| Primeval favourite Douglas Henshall and newcomer Genevieve Barr, who is profoundly deaf, star in tense BBC thriller The Silence which unfolds over four nights in one week. Douglas, you play a murder cop whose niece (played by Genevieve) witnesses a killing carried out by a vice detective, which puts him in a difficult position. Douglas Henshall: Yes, my character Jim screws up by trying to do the right thing in the wrong way. He gets punished from all quarters and Amelia [Genevieve] kind of saves him. How would you describe Jim? Douglas Henshall: Irascible, ambitious, impatient, stubborn, driven and arrogant, but ultimately he’s trying to do the right thing. I think he’s a bit of a pain in the a*** to be around at times. You also played a cop in Collision on ITV1. Douglas Henshall: He was much more cut off and removed. Jim’s not like that at all, he leads with his head and his heart, he’s much more open and not withdrawn at all. You’re playing a dad with children, was there a good family chemistry? Douglas Henshall: It’s down to luck sometimes. You chuck a bunch of people together and hope the dynamic you create will work. I think we were fortunate in that I liked the family we created and the three young actors playing the kids were fantastic. Their energy was great, they brought much needed lightness and also depth. It’s quite a frank portrayal of family life, with the kids smoking dope. Douglas Henshall: Yeah, I like that idea of people making mistakes — I think that’s what most people’s lives are like. It’s about getting it wrong before you get it right — muddling through. This is very different to Primeval — you must enjoy the variety of roles. Douglas Henshall: I’m very fortunate in that I get a wide variety of things to do, and it’s what I’ve always tried to do. Sometimes it’s a blessing and other times a curse, as I don't work in any one style, and that makes it difficult for some people because I don’t have an easily recognisable label. Primeval must have brought you to a very different market. Douglas Henshall: Yes, I before that I was in things that were on 10 o’clock on a Thursday night rather than Saturday primetime. But it’s been good for me and brought me to a much wider group of people. I’m very grateful because it’s allowed me to do different things. What’s next for you? Douglas Henshall: I’ve made a couple of films and I’m taking things as they come. I stopped making plans because they never work out as you imagine. I’ve just sort of abandoned myself to whatever comes around really. Genevieve, describe your character Amelia at the start of the drama. Genevieve Barr: She’s an 18-year-old deaf girl who has recently been fitted with a cochlear implant, which has enabled her to hear for the first time, and she’s under a lot of pressure to become a part of the hearing world. On top of that, she’s staying with her uncle and aunt and her cousins are exposing her to the bad habits of teenagers! Then she witnesses the murder which leaves her very traumatised. Did you immediately want the role? Genevieve Barr: When I first read the script it hit me just how much I identified with the character of Amelia. It was intimidating being asked to audition for such a big role, given my lack of acting experience. How did you get the part? Genevieve Barr: I was working as a teacher when a university friend at a TV production company got in touch about a Comedy Playhouse pilot for C4 which I landed a part in, and the casting agent for The Silence heard about me through that, so it was word of mouth. When I did the audition I had just started doing a masters degree in leadership and I was teaching full time so I had to juggle a lot of commitments. Did you have any acting experience? Genevieve Barr: I’d studied drama and theatre studies at school and I always got pushed for the lead role in school plays but I never got them. I never knew if that was due to my lack of hearing or if I wasn’t a good actress so it was an unanswered question. I thought there wouldn’t be any prospect of a deaf actress having a full time career in acting so I took the safer option which was to study english and history at Edinburgh University. Hugh Bonneville and Gina McKee play your screen parents, was that daunting? Genevieve Barr: I watched Hugh and Gina in Notting Hill when I was a child so it was terrifying to be acting with them. What are you up to next? Genevieve Barr: Whatever comes my way. Hopefully The Silence will be an impetus which will lead me to more work and also inspire writers, directors and producers to think about deaf roles for deaf people. I’m doing speech therapy to improve my voice so hopefully I can audition for a hearing part in future. By Mary Comerford tvchoicemagazine.co.uk July 6th 2010 |
 |