Post by Admin on Jul 10, 2011 12:19:51 GMT 1
For former S Club members and best buddies Hannah Spearritt and Jon Lee, the bubbly chart-topping pop group that brought them national fame is merely a distant memory ? albeit an extremely happy one.
These days, we’re more likely to find 26-year-old Hannah battling extra-terrestrial monsters on television, or Jon, 25, singing his heart out in major West End musicals.
But let’s not forget that, over the four years they were together, S Club had four UK number ones as well as a number one album – and when they split in 2003, millions of young fans were heart-broken.
Now, however, Jon enjoys a completely different world as a musical actor – he starred on stage in Les Misérables and he’s already filmed his role as ‘60s pop idol Billy Fury in the new British movie Telstar, while in January he’ll be taking the plunge and travelling to Los Angeles to see if he can land some work on American TV or movies.
Hannah, meanwhile, has just finished making the second series of ITV1’s hugely successful sci-fi action series Primeval, which will be on our screens early next year.
To celebrate both their successful new careers, we whisked them off to an exotic lunch at SO, one of Soho’s most striking Japanese eateries where we swapped the goss on changing hairstyles, acting in your underwear and why Hannah never wants to sing again…
Hannah, we hardly recognised you – why have you gone from blonde to brunette?
I was having major problems with my hair. It was bleached before and it was just stripping away. I was a peroxide blonde and I’d been filming like that for the second series of Primeval. Every three weeks, for continuity, the roots had to be re-done, and by the end of it my hair was dead! So I had to have a re-think and go back to the drawing board. My hair broke off at the front and it was getting me down. It wasn’t pretty! But now I’ve finished the second series of Primeval, it’s great to have a change of image, maybe for other roles.
Does S Club seem a very long time ago?
Jon: It’s been four years since we split, but it feels much longer – it kind of almost feels like it never happened. Hannah and I first met ten years ago, which seems amazing.
Hannah: It seems like a very long time ago. It was a very happy time, but it’s mad to look back. When I see pictures or footage of us then, it’s a crazy feeling because that was part of our lives every day, and very intensely so. It feels like a separate life, but I’m very fond of it.
Do people still recognise you mainly from the group?
Jon: One of the happiest days of my life – or at least, one of the milestone days of my life – was when I was walking down the street and somebody tapped me on the shoulder and asked: ‘Are you the guy from Les Misérables?’ I was really grateful and over-excited by that. Obviously 2,000 people were seeing me on stage eight times a week over two years, so that began to happen more.
Jon, you’re playing Billy Fury in the new movie Telstar – tell us about that…
It’s set in the ‘60s and it’s all about pop music producer Joe Meek, who’s played by Con O’Neill. The cast also includes Kevin Spacey, Martine McCutcheon, Pam Ferris and Ralf Little, so I was very excited to land the part.
So is it an acting and singing role for you?
The role for me is mainly a performance as Billy, on stage. It was terrifying. I learnt the song I was doing the night before, they hired out the Richmond Theatre, dressed it all up ‘60s-style, put a load of extras in there, put a band behind me, gave me a guitar which I can’t play, threw me on stage and just said go for it! For that performance I wore a gold suit with black piping, drainpipe trousers and winkle-picker shoes, a big quiff going on – the lot. And I loved it!
Did you get to meet Kevin Spacey?
I did, not on the film but at the wrap party. He was lovely, very down to earth. But I’ll admit was more excited about meeting Pam Ferris, because I thought she was fabulous in the film Matilda as Miss Trunchbull – and she was just adorable.
Hannah, tell us about your Primeval character Abby Maitland…
She’s an animal lover. So am I, but not quite like Abby – she loves reptiles and she keeps them in her house. I don’t get freaked out by them, but I don’t have the same urge to be near them. She likes them more than human beings. She also uses tranquiliser guns in the next series, which was a lot of fun. I was shocked how much I felt empowered by it. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the feeling of it so much – not that I’m promoting the use of guns!
So is she a bit more full-on, action-wise in the next series?
Definitely, we all are, because the SAS have been taken away, so we’re more like the A-Team, and handle all the operations ourselves. Physically, I have a lot more action. I had one scene where I was harnessed in a huge indoor water pool, laying back on wires, opposite a CGI-created creature. The wire work was really exciting.
How do you feel about the fact that for much of the first series you were seen walking around in your underwear?
No more of those scenes in the second series! I’ve put my foot down. It was annoying, actually, because all of those knickers scenes were shot in one section, but the scenes were kind of spread out. They thought of a reason, that the house she was in was over-heated. I guess every show likes to have a bit of skin in it, but at the end of the day, I think it’s sexier to not show it, and I can confirm Abby will be more covered up from now on!
