even have sent me another answer!)
That I’m small – because Im quite young people think that I will be smaller than I am.
What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?
Well, because our fan base tends to be quite young they don’t really do weird thing, but I do find it quite funny when we go to a convention or something and there are people dressed from head to toe in the same way as Connor – I find it funny that people emulate it in that way.
Now to moaning - if Hannah joined www.moanaboutmen.com what would she say about you!!!!
She would say that when we are getting ready to go anywhere, I never stop nagging her to hurry up and get out of the house. I’m standing there with my coat telling her to hurry up – she says that loads about me.
And once ages ago she said I had a penetrating tone of voice – and we laugh about it still – I’ve never let her forget it!
The news series starts with your character having been through a traumatic time – do you have to prepare yourself to turn into Connor or can you switch him on and off quite easily now you have played him for some time?
When you have been playing a character for some time, it does start to feel comfortable and you know how the character is thinking so it is easier then you might think. But this time it was a little bit different because on screen we had been missing for a year, so I decided I would like to bring something different to the role. He is a bit of a puppy dog so I wanted to add some maturity to him and make him grow up a bit. So yes – I felt a bit tentative for the first time really when I came to start filming.
I haven’t seen the DVD but the blurb I was sent suggests that in the twelve months they have been away, Connor and Abby have got closer in every since –but then later it says that Abby feels uncomfortable with the relationship – working together, living together – does this mean we wont see the ending we want to see?
Well, when the series starts Connor and Abbey are a bonafide couple but they go through a rollercoaster of emotions. They aren’t just working together but they live together as well. Over the other series they have had a lot of things going on, but now they have a lot of serious issues to face as a couple and so its difficult. Can I tell you what happens in the end – no – Id better not!
That must be very similar to your real life relationship – how do you find working with your fiancé?
Well no – we have to get on , we have no choice. It’s nothing new for us though – its always been part of our relationship – we met on set and so from when we started going out we were working together – we have never been used to anything different.
While they are stranded Connor finds it difficult without his technological comforts – Are you a gadget man in real life?
Absolutely!!! I am totally obsessed! I like to have all the latest gadgets – am mad about anything with a remote! And I have got a bit of a thing about lighting. I drive Hannah mad because I am always buying lighting which I think will look cool.
There are a few new characters – will we like them? Or are there any we will choose to hate?
The thing with the new characters is that some of them are goodies and some are baddies but until the series progresses you don’t which side they are on. There is one new character who will be well liked – Jess – the new co-ordinator – she is definitely a goodie but you will have to find out the rest for yourself.
What is your favourite creature of all time?
I liked a creature called Future Predator – I thought he was genuinely scary looking and I couldn’t believe he was allowed on TV at that time. But kids are so reslilient aren’t they. My nephew is six and he is into Ben 10 and I cant believe how scary some of the characters in that are!!
I'm always amazed at the acting how you manage to fit the monsters in perfectly – is it done that way round – or are the monsters put into the film afterwards? (Andrew found this question funny when I asked it!)
Well – this is where the acting comes in I suppose. Its not really happening so you just have to look as scared as you can, run as fast as you can and hope for the best!
Do you think you will ever get fed up with Primeval – or would you like to do it for a long time?
I would like Primeval to go on for longer but I'm not sure whether for me personally it would be right to stay working on it for ever. We have just finished an 8 month shoot, so I will cross that bridge when I come to it and see what the future brings.
You have worked with some great actors and actresses – do you have a favourite?
Hannah Spearritt (his fiancé) of course! In terms of stars Gary Oldman – he is one of the reasons I became an actor – he is very versatile and I would like to be like that in my work.
Anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that you would really love to?
Robert Downey Junior – I love his style. He can just bring together action hero and comedy all at once and he has a swagger about him that I really respect.
And Ricky Gervais – just because I think working with him would be a real laugh!!!
If you weren't on TV what would you do?
I would like to be a director – I have done a bit of that and I enjoy it. But if I had to be something completely out of the industry, I would probably be a plumber – just because they can charge huge amounts of money for doing a little bit of work for you!!
Apart from your family what is the one thing you couldn’t live without?
My Dog. I have a King Charles Spaniel called Stanley. He makes me smile like you wouldn’t believe and I just can’t be cross with him.
What is the biggest misconception about you? (We had a real discussion about this one – Andrew couldn’t think what to say – said it was an original and difficult question - and by the time this is published he may even have sent me another answer!)
That I’m small – because Im quite young people think that I will be smaller than I am.
What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?
Well, because our fan base tends to be quite young they don’t really do weird thing, but I do find it quite funny when we go to a convention or something and there are people dressed from head to toe in the same way as Connor – I find it funny that people emulate it in that way.
Now to moaning - if Hannah joined www.moanaboutmen.com what would she say about you!!!!
She would say that when we are getting ready to go anywhere, I never stop nagging her to hurry up and get out of the house. I’m standing there with my coat telling her to hurry up – she says that loads about me.
And once ages ago she said I had a penetrating tone of voice – and we laugh about it still – I’ve never let her forget it!
