 Boop, we're on, the day's guess, we've got an amazing Scotty Reed, great guy, great actor, shout out to bitbot, how are we, Scotty? Very well, very well, I think it's time for me to go, a bitbot comment. Obviously, still game, massive, meffy don't admit mate, absolutely brilliant, best character in it for me, I'm not just saying that because you're here now so I don't need to butter you up, but absolutely fantastic, how's life been since the still game days? It's been great, I mean it was a bit of a whirlwind when the first series came about and a couple of things just came into roll, there was a couple of programs after that like Line of Duty and then I went and did this big UK tour for the National Theatre so it was kind of just busy in a really good way, taking it all and just trying to enjoy it but at the same time not worrying about it and just trying not to worry about the pressure Do you know what I mean, just kind of just see it through and take it for what it was and you know, maximise it, you know. That's been brilliant mate and let us say a bit further, I enjoyed you on the show mate, it has been a breath of fresh air mate. Thanks very much. How did the character come about, was that the part you auditioned for? So it was, they had already, obviously Ford and Greg, they obviously write the show and they'd obviously been writing a character because the actor Jake Darcy who played, well it's terrible, I can't even remember, Peter Jakey, he passed away in real life so they wanted to kind of replace that mad maverick of a character, kind of something more like a spiritualist kind of way, on a different level just to everybody else so they kind of started writing this character and I was doing a play at the Citizens at the time that Ricky Ross had wrote the music for from Deacon Blue and actor Paul Higgins wrote it, it was I think called The Choir and Julie Wilson Nemo, Greg's wife, Miss Hoolie at Abalamori, she came on the show with Greg and Greg obviously just kind of took a shine to me and said, you know, do you want to come and read this part, we mean Ford so that was surreal in itself, because I'd met Greg a couple of times, the acting community in Scotland's not that big so everybody knows everybody's business but at the same time, you get to know people very quickly so that was good but it was really surreal the first, you know, pulling up to, I was doing a short film in Glasgow at the time, it was a film city and I pulled up in a taxi to Greg's house on the west end and two of them were sitting out smoking the vapes and Greg had this big beard and Ford sitting there like the way he does with his big pink shirt, big white collar like, alright son, how are you doing? and you come by, you know, and just, you know, you're just going, I don't know how, you know, how these guys I've seen in the telly all these years and all these characters, you know, tune the fat and obviously still game, you know, Dear Green Place and stuff like that you think, you know, while I'm sitting here just chatting to them, you know, try to have a laugh, try to keep my cool and I'm, you know, totally shitting myself, you know. That's fucking unbelievable. So then they get these, they hand me like the scripts, you know, it's a cold read, it's not, it wasn't like, there wasn't any pressure, just read it and, you know, we think the characters like this, you know, have a read, what do you think? We'll give you a couple of minutes, five minutes and then we just kind of sat and read it and the weirdest thing about the whole situation is I was sitting in Greg's living room and then the two of them were just themselves chatting away and then as soon as we started reading these two men appeared you know, it's obviously Jack and Victor which was like really bizarre because Ford's sitting here on the armchair, you know, Pink Shirt, Greg's a huge big beer and all of a sudden these two characters that you've known your whole life just come, you know, it was a really, like a special moment, like a moment of like real, you know, a real sense of pride to, you know, to be, I think in probably Scotland's best comedy writers. Yeah, you know, especially the best double act anyway, I would say. And you know, and then obviously because it's the BBC there's lots of, you know, red tape and formalities so I actually had to go and, you know, ten minutes after I left the house, Greg told me, saying, I think you're great, we want you for a part. And then about three weeks later my agent said, so you need to go into the BBC in addition. So it was a bit, you know. How's that? Because the BBC, they can't just give somebody a job if it's a thing that's being produced by the BBC, you know, they've got to go through because it's taxpayers' money, so they've obviously got to go through the steps. So that was bizarre. That's amazing, man. You know, like, the disagreement, you know, the director, well, the boys told me to do it like this and he's going, oh, how do you know? Like, have you read this before? And you're like, I was in, I was in their house. So you buzz in for it then, they've said you've got the job but then you have to get it again, do you find yourself a bit? I, I, it's, it's, it's, it's, acting's not, everybody thinks he's really glamorous and really straightforward and it's really, really not. There's lots of waiting about and you're really at the mercy of other people and especially in TV and film, it's not actually up to the directors or really the writers, it's these exec producers at the top and, you know, they hold the weight of all responsibility but at the same time, you know, they get to pick and choose and see if they just don't like to cut your job, you're just not getting the job or if they think you're just a bit too young or old, you're screwed, you know what