When The Hollywood News heard about the HOW TO STOP BEING A LOSER première we thought that we should go along to see if we could pick up any advice.
Although the cast stayed pretty tight lipped on the matter, apart from a questionable chat-up line from Craig Conway, they did give us some pretty good insight into the workings of British comedies and why the team has become a tight-knit family.
Thought of as a film with a lot of heart, the cast certainly en-captured that message and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting to them.
Simon Phillips- (James)
Did you enjoy your first comedy?
It was a bit of a challenge for us- a bit of a change of genre not what we’re normally used to but it’s one of those ones where we had such fun making it. I only hope that the audience have half the fun watching it that we did when we made it because every day was just a joy to come to work.
In the film you’re taught a few tricks about love. Did you pick up a few tips?
I hadn’t read the game which I think the film is extrapolated from but some of the stuff are surprising. What made me smile more is recognising some of the tips and some of the people I know that do use them. I know a very networky crowd of film people and it was interesting to see with them use tricks that I knew.
It’s a British film. How do you feel about British films in comparison with American films?
I don’t think British films need to compete with American films I just think that British films need to stand on a stage of their own and just be counted. Americans do love the British but what they do is import it and use it for their own devices. Stuff like Harry Potter shows how much these guys enjoy British actors and British-made films so for us it’s not competing with them but just standing up and saying British Independent films do work- we just need to support the industry a little bit better.
So have you got any other projects lined up?
Yeah with the director Dominic Burns we’ve done two films actually since we’ve done this. We’ve done AirBourne which is starring Mark Hamill who plays Luke Skywalker so it was a bit of a dream for me- doing a film with Luke Skywalker is amazing. And then straight after that we did a film called UFO with Jean Claude Van Damme both with the same director.
Craig Conway- (Ampersand)
This is your first comedy- how was it?
It was great- really fun and enjoyable. Something that I haven’t done before so it was really good to have a change and we had loads of fun on set.
In the film you play a bit of a love guru- does this mirror you in real life?
Not at all. I’m absolutely rubbish with women, I’ve got a divorce to prove it. But it’s one of those things isn’t it where that kind of characters that you can have a lot of fun with. And I love the idea of the game and stuff like that and it’s just the quest for men isn’t it to try and be good with women and you know I’ve got terrible chat up lines but it was a lot of fun.
Can we hear one?
Yeah ten tonne polar bear. It means nothing but it breaks the ice.
So what else have you got lined up at the minute?
Straight after the new year I’m co-producing a film with Lionel Hicks called Hybrid Theory it’s a sci-fi horror and then I’m working with Steve Tompkinson in January on a new film which is going to be shot up in the North-East.
Gemma Atkinson- (Hannah)
We know you more from television work. How was it doing a film?
I loved it. It’s weird with TV because it’s a lot more fast pace, you’re doing 12 or 13 scenes a day where as with film it might be about six or seven films a day so it’s a lot more relaxed on set than having to rush everything out for TV.
Tell us a little bit about your role.
I play Hannah and James hired a love guru to try and win Hannah over and when he finally does win her over she turns out to be quite a bitch.
How was that to play?
It was great. When I first got the script and I was reading it and I wasn’t initially going to do it because the script was very girl next door and it described her as the hot girl and I said to my agent this is quite obvious but as I got more through it she started turning a bit and I said okay there’s a few twists to her. So that’s why I took it on really.
Did you have fun on set?
Oh yeah- the outtakes prove it. We had to do two more days filming because there was so many outtakes with laughing and jokes on set. Especially scenes with me and Simon- if we had scenes it was just a nightmare. The crew who we work with, I’ve worked with them on other films, we’ve all taken the next step and stayed like a family so it’s good.
Is film something we’ll see more from you then?
Yeah definitely- I’ve got Airbourne coming out in February and I’m in the middle of a Bollywood film at the minute and then I’m playing Barbara in Night of the Living Dead 3-D so in the pipeline there should be a few more coming out next year.
So the films called How to Stop Being a Loser. Have you dated any losers in the past?
Yeah definitely I think we all have. We all have an inner loser in us somewhere.
Dominic Burns- (Director)
So what were your first thoughts about the film?
Simon Phillips passed the script on to me and I read it and first of all it made me laugh which is a good start. Simon and I often do a bit of sharpening so we knew it was a working progress but we really loved it. What we thought it had was heart and I think with a lot of independent films where I feel they go wrong is that often the intention isn’t really there. We just felt that no matter how you feel about this film, the intention of it is genuine. We wanted to do something that we could take our girlfriends to- a little softer and light-hearted.
Is it something you think you’ll do again?
Yeah comedies are very difficult but we’re actually looking at potentially doing a comedy next. We’ve done an action-horror and sci-fi since so we’re looking at maybe another comedy now.
Was there anything challenging on set?
Every day was a bit of a challenge but when we had Sheridan Smith in I got to the location 5 minutes before she did and it was a case of looking around and saying okay quick let’s do it here brilliant, oh hi there Sheridan. It’s all quite stressful but you have to enjoy it otherwise it’s just not worth it.
And how was it working with Richard E Grant?
It was thrilling really. I was so excited- I’m so a fan of his and nobody can argue with his talent. I was nervous that I would do him an injustice. He’s actually very directable- I was surprised at how closely he wanted to be directed. I just assumed he’s do his thing but he really wanted to discuss it and be quite intricate.
Stephanie Leonidas- (Patch)
Can you just tell us a bit about your role?
I’m one of the geek friends and James eventually realises that I’m the one he should be with. It was really fun playing a geek- I really enjoyed it.
How was your first comedy?
I enjoyed it- we had a laugh every single day. And watching the other guys work was just so funny.
Did you pick up any tips from them?
Yeah, I think they were all really good at improvising- they let the cameras run quitea lot and it was amazing watching that.
Are we going to be seeing some more comedy from you?
Nothing planned at the moment. Mainly sticking to what I know at the minute but hopefully yeah. It gave me a taster and I’d love to do it and work with these guys again because they were brilliant.
HOW TO STOP BEING A LOSER opens in the UK on Friday 18th November 2011.
