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1 Press pack Monday 2 November 21.30

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Press packMonday 2 November 21.30

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Contents 3 Introduction

4 Character biogs

6 Episode guide

Interviews:

8 Molly Naylor and John Osborne

9 James Tarpey

11 Ardal O’Hanlon

13 John Thomson

14 Jaime Winstone

16 Georgina Campbell

18 Contacts

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IntroductionKick-starting Sky 1’s year-round commitment to comedy is After Hours, a new series starring Ardal O’Hanlon, John Thomson and Jaime Winstonez. Directed by Craig Cash (The Café), it follows Willow (James Tarpey), an 18-year-old music fan who finds himself stuck in the declining town of Shankly after his friends head off to uni. When his girlfriend (BAFTA® winner Georgina Campbell) also dumps him, he has little to keep him going except for his love of local independent radio show After Hours. The show is broadcast from a barge by Lauren (Jaime Winstone) and Ollie (Rob Kendrick), two music enthusiasts in their late 20s who wonder whether they’ve actually got a single listener. Until they meet superfan Willow, that is, who they decide to take under their wing and hire as their new assistant. Meanwhile, Willow’s dad Peter (Ardal O’Hanlon) is down in the dumps after losing his milk round, and his mum Anna (Susan Cookson) is treacherously eyeing a job at the new supermarket that’s seen off the town’s local industry. Plus, Peter’s mate Geoff (John Thomson) finds sanctuary on the Hannigans’ sofa following a fall-out with his wife Sheila (guest star Caroline Aherne) and plans to join forces with Peter in a new business venture. With a lack of work and a shortage of spirit casting a cloud over Shankly, the music-mad trio of Willow, Lauren and Ollie seem to have met each other at just the right time. Can they deliver some much-needed inspiration to the rest of their community? Underlying Sky’s commitment to making Sky 1 a go-to destination for family entertainment, After Hours is beautifully written by Molly Naylor and John Osborne. It is shot through with a passion for music, as well as all of Craig Cash’s usual down-to-earth wit and warmth.

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Who’s who

Willow HanniganJames TarpeyStuck in his home town of Shankly, 18-year-old Willow is at a loose end when his friends head off to uni and his girlfriend dumps him. However, our duffle-coated hero has an unwavering passion for music and, if his parents let him, local radio show After Hours could give him the direction he needs.

LaurenJaime Winstone Before she played the hits, Lauren used to make them. This bubbly music lover spent her youth in an indie band but has somehow ended up back in her home town. When not running pirate radio show After Hours from her barge boat, she serves cupcakes in the local deli.

OllieRob KendrickLauren’s co-host Ollie is an unashamed music geek who was a big fan of her band. Once a writer for the music mags, he used to go to gigs every night. However, after losing his job, he was forced to move back home and now earns his bread and butter proofreading articles about mayonnaise and couscous.

Peter HanniganArdal O’HanlonWillow’s dad Peter has misplaced his sense of purpose after losing his job as a milkman and is struggling to pay the mortgage. Upset that the local supermarket has put him out of work, he is refusing to shop there. A big Neil Diamond fan, his taste in music falls a long way short of impressing Lauren and Rob.

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Who’s who

Anna HanniganSusan Cookson Willow’s mum is always drumming up support for community events in a town that’s at rock bottom. In support of her husband, she’s boycotting the huge new supermarket that’s putting the town’s businesses in jeopardy, but it might be her only hope of finding a job.

GeoffJohn ThomsonPeter’s best mate is a marketing manager who moves in with the Hannigans when his relationship with his beloved wife Sheila hits the rocks. He and Peter plan to start a business together, but will it ever get off the ground?

JasmineGeorgina CampbellHaving just finished school, Jasmine and Willow had their minds set on going travelling when she breaks up with Willow and starts dating a bass player. Will she regret her decision?

ChrisFergus van Gelder Willow’s only remaining friend in Shankly, Chris is an eccentric soul who works in the local off-licence.

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Episode guide

Episode 3 – Formed a BandLauren and Ollie try to cheer up a down-in-the dumps Willow by giving him the chance to co-present the show. Can a delighted (yet terrified) Willow keep his cool on the airwaves?

Meanwhile, the evening of Shankly’s Got Talent arrives and it’s Anna’s last chance to prove there’s still some spirit left in the town, while Geoff makes plans to serenade wife Sheila with a special performance. To help them both out, Willow advertises the talent contest on After Hours. But does the radio show actually have any listeners?