I mean? A lot of steps. Hi. So it's not, it's not just like the director goes, I like you, I want you, like the director says I like you and then I have to go and show all these, like, five people, you know, and if they like you, then you get the job and if they don't, somebody else gets it. Cos the work's no great in Glasgow, is it? There's no much work and to get that job, which is the biggest thing in Scotland, it's a massive achievement for yourself. I mean, we're not producing a lot of, you know, high quality drama or I'd say comedy, you know, I mean, we've got a brilliant arts in theatre community, like it's really buzzing, the theatre community in Scotland's really, really great and that's where I learned, you know, that's my training really after I finished drama school and that community's a really, you know, generous, vibrant, giving, loving community of good people, very, very talented actors, but it's a shame we're just not making as much drama as what we used to be and, you know, or even comedy, you know, at one point, you know, I had, like, Limmy and Burniston and all these things were just coming and coming and coming and now it's really got quite static and, you know, apart from still game, which, you know... And that can always go, that can always... When are seasons when it's seven? Yeah, this is the ninth season's about to start filming you. So that was the eighth, it's just finished. Yeah. That's a long show as well, isn't it? But, like, I say, you know, I've seen this, but it's not. They can all pop back up because the band, you know, you know, Scottish people, the Vizga people, they're all fucking nuts. But it's also, I mean, I really believe it's time for something like, you know... Fresh. Fresh as well, like, because, you know, you only appreciate the stuff you've got when new stuff comes up and actually the stuff that's kicking around is really disappointing. I mean, you look down south and, you know, they're opening all the hours, just came back and they've just, you know... They're just bringing out all the old sitcoms that were really successful in, like, the 70s, 80s and 90s, you know, they're trying to bring them back. Why do you think that is? Just to give some people... People just want to feel comfortable, you know, at home and sit on a Thursday, wet night on Thursday, you know, it's miserable and go, oh, I don't remember that, I used to watch that, you know, Ronnie Barker. Ronnie Frozen Horsies and all that stuff. They have only been done, but then you need somebody fresh then to fucking change the game. That's it, you know what I mean? And I don't know, I mean, I don't know how it is to fix that. I mean, I'm not a writer, I'm not a stand-up comedian. For me, you know, for me, still game, you know, although it is a comedy character, I play Methodo McDamey, he's not really a comedy character, it's just a guy who's, you know, got real, you know, struggles, but he also takes Methodo every day, which is... Sounds a bit like myself. When did the teeth get put in there? So, they... It's when the job, the episode about the job, that was obviously the thing about, you know, you know, the transfer, because Four and Greg were thinking about Methodo McDamey because it's about redemption, it's about a guy fixing him, fixing his life, it's about, you know, him sorting his stuff out, you know, kind of getting back on track. So it's like, you know, the physical thing is like a really easy, you know, the teeth was such an easy fix, you know, because he's got really bad grotty, black, you know, teeth, and to get that done, it was, you know, it was a really easy step, but also something the audience could, you know, relate to, and thank goodness it went down a storm. I see you've got your method of mick teeth in for the interview. That is the thing that people will remember you, but for still-game as the teeth, then the... Which is good, because it completely gives me... I don't particularly think, you know, I don't look like Mick at all in normal life. I mean... You know, because, you know, in certain situations, it changes, like, about... I could walk down the street, you know, in Glasgow, down Bacallan Street, and nobody would even second-look at me, apart from some of the girls, you know, obviously, because... That's what we're doing now, sir. A lot of them are feeling me, though, aren't they? And... In some days, it's different. Some days, people do recognise you, but it really gives me a different... It's like I get away with a mask, you know, the teeth and the bonnet, the separation from him is... So I feel like when I put the teeth in, I... Which could be a good thing, because it kind of... Let's say that attention is welcome. It's good, man, but it can fuck your head up, can't it? Ah, for sure. There was... We do find it hard, as a family, at times, you know, like, we're very close. You know, my mum and dad, Brian and Julie and my sister, Alex, like, we're very, you know, really, really a close unit. And there is times... I think they go, oh, this is... At times, this is great, this is, you know, batch of these things where I've kind of found myself going, I don't really know how to deal with a situation, especially I got some quite negative press of, like, on Twitter and stuff, there was as much as Twitter was creating. The first season for me, the second season, it was quite negative. There was kind of a backlash by certain, you know, sections of the fans, which is allowed, which is okay, but you kind of just get to yourself, you know, you go, this is my first time having to deal with that pressure or having to deal with the, you know, open negativity and actually just try and compress that, move on with that, and kind of go forward, you know what I mean? It's tricky. Because people see you on the TV and they