You met your boyfriend, Andrew Lee Potts, on Primeval. What are the pros and cons of working together?
We share lots of scenes together, so the pros are we have a great understanding of who we’re talking about when we come home from work. The difficulty is just not crossing that line and it’s hard not to talk about shop. There’s so much going on, though – Andrew is directing stuff too – and we love our jobs, so we do chat about it a lot. It’s also lovely being just Hannah and Andrew enjoying life.
Jon, do you have a partner?
No, I’m single and that’s fine. I’ve had bits and bobs here and there! I’m very happy and I’m rarely alone – I’ve got loads of friends. I’m always busy, so there’s no time to feel lonely.
Would you consider an S Club comeback?
Jon: Never say never – but no! It’s part of my life that’s done and I’ve got a new career now which I’m successful in and very happy in, so I don’t feel the need to go back, I want to go forward.
Hannah, do you want to do more singing?
God no! I don’t think that’d be fair on anybody! I’m not a great singer. With a bit of warming up, I’m not a bad singer, and I’ve never had any problems being in tune. I shouldn’t put myself down, I guess. But I think there’s a place for people in that world, and I’m not one of those people.
What’s your favourite S Club song?
Jon: Well, my least favourite is Reach, because we sang it so much. It is a great song and if it comes on now you can appreciate that, but when you’re singing it nine times a day, it starts to grate on you.
Hannah: I’ve got a few least favourites, You’re My Number One being one of them. It does my head in slightly more than Reach.
Who do you keep up with from the group?
Jon: I see Hannah a lot and I went out for dinner with Tina the other night for her birthday. We hadn’t seen each other for four years! We’ve arranged to meet up again very soon.
Hannah: Jon’s my best friend from the band. I saw Tina on her birthday too. I bump into Rachel at parties and that’s probably about it. We’re not in touch with Jo. I don’t have her number any more. I would have loved to see if she was okay after what happened on Big Brother, but I wasn’t able to get in contact with her. I think Jon tried.
Jon, what else are you up to career-wise?
I’m less keen on a pop career but I’d love to combine singing and acting in a musical. I’m heading over to Los Angeles in January for their pilot season, to maybe audition for TV and film parts. I’ve got a visa so I can go for as long as I like. It would be good to get a manager over there. If you don’t try and do that, you’ll never know.
These days, we’re more likely to find 26-year-old Hannah battling extra-terrestrial monsters on television, or Jon, 25, singing his heart out in major West End musicals.
But let’s not forget that, over the four years they were together, S Club had four UK number ones as well as a number one album – and when they split in 2003, millions of young fans were heart-broken.
Now, however, Jon enjoys a completely different world as a musical actor – he starred on stage in Les Misérables and he’s already filmed his role as ‘60s pop idol Billy Fury in the new British movie Telstar, while in January he’ll be taking the plunge and travelling to Los Angeles to see if he can land some work on American TV or movies.
Hannah, meanwhile, has just finished making the second series of ITV1’s hugely successful sci-fi action series Primeval, which will be on our screens early next year.
To celebrate both their successful new careers, we whisked them off to an exotic lunch at SO, one of Soho’s most striking Japanese eateries where we swapped the goss on changing hairstyles, acting in your underwear and why Hannah never wants to sing again…
Hannah, we hardly recognised you – why have you gone from blonde to brunette?
I was having major problems with my hair. It was bleached before and it was just stripping away. I was a peroxide blonde and I’d been filming like that for the second series of Primeval. Every three weeks, for continuity, the roots had to be re-done, and by the end of it my hair was dead! So I had to have a re-think and go back to the drawing board. My hair broke off at the front and it was getting me down. It wasn’t pretty! But now I’ve finished the second series of Primeval, it’s great to have a change of image, maybe for other roles.
Does S Club seem a very long time ago?
Jon: It’s been four years since we split, but it feels much longer – it kind of almost feels like it never happened. Hannah and I first met ten years ago, which seems amazing.
Hannah: It seems like a very long time ago. It was a very happy time, but it’s mad to look back. When I see pictures or footage of us then, it’s a crazy feeling because that was part of our lives every day, and very intensely so. It feels like a separate life, but I’m very fond of it.
Do people still recognise you mainly from the group?
Jon: One of the happiest days of my life – or at least, one of the milestone days of my life – was when I was walking down the street and somebody tapped me on the shoulder and asked: ‘Are you the guy from Les Misérables?’ I was really grateful and over-excited by that. Obviously 2,000 people were seeing me on stage eight times a week over two years, so that began to happen more.