Episode 2 – Float OnWillow is devastated when he discovers his best pal Chris has been burgled and his ex, Jasmine, has started dating a bass player. However, Willow isn’t the only one in Shankly with a broken heart. After a fall-out with his wife Sheila, Peter’s friend Geoff has moved onto the Hannigans’ sofa and is busy using up all of Anna’s moisturiser.

After Hours promises to save the day, when it makes an appeal to anyone who might know about Chris’s burglary. Plus, Ollie and Lauren give Willow the chance to take over the mic and play Jasmine a song. But when Willow’s big moment to win her back arrives, Chris is badly in need of a friend. Will Willow make the right choice?

Episode 1 – Young JoblessHaving just left school, things aren’t going to plan for Willow. Stuck at home with his mum and dad while he struggles to get a job in his declining town of Shankly, his dreams of travelling the world go to pot when his girlfriend Jasmine dumps him. The only thing that keeps him going is local late-night cult radio show After Hours. So, when a chance encounter with one of its hosts, Lauren, leads to him being offered a job on the show, he believes his luck might have changed. But can he convince his parents that volunteering on a pirate radio show is a good idea?

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Episode 6 – Romance is Boring It’s the night of The Bad Weekends’ big gig and the venue is a sell-out. However, disaster strikes when an upset Lauren reveals that the show can’t go on. Concerned they will be letting the entire town down, Ollie and Willow struggle to put things right. Can they find a way to save the gig?

Also, following recent events, Willow makes a decision he finds hard to break to Lauren and Ollie. And, following Ollie’s recent meeting at Lincolnshire FM, Ollie and Lauren have a difficult decision to make about the future of After Hours.

Episode 5 – Love Love LoveWith Lauren’s ex-bandmate Russell back in Shankly, Willow and Ollie try to book the community centre for The Bad Weekends’ concert, only to find that the conservative committee are dead against the space being used for ‘rock gigs’.

Despite the setback, Willow’s spirits are raised when Jasmine splits up with new boyfriend Scott and comes to him for support. Meanwhile, Ollie’s worries increase when, after berating Lincolnshire FM on the show, he gets called into the station for a meeting. Plus, Geoff hatches a plan to get Peter back on his milk float.

Episode 4 – Lonely Press Play Ollie and Lauren are thrilled when they learn one of their favourite bands, The Sellotapes, are playing nearby, yet gutted that they will have to miss the gig to do After Hours. Having been given a makeover by Lauren, Willow offers to abandon a night out with his old friends early to present the show. But when Jasmine shows up at the pub, will he be able to pull himself away?

Buoyed up by the gig, Ollie and Willow ask their listeners to suggest who they’d like to see perform in Shankly. Many listeners suggest Lauren’s former band The Bad Weekends, prompting Willow to secretly get in touch with Lauren’s ex-bandmate Russell.

Back at the Hannigan household, a desperate Peter makes a very tough decision.

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How did you come to work together as a writing team?We were friends, both living in Norwich and working on our own writing projects as well as juggling the occasional weird or boring day job. We got drunk one night and talked about working on something together.

We decided to try to write a sitcom because we have always loved the genre. We’d shared a flat previously – when we were unemployed and sad – but had at no point during this time considered the idea of writing one together. It was probably for the best. We didn’t have much to write about

back then, all we did was eat toast and watch Seinfeld.

How was it working with Craig Cash?Craig has an incredible eye for detail, which makes him an excellent director. During filming we were on set the whole time, communicating with him and the cast and crew. He wanted us to make sure everything was as close to how we’d written it as possible. We were very aware of how rare this is and felt lucky to be in a position where we could be a central part of the process. Craig is a brilliant writer himself and understands comedy

intrinsically. He also understands the importance of being kind and gentle to people, and making them feel valued. He is one of the most hardworking people I know. It was a pleasure and a privilege to learn from him.

Who are some of your inspirations in the scriptwriting world?There are so many, but these spring to mind: Sharon Horgan, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, Lena Dunham, Jill Soloway, Julia Davis, Jessica Hynes, Miranda July, Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne, Armando Iannucci and Greg Daniels.