just think, he's neither feelings nor emotions. That's the character he plays all the time. He's just, you know what I mean? They see everybody's equal or a human being and the negative comments, man, they fucking sting the heart. They do, but also, like, you know, I'm not, I feel sorry for myself, right, but as a person, I get to do what I love, like, acting to me is not a job. It's just the thing, it's my passion. It's the thing I love more than anything else in the world. You know, maybe apart from, you know, pretending I'm a football player, like, because I love that, but those are the two things that I absolutely loved growing up. So for me, acting, going on to set or, you know, being on stage, that's not a job. That's just kind of a laugh, you know what I mean? You go to work and you laugh, and, you know, you make people cry, you, you know, entertain people. So I feel very, very privileged and it's hard sometimes because people think you're a millionaire. Yeah, because of seeing a telly. And they think you've got it all and they think that you've, you know, and you just, you know, grow up in peace, I mean, you know what I mean? Just trying to get, not playing the working class hero at all, but just trying to get by and just trying to make ends meet and worrying about money and worrying about, you know, you've got this whole living your best life. It's insane because all the time you've got to pretend that you're in a good place all the time and actually, you know, these days you're not in a good place. You know, this, this periods of your life are darker than other periods and it's about trying to just get, you know, through that and it's tricky. It's hard. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Just because you're only telling you're playing a massive part, people think, oh, he's got a great life. But let us say we still battle the demons and we still have days when we can't be asked, then we still get the negative and we think, right, where's my career gone? We've got to go to London and America, so it's tough, but obviously we're still getting things to give you a massive platform. It's got only open doors and people can recognise it because you're a good guy. You're a good guy, mate. You're very well liked, right? You're playing stuff like that. Everybody will want a PC. They want a PC anything. Or you can get him there. Do you know what I mean? Which can be hard as well. I know because I didn't really want to have to come into this podcast in the first place. See his acting skills have been good, man. You know yourself, everybody wants a PC and it's trying to figure out who you can trust and do you know what I mean as well? That's it. You've got to be... I mean, it lies no fair, right? But you've got to trust people. You've got to give people your time and then you've got to learn the lessons from that and not try and be open-minded and not be negative or, you know, have a bad attitude. You've got to trust people. You've got to give people a chance. Especially the acting as well, man. Especially like, my job is I could go in... You know, you could cast me in a TV programme where I film and I have to come in. Maybe I'll meet you once before the morning we do a shoot and I have to be able to give you everything as an actor. I have to trust that you're not going to fuck me. You know, and that's it. Oh, James, mate. But do you know what I mean? It's like you have to be... I drop a hat. Really trust people. Drop the guard. Because other people's... your future's on other people's hands. How did you get into acting? Oh, so, I mean, I was young. Not professionally. But, like, there was a Pace Youth Theatre I went to in Paisley which has been, like, a massive part of my life. I was there, you know, from the age of 6 up to 16. And then they employed me, like, as a general assistant when I was at the drama school. Like, filling vending machines and ordering paper and nonsense like that. And then I went and they have a professional panel. So I did that, you know, the year after a... excuse me, the year after I finished drama school. And it was just like a... you know, I used to go there on Saturdays. So I played football Saturday morning Pace and, you know, Saturday afternoon. And really it was just kind of to give my mum and dad a break at the weekend, you know, as well. But something that I really grew in, I really loved. It's bizarre because I was never... I hate the... like all the cheesy, you know, jazz hands and all that. That's not me. It was always something about being able to make other people feel something. And you were in control of that, you know. So we used to do this, I think it's so stupidly but I remember it so vividly. Like this thing called park bench. And basically your objective was to get the person off the bench. Or... and you had to like... It was such a stupid little exercise. Because you'd come in and make stupid noises when you're young. But for me it was like an ability like how can you come in straight away and affect somebody and really like get them quick, get them slow, you know. It was just like playing with people. And there was something about that that fascinated me in acting. It's about what you do at the other person. It's like you've got to affect either the audience or the person you're acting with. And there was something about that at such an early level... early age that I... that I just really... it just kind of excited me. You know that real boost of adrenaline. And then obviously you start doing shows and you know, like a little bit of Shakespeare and stuff like that. I've done... It's hard, yeah. Obviously like I was at drama school at the Conservatoire, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Like they obviously give you the basic... like they teach you how to be able