Q&A with Griff Rhys Jones
Q&A with Griff Rhys Jones
Published: 5 October 2016
I can sympathise with Patrick. What he tells Fletch is the truth. Fletch wants some connection with his dad and clearly that’s very difficult for Patrick. The barriers go up which is tragic and very sad.
Tell us about the character you play, Patrick.
Patrick is the long lost father of Fletch (played by Matt Di Angelo), he’s a successful man although we don’t know what he does. He lives in a house which Fletch comes to see him at but sees Patrick with his wife and two daughters, one of whom is pregnant.
We don’t really know too much about him other than the fact he knew Fletch’s mother.
What drew you to play the character and to work with Danny Brocklehurst?
I’ve never worked with Danny before but I have worked with Red Productions. Red sent me the script and asked if I was available. I have been working a lot on the factual side recently, which restricts how much you can do. It takes a lot of time and I’ve been limited on what I can do but this year I had a break and really pleased this came along.
How was it working with the other cast, in particular Matt Di Angelo?
I have to say, Ordinary Lies was the most delightful shoot. The producers and production team organised it so well. There is an enormous scene with Matt and I which took a long time to do; we did it over a week to stretch it out. Everybody was great and I made good friends. The only social media I do is Instagram so I keep in touch with Matt and Elen Rhys that way. Elen seems to have a fantastic life - she’s all over the place doing some wonderful things.
What were the challenges of playing Patrick? Do you think audiences will relate to him?
To play that role, I had to really learn the part and get into the character of Patrick. There was a lot of chatter, especially in the very long scene with Fletch (Di Angelo). For me, I had to inhabit the role which is someone of my age, not like me in any way but finding a way to fit into the circumstances. I had to imagine what it would be like to have your life disrupted. Patrick had managed to keep a secret for a very long time so he’s obviously very scared when Fletch arrives. Patrick searches for ways rather desperately to get Fletch to have the same ways of thinking.
It’s a brilliant piece of writing and I hope I do it justice. It has a real authentic ring to it.
Do you think your character Patrick did the right thing with Fletch or would honesty have been better from the start?
I can sympathise with Patrick. What he tells Fletch is the truth. Fletch wants some connection with his dad and clearly that’s very difficult for Patrick. The barriers go up which is tragic and very sad.
You’ve done a mixture of comedy and drama throughout your career - do you prefer one or like a combination?
I’m always jumping around and it’s been lovely to go back to acting. I haven’t done enough recently and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I run a production company as well which produces drama and that seems to take up a lot of my time.