If you had your own radio show, what would it be like?We have talked about doing a show where we introduce each other to music the other one has somehow overlooked. For example – I bring in a bunch of Tom Waits songs and play them to John while saying: See? Isn’t this brilliant? Over and over again. It’s an idea that needs finessing, I see that now.

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones.

Interview Molly Naylor & John Osborne, writers

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What did you think when you first read the script?It was just one of the nicest and most charming scripts I have ever read. I wanted the part a lot so when I was offered it, I was so happy. Plus, when I read and heard about the soundtrack to the show, I was over the moon. I couldn’t have chosen better music myself.

Can you describe Willow?He’s lost when we first meet him. He doesn’t have many opportunities in his town so turning to After Hours is his salvation from his mind-numbing existence now that his friends have gone to university

and his girlfriend has broken up with him. He is going through that late teenage stage of finding his feet as a young man and Ollie and Lauren help him a lot with that.

You are just three years older than Willow. Did you find him an easy character to relate to?Definitely. I have certainly been through that kind of thing in my own life. His love of music was something that I could also immediately get. Music has such a special place in my own world so it was really easy to make it important to Willow.

What was it like working with the rest of the cast?Incredible. I really did learn a lot from them. John, Ardal and Susan were just so funny. I was constantly worrying that I was ruining takes by laughing. The

scenes shot at the dinner table are some of the best times that I have ever had.

And what was it like playing opposite BAFTA® winner Georgina Campbell?It was amazing and I was so happy for her. I remember watching Murdered by My Boyfriend and thinking what a moving and powerful performance she gave. I thought, wow, I am in a TV show with this girl.

And you do a lot of cycling in the series don’t you?Yes, I didn’t realise how much cycling there would be. I am very glad I could

cycle because it would have been a really bad thing to get to set and not be able to ride a bike. It was really fun riding up and down on this little vintage bike. On one of the days, we were filming a cycling shot and just over the lip of this hill was a pub, which lots of locals were outside. It was about four o’clock and every time we would reset the shot they would cheer and whoop. I was meant to look sad when I came over the hill but it was really hard to hide my smile. Lymm was a really lovely town and everyone was so nice and accommodating.

You’ve spoken about working with Ardal and John. Are there any other actors who really inspire you?I’ve always been a massive fan of James McAvoy and I am also really fond of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Martin Freeman. I think they’ve done great work which they have done off their own back, and they have written their own stuff. ➜

Interview James Tarpey – Willow

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➜ What’s currently on your playlist?I am listening to a lot of the Pixies and a bit of Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac. I also really like The Maccabees’ new album.

As a nineties child, what would you consider to be the song or the artist that summed up your youth?I wish I could say someone like Nirvana but that just wouldn’t be true. Probably Green Day. I definitely have some Spice Girls memorabilia at home somewhere though too.

What was the first album that you bought?Maybe Eminem or Green Day.

If you could have your own radio show, what would it be like?I’d love to play new upcoming bands and to introduce new acts. It is quite an exciting time for music, there are some great new artists around. That’s always been quite a dream job as well, other than the acting – to get to sit there all day and listen to good music and give people breaks on the radio.

Why do you think people should tune into the series?It’s really sweet, warm and funny. There is not a lot like it on. Tune in for Ardal and John because their scenes are great, as well as the music. I don’t think I have seen, not in the last few years at least, a show with such an interesting soundtrack. ■

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Why did you want to be part of After Hours?I found it refreshingly warm and funny, and moving. It’s a bit different – the comedy is not in your face. The writers weren’t afraid to go for the real emotion and it’s got a genuine quality to it. It’s truthful.

The writers, Molly Naylor and John Osborne, are relative newcomers. Was working with new talent part of the appeal?Yes. I hadn’t heard of Molly and John but having read the scripts, I got a tingling feeling in my stomach. But one of the big things that really swung it for me was that they were using great music on the soundtrack.

What was it like working with Craig Cash?He has got such a lovely manner and such integrity. He’s been responsible for great comedy over the years.

What can you tell me about your character Peter?Peter is a little bit odd. He is our hero Willow’s dad and he’s an unemployed milkman. He’s recently lost his milk round and so he’s a little bit upset with milk. But he’s a good guy and he’s got a lot of dignity. He doesn’t let his disappointments overcome him in any way and I think that’s something that comes into all the characters in the show. They live in a town that’s in decline and they could easily become angry and bitter but they don’t. They get on with life. They are all very positive characters and they appreciate the good things like family and community and, of course, good music.