to handle all the texts and stuff like that. And I've been very lucky. I've done a lot of Shakespeare plays. You know, and it's... I've done that and... you know, just try to do as many things across the board, you know what I mean? Like Shakespeare's like the greatest actors can do Shakespeare, but the greatest actors in my book can also do the comedy. And they can also sing a little bit and they can also dance a little bit and they can also play an instrument. The thing about being an actor is you kind of have to be good at everything. It's a pain in the arse. You know what I mean? That fucking actor! Everybody's looking for Shakespeare plays actually or the next fat loom poem. That's what I mean. But you know what I mean? It's like that thing is because you have to look so natural and pretend to be able to do anything. Do you know what I mean? And it's... Do you think it helps your confidence in that? Listen, you see, in a dangerous situation I can pretend to be anybody and you get me out of anything. But, you know, it also gives you deep anxiety. But you know, like they say, you know, comedians stand-up comics are like the most depressive people you make. You know, and actually being an actor is to an extent like that. Because you're not trying to make people laugh. You're trying to connect with people. So you find yourself getting really involved in... On a personal level, I find really intense relationships very, very quickly. And it really doesn't have a backbone of commitment. Because you do a job with people for a couple of months or a year. You spend so much time, they become your family. Because you're away, you drop everything. Acting is the only thing that people go I can't actually go to my grandad's funeral because I'm doing a play. Or I can't you know, I'm not prepared to do this or this or this because I'm working. And it comes so little like this because there's so few opportunities that people are prepared to sacrifice so, so much. It's a good excuse to break up with people real quick. I can't let you not like them. Doesn't have that a joke. But there's been times I've met some really wonderful girls over the years and it's been... You're in a pocket, you're in a space for a couple of months and then a job finishes and then you come at that bubble burst and you have to deal with the fact that I'm, you know... I want to get home and see my family in Glasgow, Paisley, you know, wherever you're living or whatever your circumstances were and actually you... the commitment, you just have always an excuse as I get out close and it's really difficult to build really long-term relationships not in terms of not in a loving way, but also with people. Because it's hard because if you're to be successful as well you've got to make a lot of sacrifices, especially with the acting because you get parts of that what lassies might not want you to get as well and that can kind of haunt you back for yourself man, it's just about concentrating on your career. Do you ever feel, do you ever struggle knowing who you are some days because all the different characters, Shakespeare, Mephidon, Mick, do you ever go some days and I watched a Jim Carrey documentary he played and then off me and he was in character but he realised, he wanted to stay in that character because it took him away for who he was, then like who he was and he couldn't go back, it's a great documentary, it's really good and I watched that, is it Man in the Moon? That's the film he's called and do you ever struggle with that like just jumping into character because it kind of... you know I just, you know I said that I've got a very my relationship with my team like I call them my team, like my people we're very close and there's no, you know, I'm struggling with this you know, I say, I'm struggling or I feel a bit down my mum's like, she's a scouser and she's like, just get on with I don't know who the hell you haunt you are you're feeling sorry for yourself if you go up and go on with something and actually like if I get into that mindset, I think I'm somebody else I just be slapped right out of me So just kind of ground you I was very conscious like they tell you you've got to be able to leave your baggage at the door before you play a character you can't associate your own baggage or damage or your own dark stuff only a character I don't believe because then that gets hold of you in a certain, or a different way it's like hard to explain you know, so I played this character called Michael Farmer in Line of Duty and he was you know how would I describe him, he basically was neglected, grown up, real anxiety, real difficulty talking, aspergers maybe a bit autistic you know, really an incapability to talk to women and he gets accused of rape and he gets accused of kidnapping and really like really dark stuff and actually he's a really simple boy who's really been let down by his parents or people who love him and his name to their from and actually you go you've got to find as an actor you've got to find the things that you can relate to that but also in the same time you've got to keep that stuff at a distance because I kind of go home at night and sit in my room pretending that I'm this character because it it fucks with your head because you put yourself in something like actors, you see them lose something when you watch them, they prepare to give you something a part of themself and actually it's like it sounds so stupid but it's like an onion it's really like you have to give a layer of yourself when you play a character because I have to put myself into the darkest, deepest places especially when you're playing such a that character in Line of Duty you have to go there because if you don't, nobody really remembers it or really you've really got to give something to your