Jon, you’re playing Billy Fury in the new movie Telstar – tell us about that…
It’s set in the ‘60s and it’s all about pop music producer Joe Meek, who’s played by Con O’Neill. The cast also includes Kevin Spacey, Martine McCutcheon, Pam Ferris and Ralf Little, so I was very excited to land the part.
So is it an acting and singing role for you?
The role for me is mainly a performance as Billy, on stage. It was terrifying. I learnt the song I was doing the night before, they hired out the Richmond Theatre, dressed it all up ‘60s-style, put a load of extras in there, put a band behind me, gave me a guitar which I can’t play, threw me on stage and just said go for it! For that performance I wore a gold suit with black piping, drainpipe trousers and winkle-picker shoes, a big quiff going on – the lot. And I loved it!
Did you get to meet Kevin Spacey?
I did, not on the film but at the wrap party. He was lovely, very down to earth. But I’ll admit was more excited about meeting Pam Ferris, because I thought she was fabulous in the film Matilda as Miss Trunchbull – and she was just adorable.
Hannah, tell us about your Primeval character Abby Maitland…
She’s an animal lover. So am I, but not quite like Abby – she loves reptiles and she keeps them in her house. I don’t get freaked out by them, but I don’t have the same urge to be near them. She likes them more than human beings. She also uses tranquiliser guns in the next series, which was a lot of fun. I was shocked how much I felt empowered by it. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the feeling of it so much – not that I’m promoting the use of guns!
So is she a bit more full-on, action-wise in the next series?
Definitely, we all are, because the SAS have been taken away, so we’re more like the A-Team, and handle all the operations ourselves. Physically, I have a lot more action. I had one scene where I was harnessed in a huge indoor water pool, laying back on wires, opposite a CGI-created creature. The wire work was really exciting.
How do you feel about the fact that for much of the first series you were seen walking around in your underwear?
No more of those scenes in the second series! I’ve put my foot down. It was annoying, actually, because all of those knickers scenes were shot in one section, but the scenes were kind of spread out. They thought of a reason, that the house she was in was over-heated. I guess every show likes to have a bit of skin in it, but at the end of the day, I think it’s sexier to not show it, and I can confirm Abby will be more covered up from now on!
You met your boyfriend, Andrew Lee Potts, on Primeval. What are the pros and cons of working together?
We share lots of scenes together, so the pros are we have a great understanding of who we’re talking about when we come home from work. The difficulty is just not crossing that line and it’s hard not to talk about shop. There’s so much going on, though – Andrew is directing stuff too – and we love our jobs, so we do chat about it a lot. It’s also lovely being just Hannah and Andrew enjoying life.
Jon, do you have a partner?
No, I’m single and that’s fine. I’ve had bits and bobs here and there! I’m very happy and I’m rarely alone – I’ve got loads of friends. I’m always busy, so there’s no time to feel lonely.
Would you consider an S Club comeback?
Jon: Never say never – but no! It’s part of my life that’s done and I’ve got a new career now which I’m successful in and very happy in, so I don’t feel the need to go back, I want to go forward.
Hannah, do you want to do more singing?
God no! I don’t think that’d be fair on anybody! I’m not a great singer. With a bit of warming up, I’m not a bad singer, and I’ve never had any problems being in tune. I shouldn’t put myself down, I guess. But I think there’s a place for people in that world, and I’m not one of those people.
What’s your favourite S Club song?
Jon: Well, my least favourite is Reach, because we sang it so much. It is a great song and if it comes on now you can appreciate that, but when you’re singing it nine times a day, it starts to grate on you.
Hannah: I’ve got a few least favourites, You’re My Number One being one of them. It does my head in slightly more than Reach.
Who do you keep up with from the group?
Jon: I see Hannah a lot and I went out for dinner with Tina the other night for her birthday. We hadn’t seen each other for four years! We’ve arranged to meet up again very soon.
Hannah: Jon’s my best friend from the band. I saw Tina on her birthday too. I bump into Rachel at parties and that’s probably about it. We’re not in touch with Jo. I don’t have her number any more. I would have loved to see if she was okay after what happened on Big Brother, but I wasn’t able to get in contact with her. I think Jon tried.
Jon, what else are you up to career-wise?
I’m less keen on a pop career but I’d love to combine singing and acting in a musical. I’m heading over to Los Angeles in January for their pilot season, to maybe audition for TV and film parts. I’ve got a visa so I can go for as long as I like. It would be good to get a manager over there. If you don’t try and do that, you’ll never know.