In the show, Willow has reached a crossroads in his life. Can you remember being 18 and feeling a bit directionless?

I think it lasted about 20 years for me! Everything just seems magnified at that age. Everything is either the best thing in the world or the worst thing in the world. You have raging torrents of emotion at all times. I do remember that when you are in love, or think you are, it just consumes your every waking moment.

People talk about heartache and I can remember that kind of ache deep in the pit of your stomach. It was a real physical pain. I think this show definitely touches on those feelings.

What was the atmosphere like on set? Did you get on well with the rest of the cast?Everyone was such a joy to work with. It was a pleasure to work with John Thomson, I’ve been a fan of his for

many years and he’s a naturally very funny bloke. I loved the other cast members too and James is great as Willow.

Have you passed on much any words of wisdom to James?Not really. He’s very instinctive and very natural. The others are the same. Jaime [Winstone] is really sparky and Rob [Kendrick], who plays Ollie, has got such a lovely manner and style. Susan [Cookson], who plays my wife, is brilliant as well.

And music is very important in the series, isn’t it?The soundtrack is integral. It’s a really big part of it. The show is about outsiders and people who are defiant against the odds and this type of music is outsider music for the most part. It’s people doing things for themselves and not worrying about what other people think. You’ve got artists in there who are totally outside of the mainstream and I think that’s really important to the show.

What was the first album you bought?Possibly the first album by The Boomtown Rats. I think I was a year too late for punk and so my formative years in terms of music was the first year of the new wave and I think The Boomtown Rats were Ireland’s leading representative in that genre.

What sound best sums up your youth?It was possibly X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents. That was the first record I wore out from playing it too much.

Who is your musical hero?That’s one of those impossible questions to answer because it changes about 10 times in a day. I love Neil Young and people like that but, by the same token, I love The Stranglers and Johnny Cash. ➜

Interview Ardal O’Hanlon – Peter

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➜ One of the questions that Ollie asks Willow in his interview is whether he can think of any cover versions that are better than the original. Can you?There is an Irish band called Something Happens which did a brilliant version of ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me.

Which radio station do you listen to?Radio 4.

Peter loses his job because of the supermarket that comes to the town. Do you have any gripes with how the world is changing?I find going into a town centre and seeing shops that offer cash for gold rather than shops selling prime cuts of sirloin steak very depressing. I don’t know the answer to all that but it would be fantastic to see our town centres regenerated.

Obviously you’ve had huge success with Father Ted, My Hero and your stand-up shows – where do you think your affinity with comedy has come from?I come from a part of the world where everyone is actually very deadpan by nature. No one gives anything away in terms of emotion or colours their language very much. I always found that quite amusing. I was never one of those people who were slaves to television as kids and consumed by comedy from a very early age. I had a wide range of interests but I knew from an early age that life was absurd and the only way to go on was to ridicule everything.

What’s your karaoke song?Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash. ■

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Interview John Thomson – Geoff What attracted you to After Hours?The fact that Craig [Cash] was directing it was a big bonus because we are old friends and go absolutely way back. I knew that it would be good I because I know that he wouldn’t just take any project. Then I read the script and I thought it was great. Geoff is a great character too.

How did you and Craig cross paths?Caroline [Aherne] and Craig used to do a radio show in Stockport and I used to occasionally guest on their show. I knew Caroline from doing gigs with her and she lived on the same road as me for a while so the Craig connection came through her. She had known Craig for years.

What was it like working with the rest of the cast. Was it a good atmosphere on set?It was nice to work with an Irishman again as I’m half Irish. Working with Jimmy [James Nesbitt] on Cold Feet for seven years was a joy and so to work with Ardal was a bit like history repeating itself. The chemistry is great between me and Ardal, as well as with Susan Cookson. The beauty of this script is it’s very dry. You have to play it very deadpan and we found it very hard for laughing sometimes! I loved the job, it was one of those ones that I just looked forward to doing.

How would you sum up Geoff’s character?He’s got a huge heart but doesn’t really know how to express himself sometimes. Obviously he had a job in marketing and he’s not a fool but he has difficulty in conveying his ideas. He’s a bit socially awkward but he is a very likeable character. He’s obviously got marriage issues with Sheila because he’s desperate to win her back and some of the things he does are very

touching. There’s one line that I think kind of sums Geoff up – he gives Anna a shirt the night before the gig, and says, “I don’t suppose you could iron my shirt Anna? The buttons confuse me”. You can learn a lot from that line of dialogue alone.