brain but playing the characters when I was doing Line of Duty it was really bad because my my granddad died over 18 months ago but it was so there was a scene basically I was filming this series and out of like the 5 episodes I was handcuffed to a table for like 3, 4, 12 days over the course of like 6 weeks and that's just actually when you're sitting there, yourself chatting away having a joke in between takes, you realise I'm actually sitting here handcuffed, what would that be like if this was me, I've never been in jail but what would that be like, you know, when all that you start going through the process and all that stuff and then when my granddad died, I was getting like convicted and the characters having this fucking massive freak out and I was doing the scene and then all of a sudden like 3, 4 minutes later I come to and I was like, sorry, like the scene you know, what's happened you know, I don't remember anything but it's like in the character, I was like in an amazing performance place but for me as a human being I was just like a wee boy crying that my granddad was dead but on camera, you know, I put myself in that space, I didn't shut off, I didn't say I'm not giving you this today, I said I'm going to open myself up and take it You can release a lot of stuff then, you're acting as well Yeah, I cried really all my tears you know, from my granddad Eric that day really and that helped me give probably one of the great, I think one of my best performances I've ever given really on camera anyway so you know that you use that bad stuff trauma to and then you put that into something that's really really positive Who do you inspire to be? Who do you act as? He's a fucking great actor Oh, really like strange people Daniel Delos? Daniel Delos is great in certain films, like The Phantom Thread is superb I really like guys like Paul Giamatti, do you know he was in Billions recently with Daniel Delos he did a film years ago called Sideways they went on a wine tour around America and I don't know, he's a guy that you see like such energy he just, you know, gives these all it's really It's different, there's a he looks bizarre at times he puts himself in these positions that he doesn't care about looking good all the time, you know he doesn't like, you know, like Jerry B you know, Jerry Butler, you know He's the guy, another guy But at the same time it's a different thing for me it's, I'm not interested in being like the as much as I'd like to be ripped and chiseled and tanned and It's tough It's tough Fucking laughing at Do you know, as much as I'd like that you know, I'm not 6'3", I'm not blonde I'm not Australian I know that that's not the parts I'm going to get you know, the suffer boy as much as I'd fucking love to be a suffer boy you're not going to get those roles so you have to go, what am I going to get I play a lot of guys with mental health issues I play a lot of guys with disabilities I play a lot of guys who are probably struggling in their lives The characters, that will say more about your talent than your appearance, obviously if it pays so we kind of get that character but does that will say a lot about your talent then to play the parts because they're difficult Well I mean, you know, I'd hope so you know, I'd really hope so but you just want to keep working that's it, you know and theatre for me is such a really theatre is such a way to express yourself I was doing this show called The Curious Instant of the Dog in the night time it was about this 15 year old autistic boy typecast and he basically finds out that his neighbour's dog's dead he's got a pitchfork through it and he goes on this discovery to find out who killed the dog and in order to do that he basically unravels this whole story about the fact that he thought his mum was dead and actually she ran away with the neighbour, they moved to London and he goes from Swindon to London you know, which for an autistic boy you know, going on the train for the first time yourself and then going into the subway and you know, getting to Paddington Station and finding your way up to Wowsing Green wherever it was, is like a real struggle so I was doing that show for about 10 months and that, you know every night I was on stage for like 2 2 and a half hours so all I didn't leave a stage browing but you know, again, really it's the parts you want to play man, they're the lead characters do you know what I mean? I don't want to play the guy who's I don't want to play the guy who's sitting at the back do you know what I mean? I'm not sorry to say that, I don't want to play a guy in the ensemble you want to play the guys with the story you want to be the best you can be and you also want to do the best roles the biggest parts, that's the challenge because then you go, was I really an actor if I didn't push myself to the limit as much as I can but it was also like really really hard that's a good way of looking at it like I say, you've got your head screwed on as well because to look at that way and say you want to be the best you can be the best only person you can fail as you and like I say, you're clearly fucking on the path mate you're clearly there amazing yeah, I mean, I again, I feel very lucky, I feel blessed but you can make your own luck on all because you've always put it in the grind as well, do you know what I mean? but you know, it's like the so I've just done the Thames in series called Carnival Row which will come out at some point in 2019 it's got like Orlando Bloom and Karatella Veen and some I just, lovely girl lovely girl, lovely very good actress, you know, great, it was a real pleasure to work with her Kidron is an actor for as he likes it mate he's a fair bit not, and like some really good guys like Jared Harris as well, I don't know if you see, he was