Interview with Joshua Silver (Franklin Blake)
Interview with Joshua Silver (Franklin Blake)
Published: 6 October 2016
Lisa Mulcahy, the director, was incredible to work with. We saw eye to eye on the character and she would push me and throw things to me that I hadn't thought of. I owe her a lot in terms of how much I learned on set.
Tell us about Franklin. What attracted you to the role?
Franklin is quite troubled and unsettled when we meet him at the beginning of the series. We've all been there. We've all made mistakes, and he's on a journey to undo them and prove himself. I've always loved Victorian novels and whodunits, so to be a part of both of these things was really exciting.
What was the biggest challenge of playing him?
I think just wanting to do the character justice - people have read the book and have a formed version of him in their minds I imagine. I think there's something in his story that everyone has felt or experienced - and I hope people get that.
You’ve done a lot of theatre work before The Moonstone. How does filming for television compare to being on the stage?
It's very different, but no less exciting. There’s less rehearsal time - which took me a minute to get used to – and it was very fast paced, but this was useful because it meant there was no time to over think. We had an amazing supporting cast coming in - I learned every day from them. Lisa Mulcahy, the director, was incredible to work with. We saw eye to eye on the character and she would push me and throw things to me that I hadn't thought of. I owe her a lot in terms of how much I learned on set. And the crew were a big part of it. You spend so much time with these people, you become very close. Everyone worked so hard.
Is there a particular moment you’re looking forward to seeing on screen? (No spoilers!)
I'm looking forward to watching it all. It's a great story and one that I'm really proud to be a part of.
The Moonstone is part of BBC’s #LoveToRead season. Are you a keen reader? Do you have a favourite book?
I have a few. I grew up reading Dickens, which at my high school people thought was very odd. I just loved all the characters, and Great Expectations in particular had me laughing out loud. I also like Donna Tartt - The Secret History, I couldn't put that one down. And I've just started A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
Early on, we decided to take the leap of choosing a co-writing credit on every episode. There’s always a slight competition, even between the most generous writers, over meaty story beats and who ultimately gets to write the ‘best’ episode. Our feeling was that by co-writing, we would both always be fighting for what was best for the series as a whole, and work equally hard for every beat of each episode, keeping ego completely out of it. It worked really well. We broke the story for the five episodes as a pair, with our exec and producer coming in at the end so we could pitch the day’s work and spot any shortcomings together. When it came to writing the episodes, we went away to write individual first drafts – but reconvened for notes at every stage, suggesting (and writing) new scenes and story beats for each other’s episodes where needed, and acting as each other’s script editor. It’s possible that having an all-female core team – writers, director, and our producer Joanna Hanley – helped continue this spirit of partnership onto the set. The result is true collaboration.
It’s rare, as writers, that the finished product looks not only as good as your imagination, but better. Here, though, it’s definitely the case. Every element works in harmony – stunning location and costumes, amazing cast, talented crew, and of course our fabulous director Lisa Mulcahy.
We’re beyond delighted with the magic they’ve breathed into our scripts – and can’t wait for a new audience to enjoy the sparkle of The Moonstone.
