douglas henshall
Out of all the faces of 1999, this actor is Film Review's one to watch out for over the next few years- we predict big things!
" I think you're cutting your nose off to spite your face if you concentrate on one instead of another. I am enjoying working in film though. I get a wee kind of rush at the thought of making a movie."
In this brave new world for British cinemas the good news is that plenty of films are getting made. Unfortunately the bad news is not all of them are get a cinema release.
For actors this can be a frustrating situation, having committed time and energy to something they really believe in. Which may account for Douglas Henshall's cheerfulness, since the stylish, no-budget drama Fast Food-which was made over a year ago-has at long last been picked up for a cinema release distribution by Optinum Releasing.
It marks the end of a very busy year for the Glasgow born 33-year-old, after the romantic fable If Only, the drama of Orphans and the La-Rondish This Year's Love. In between movie projects Henshall has fitted in high profile TV jobs too, acclaimed series such as Psychos and Kid In The Corner. He is shortly off to Poland to film a new version of Anna Karenina.
In spite of his evident success Henshall is determined that movies should play only one part in a varied acting career.
" I deliberately choose to combine different things," Henshall explains " I think it's slightly arrogant to say that I'm only going to do films . I'm hopefully going back to the theatre in the new year, because I miss performing live on stage. But I like different things for their differences. I think you are just cutting your nose off to spite your face if you just concentrate on one instead of another. I am enjoying working in film though. I still get a wee rush about the idea of making a movie".
His excitement might account for the committed performance he gives in Fast Food. As Benny, the long-lost member of a childhood gang, he returns to his old haunts and finds his pals are still embroiled in the world of petty crime-a world he is struggling to leave behind. But the past cannot be shaken off so easily.
" You'd never guess from looking at Fast Food that it was made for nothing," Henshall says proudly. " Our director Stuart sugg did a great job of making very little look like an awful lot."
On any film the actor's input can be naturally absolutely crucial, on a low budget film the relationship between cast and crew is more collaborative than ever. Such things give satisfaction to actors like Henshall more, one suspects, than being in big and glossy 'career making ' movies.
" I don't just want to turn up , hit my lines and then go home and not think about it," he says about his craft." If I'm going to do work I want to work properly. I'm interested in things that are going to challenge me intellectually and physically. I want the whole nine yards."
This may include- as it has in his recent work- a degree of on-screen soul-searching, a dark introspection that seems to match the bleak landscape of films such as If Only and Orphans.
" Orphans was like that," he agrees " but it doesn't have to be a self-destructive thing. It can take you on a journey where there is redemption at the end of it, or some knowledge of self comes out of it. Fast Food was a bit like that, and I really felt that there was something good coming out of what we were all doing on the film"
" You're always wondering, if they've got no money to make it with, what it's actually going to be like when you get on set. These are two people you look to in your first week on set, the director of photography and the director. If they really know what they're doing then that gives you a wee bit more trust and faith in the thing."
" I did get on with Stuart, and I could see from what he was trying to do how creative he and director of photography Simon Reeves were being, and that was actually quite exciting. So while we were freezing our b*****s of on location, with overflowing toilets and vomit up the walls, what we were actually coming up with was good stuff.
" You see how hard other departments, like the art department were working. They literally had a fiver and a bag of chips to make all the sets that you see in the movie. There was nothing when we started, they just went and found stuff and created what you see."
Henshall scarcely has time to sit back and put his feet up now that Fast food is destined for cinemas. What with his jetting off to Poland to film Anna Karenina, he is also about to embark on and American Adventure that could see his movie career take off in an entirely new direction.
" I'm going to Los Angeles in February," he explains " I have an American agent, and I'm going out to spend a bit of times with him and meet a few people out there. Then I'm going to do an American film on March."
If there is a note of satisfaction in Dougie Henshall's voice, that is perfectly understandable. But more success will be unlikely to change him, he has an engaging line in self deprecation, but seems self possessed enough to keep his eye on the things that are important.
And he has, he would no doubt admit, always been choosy about the work he does.
" I didn't do anything between doing Psychos and Kid in the Corner last year," he adds " That was a period of about seven months and it was through choice, because I didn't see anything that I really wanted to do. I've always chosen to be in that position, because the only power you have as an actor is the power to say no
" I'd rather be skint than be miserable," he admits " I'm in the fortunate position that I get paid for doing a job I love, so I refuse to do work that makes me miserable."
Interview by Anwar Brett