in Mad Men Mad Men in the crown he's a really good actor so he played the Queen's Dad the old King George VI, I think, who died in the first series so it was like, that was like a different level that I was working with like the Aelistos not just in the UK but across the pond and actually walking on to sets with like three, four hundred extras you know, like Crane's and five cameras filming it in Prague and like a huge big studio it was an amazing experience and I'm really excited to see the show when it comes out but again, you go you get up to like the next level and then you think, oh well that means I can't fall back down and you really can and actually to then get on to like the next level I'm up against then like it's like a pyramid scheme, you know it's what it goes like all the people who do like the youth theatre at the beginning all the people who love that and then they go up next and then the people who want to go to drama school they fall off and then the people after drama school who get the agents and the people who don't they drop off and then you kind of get what they drop off and then it's all the time so the people that I'm now up against are like Americans English, Australian you know, it's not you know, 10 guys from Glasgow who I've known all my life I'm up against like a guy from New York or Anne Los Angeles who's that, the blockbuster films but then there comes a point and all we go right, you can come complacent and say I've made it but you never make it in that game, do you? Do you get awful draws now or do you still need addition? It's really mixed because you get to that stage and downsides no, addition all the time Where's the dream for you? I was over in, I went to Los Angeles for about four weeks in April just to kind of get a feel of the land because I just finished the Carnival Row so I went over and I just wanted to see if I could live out there or what the environment was like just to see how it differed from London and it's very very different great place but in terms of the the auditioning world it's very very different it's a lot more we don't have time to waste man if you either know the stuff or you don't get out or you do it, don't fuck about we don't care and it's like it really gets to look into your room it's like I remember the first edition I went in there for something really quite big and I wanted to do the character in the same way in this like like camp casting assistant What was that? I can't tell you No, because I signed an NDA so I can't really talk about it it was like a TV series I did the character in the same way it was maybe like Goofy or something so I played him like quite dark and medicine I tested I tested you know and then all of a sudden the guy is just like going what are you doing? do you know what Goofy means and I was like what the hell are you talking about I'm doing it like this for this and he's like no no no no you know like Goofy, you know like the character with the long floppy ears just being an idiot man I was just like oh god then he woke up to me as I walk out the room he's like have a good trip and I was like that's my first edition in Los Angeles I was like maybe it's time to just take it on the plane and I was on my own being an actor it's a lonely journey it's really lonely but the negative steps that I always say make the first step you don't need to see the full staircase people can fail and fail and then you go fuck that's as easy for me but you've got to keep failing listen nothing's came easy for me even when we're talking about still game I got off of the part and then I had to go and put myself through the ringer to audition for the part again you know what I'm saying it's like that all the time and actually I know a couple of guys who have just had things drop land land land movies films and I think they get to a stage where they don't appreciate it so there's like days like I watched one clip of Carnival Row now sad sat man and I watched it I was sitting there crying just because it was so so much a big deal for me to be like I've worked all my life to get to there and that's the biggest thing I've ever done and that's the biggest person I've ever worked with and I'm doing that and it's really fucking good and I'm really proud of myself nobody feels the way I feel about it nobody cares as much as me of course so it's weird so being an actor is like we're all nuts everybody's nuts for sure but I think to an extent it's like we watch people and we manage to to an extent learn how to manipulate our own feelings to be able to pretend to be somebody else it's a difficult thing to do because the majority of people we don't fucking like being ourselves so imagine like people just do it as a form of escapism because they don't really like who they are like comedy I always say the comedy is it's a massive movie getting their energy to make other people feel good and make them feel happy but they're no working internally to try and fix it and a really big part of my life I don't really talk about it as much as I should we I went to church you know my mum and dad still go every week really it's a really big part of their life and it was a faith it was a really big part of my life it was something that I was doing maybe every week until I was about 16 and then not like Catholic Protestant none of that it was like just a bit of faith it was a non-denominational church so it wasn't like I kind of like you because you're a Catholic or you kind of like me because I don't know none of that it was just like you went there it was about God it was like counseling I believe it's like individual spiritualized counseling with somebody who is maybe not there but a higher power it's something that's giving me a lot of comfort in dark days because I can assure you I don't