A lot of the show is filmed in Lymm. Is that near your hometown?It’s about 20 minutes from Didsbury. It’s on my doorstep but I didn’t realise how beautiful it was. But we were cursed by the weather – the heat was a killer. On one of the early days of filming, we came back from lunch and it was just so hot. It made us hysterically giddy, we couldn’t get our lines out.

Why do you think British comedies are often held in such high esteem?We are very sophisticated. We are masters of irony, of understatement and of dryness. We’ve got a good lineage, and a very strong pedigree in comedy. If something is written well and you get a decent cast, like After Hours, the performances can be so natural that the jokes tell themselves.

What was the first album you bought?It was given to me and it moulded me. I am a drummer, I’ve been playing since I was 11, and I remember that I was on a French exchange trip. The weather was awful and I was stuck in an apartment in the middle of Lyon. I used to listen to Stanley Clarke, School Days. He is an amazing bass player and it was one of my favourite albums of all time. It got me into my favourite kind of music, which is jazz funk and jazz fusion. I’m a bit set in my ways as far as music is concerned and I like the fact that people think I am odd. I’ve done stand-up at Glastonbury three times but I didn’t see a single band. What song would you say summed up your youth?When I was about 14 or 15, my favourite British band was Level 42 and Hot Water was my favourite song.

What would be your karaoke song?I’d do Mack the Knife or I could do one those big band or crooner songs. Something like Beyond the Sea. That’s my cup of tea.

Can you sing?I can. When I was at school, I was Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and I was Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a Catholic school, you would never have guessed would you?

What radio show do you listen to?If the radio is on, it would be Smooth FM. Up north, it’s the only one that plays any soul.

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Why did you want to be a part of After Hours?It’s really sweet and humble, that’s why I originally went for it. I’ve never done anything like it. I loved the story – it all just seemed to flow so naturally. And I loved Lauren, she is such a fun and lost little character.

Tell us more about Lauren…She is really upbeat. She always wants the best out of things and people. However, she can’t seem to take her own advice. She has this heartache and this self-destructive mode but, deep down, she doesn’t want to be like that. She’s really bubbly but when you chip away at the surface, there are some deep insecurity issues there. She just needs a big old cuddle.

What was it like to film?It all came together perfectly and was really fun to shoot, and Craig [Cash] was amazing to work with

– he’s so genuine and so giving. We also filmed it in Manchester, which is like my second home. I had a lot of fun there, and have a lot of old friends there too.

Was a love of music something that you share with Lauren?Yes. I’m not a massive fan of indie music but I learned a lot about that scene and genre. I am a bit more of a rock’n’roll or dance music girl. But the indie music scene is very cute and humble. I went to see the Pixies in Manchester while we were filming it, which felt very true to Lauren. It’s nice when real things happen in your life that relate to the character you are playing.

You perform (as Lauren) a song written by Babyshambles in the series, what was that like?I actually recorded it with Drew from Babyshambles for the show. The lyrics are great, it’s a really great little indie song. They very kindly wrote it for me. It was

quite scary but Drew said I was a natural which made me laugh. I am not a natural singer but I loved being on stage. My sister Lois is a musician so I drew from her stage presence. It is really sweet because Lauren hasn’t been on stage for a while and she comes to life as she sings. In the end I got really into it and I wanted to do it again. But I don’t think I will be rocking out on stage anytime soon. They were saying that they wanted to release the single, but I am not sure how I feel about that.

I find it quite easy to pretend to be someone else when I am singing but to stand on stage and sing from your heart is a really scary thing to do. It bares your soul. Your Mancunian accent is really good in the series…My mum is from Stockport. It’s quite funny because when you are hanging around with lots of the crew, ➜

Interview Jaime Winstone – Lauren

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➜ you end up having a bit of a twang anyway. I loved playing the role, there is something really bouncy about the accent that really helped me get into Lauren’s character.

Why should viewers tune into the series?I think it will really touch people. It will bring a lot of nostalgia to those who are into indie music. Also, I think viewers will relate to that feeling of being a bit lost in your teenage years and not really knowing what to do with yourself, until you turn on a tune and suddenly you feel connected to people, all because you like the same kind of music.