talk about it as much because I'm living my best life I'm joking but you know I've had dark days I've been living in London for three and a half years and there was a six month period I had to get off the drink you know I was 21 I had to take six months sober or do they? just that and no actually it was I was working all the time I was doing plays all the time and I was just chasing off the show getting drunk four or five nights a week and then you're hungover you have a nap, you eat food and then you can do the show and then you go out and then you get fucked again and it was just that real continual psycho and you know I hurt a lot of people and that's what you do you know I'm selfish I was selfish it doesn't really change I have to be selfish to do to be successful you've got to be selfish I was selfish in a really bad way like a lot of drinking and a lot of sleeping around but this is the whole part of your journey mate I had to do it for fucking, I had to change mate I was in my 30s you know what I mean so I had to do it for a long time and for you at a young age you're 30 I thought you were still in your 20s well thanks mate always nearly so I had to do it for a long time but like I say mate that was to numb all my demons and pain you know what I mean so for you at such a young age to realise this mate is unbelievable and it's only going to propel you I think I realised that a couple of years ago and I just ignored it really what made you go down fuck this I need to come off the booze Oh I was sitting in my mum and dad's house on my sister's birthday at New Year's Eve and my nose just started bleeding I stress, worry I was like two in the morning we were all sitting there drinking it's like the same and I just been drinking for like a week fucks sake not like staying up like you know go to sleep you know just putting your body through the you know the strains and I just kind of you know just doing nonsense you don't think a lot of the actors in that environment whether after a show or after a certain they're away bevying I mean actors bevying they say the first day rehearsals you look in the room and what actors judge is the people that they want to go and sit in the pub way is that that is what they do in the first day they get people and say could I sit in the pub with you for a couple of hours is that a nervous thing not I just think we're sociable people and we like to tell stories and we like to connect with human beings and actually being sociable and meeting new people when you go out and out you get to meet new people you get to see new faces you get to hear new stories and it's actually just that we're like sponges I think it's about absorbing all that stuff and also we love to just you know party listen mate I love to party not me, I know the art in party man but there does come a time you go right man it's life I can be and I want to be the best version I can be and the day that you've got to distance yourself for that and stop the things that are holding you back because if you keep drinking and drinking then your frequency becomes lower and you don't get all these good opportunities that this year we've had a great year man with a lot of stuff we're doing because of my frequency sigh obviously they're I'm carrying it look at that I'm pregnant so I'm carrying these guys but when your frequency sigh when you're mentally strong when you're doing good things you surround yourself with other positive people and don'ts open you go wait a minute this is happening because you're not necessarily dating these parts go on too early dating line of duty, dating still game it doesn't really feel right neither even though you date and you go wait a minute is that that and that's what a lot of people go round because a lot of these people are looking for fame and it's good man to get attention and this and that but when you get that you go fuck me is that that because everything's within so when you start to solve it the pyramid I want to go better where can I go next? I've got that director I can work with do you know what I mean? obviously I'm very ambitious and you know I'm also I'm 25 on Friday I've got such a long way to go some of my pals didn't finish drama school until they were 28, 29 and I graduated drama school at 19 what did you start? I started just after I turned 17 and that fucked my head man I was there I was the youngest person the oldest person my year was like 34 when we started that's like there was double my age you know what I mean and it's like so I was there there was all these people from around the world I've just left high school in Paisley at the end of fifth year and I'm in this class and there's like eight guys from London a couple of people from America you know Irish other Scottish people and I'm sitting there going like a wee boy but I can't let these guys know I'm a wee boy so I have to be the I had to be I was like the 17 year old alpha male for three years at drama school and I was 19 being like the guy got you know I fucking know what I'm talking about and I'm the best actor and actually I didn't really I didn't enjoy it because I was worried I was stressed and that's you know that was my own enjoying it you see the thing is I love performing I've never not enjoyed performing but it was just the people and the institution for that period of time it was really hard because you see these people every day you're trying to grow as a human being but at the same time there's competition there because everybody wants to be the best so do you know what I mean it's a total double-edged sword you can't offend anybody but you also have to like really which is your favourite film? Monsters Inc I think it's not I've got loads of different films but it's probably something that I connect with for many different