What was the first album that you ever bought?Probably the Spice Girls. No actually, All Saints.

Would you say they were the bands that summed up your youth?Definitely. All Saints and Placebo too. But I had an older sister so Nirvana was always playing in the background. I think a lot of people my age were confused about whether they were a pop Spice Girls fan or a grungy Nirvana fan. I think I was probably a mixture of both. And then my dad was playing punk downstairs so it was all pretty baffling really.

If you could have a radio show, what would it be like?I’d have all my friends come on and do massive sets of the best music genres. I’d start with a nice reggae morning to get people in the mood, and then keep it classy with a bit of classic musical and then I’d jump heavy into jungle for afternoon tea. Then I’d have a 90s hip-hop vibe.

What would be your pick of the jukebox?Probably Elvis, either In the Ghetto or Suspicious Minds, or Nights in White Satin. ■

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Interview Georgina Campbell – Jasmine What attracted you to the series?It was such a refreshing, funny and interesting script. I hadn’t really read anything like it before. I was also heavily influenced by the music – there are so many brilliant tracks written into the script. I really related to Willow and my character Jasmine’s relationship and what happens with them. Like me, they both love the Pixies. For my audition, I went in wearing a Pixies T-shirt which was incredibly cringe.

You won a BAFTA® for your role in Murdered by My Boyfriend, beating Keeley Hawes, Sarah Lancashire and Sheridan Smith. How did that feel?Fantastic, it’s still really crazy. It’s such a lovely accolade and something I would never have expected to have got so early on in my career. It was very unexpected but very welcome.

What have you done with your BAFTA®?It’s on my windowsill at the moment. I think I need to polish it. I don’t know if you can get special BAFTA® polish? I should probably look into it.

Has that award opened the door to a lot of opportunities?Yes, it has definitely taken my career off in another direction, which is great. With acting, it is always about getting to the next step. You are always thinking about what the next move will be so the BAFTA® has definitely pushed me up a couple of steps. I have been doing some wonderful jobs and hopefully, next year, there will be more to come.

Can you describe your character in After Hours?At the beginning of the series, Jasmine is in a relationship with Willow and, sometimes, when you are young, if you are in a relationship with someone, you start to define each other and to grow to become the same person, which isn’t always the right thing. So, she breaks up with Willow and then for the rest of the series she is trying to figure out who she is and where she fits into the world. She’s at that awful age when you finish school and there is so much pressure and there are so many avenues that you can take.

How did you enjoy working with the rest of the cast?It was great to work with the writers who were there every single day and Craig Cash was lovely. It was just a fantastic project. It’s a comedy so every day was just a laugh.

Why do you think viewers should tune in to the series?They’ll like the music. My musical taste isn’t to the standard of a lot of the people who are in and who wrote the show but listening to all the music was just fantastic. It’s such an eclectic mix of different genres and periods. Also, it’s a really warm storyline about a boy discovering who he is. It’s something a bit different – I don’t think I have seen anything like it.

What’s on your playlist at the moment?I’m listening to a lot of FKA twigs. I really like her at the moment – she’s got a really different sound. She is in control of her career and produces her own stuff. She directs all her own music videos and I like that.

What’s the first album you ever bought?It was probably something by Honeyz or Destiny’s Child. ➜

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➜ Is there a song that best sums up your youth? When I was a teenager, I was really obsessed with Kings of Leon. As a child though, it would probably have been the Lighthouse Family. My parents were always playing their tape in the car.

If you had your own radio show, what would it be like?An agony aunt show. Probably just because I’m a massive gossip and want to hear everyone’s issues.

You got your break because you were spotted in the street by the director of Freak. What do you think you’d be doing now if you weren’t acting?I don’t know actually. I’d like to think I’d probably have ended up acting anyway. It seems like things happen for a reason but maybe I would have ended up doing it a different way.

Are there any actors you particularly look up to?I love Olivia Colman. She is brilliant and manages to do all forms of acting so well, from comedy to drama. I also really like Kate Winslet. I think she always plays really interesting characters and she chooses good roles. I also just really like her as a person. I mean, I haven’t met her but I feel like I would.

Is there a part you would like to have had or would still like to have?If I could go back in time, I would love to have been Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I loved that show. ■

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Contacts

Alexander Wood

Publicist – Sky Content PR

[email protected]

020 7032 1488

Monday 2 November 21.30