reasons I think as a wee guy watching it but also it's got everything you want and a film really it's a good laughter, it makes you cry it makes you feel good it makes you feel you know homely I think what pics are the films they do they're really really superb was it like their animation kind of stuff I know I mean maybe maybe but in terms of acting obviously that's not like a film film like something like Shawshank Redemption is great you know back to the future I love The Second Lord of the Rings for you to be good for one show have you seen that? no I haven't I've seen that no there's loads there's loads of different you know to me you know you relate to films for different reasons you know I mean like there's performances in films that I love but I hate like the films you know what I'm saying like I think Tom Cruise and Magnolia is just superb and that film in general is like superb but it's like but then this films you know I think like Notting Hill Grand is superb and that film like really brilliant but that's it you know I mean there's loads of different there's really moments and everything wherever it grabs you and you kind of go fuck that was intense then that's when you go regardless if it makes you laugh intensely or it makes you cry intensely it's still doing the same thing and that's when you go oh fuck that's brilliant so do you have to do with the director or the actors do they make it the choice? no I think theatre directors film directors are really really different the film directors don't necessarily the ones I've worked with they don't really press your buttons like theatre directors in terms to get you into the dark places that's your job the job is to make to help you transfer that onto camera that makes sense whereas theatre director is about they're building a group of actors together to form it for a live audience every night so they're giving you a structure in order for you to be able to do it night after night after night after night whereas the TV the film director could be like going right Scott I need you just you've got ten minutes we've got two takes here right you're either giving it now or we'll just call it and then you go right out going to have a fag you got your side smoke you get yourself fucking in that place worked up you would go and fucking doing it boom and then all of a sudden you know whatever that is whatever that comes out in theatre you would never shout so loud that you would cut your voice but when you're on camera you rip your throat out to pieces because it's got to be real it's got to be there take after take as well I was doing this monologue shouting in this courtyard there's like 350 people and I'm like really shouting at this guy up in the fucking wall like so we did like three cameras each so I was like right great I'll have maybe five takes and they'll have it all sorted so we did like eight setups of three different positions with these eight setups with these three cameras so I ended up doing the thing like 24 times and by the end I was like right I'm going to just go and have a can I get a lemon and just a tea so it's like you know it's great mate the whole it's the best fucking job in the world I like I say mate you're smashing it mate and the last two and then another boy who dreamy years mate playing at Park Keed last cut one for go mate do you know what I mean there's 60,000 people I've got Martin constant to thank for that really because we'd obviously worked together in line of duty and you know just you know James McAvoy dropped out and they were like you know we need another big name headliner you know what I mean so they obviously phoned phoned me up no Martin was very good to get me into that and that was that was probably you know something that I thought I'd never you'd never do you know there was 62,000 people there I think and that's when you know you're on the right path and you get invited to do this I came on at the 67th minute and I played 14 minutes and it was like so obviously I would have just won the first invincible we'd won the invincible double treble not just the first one just the first one and then you know it was like incredible you know they're singing you know in the heat of Lisbon and I'm coming on going I'm like you know two minutes in the game I try to tackle Scott Brown who put me on Mars and then four minutes later I put Momo Silla in his ass so that was that was my you know it's like you cannae tackle Scott Brown so I'll go for Momo Silla you know when do you start back following my still game it starts back in a few weeks yeah looking forward to getting back listen it's just good I've had a bit of a time of acting in general just you know since April really so I'm just kind of looking forward to get back into the groove in that way you know because I was solid for two and a half years like literally I was doing this tour for ten months you know the curious job I was doing and within that one job I did like three other jobs so I was just just always constant constant so I was doing like I did the last series of still game whilst I was doing the play so I was getting picked up at like five in the morning you know filming like one in the afternoon and then I'd go and have like two hours off and then I'd have to go into the play you know who's your favourite character in still game he's my favourite character he's my favourite actor both so my favourite character is probably is probably Victor but my favourite actors I think I think Ford's just Ford and Greg together as a team they're superb but there's something about the way that Greg plays Victor that he's got those little dory eyes which are great but then like Ford's I've really like Ford's on a different planet at times in terms of his ability but also how he can you know be messing about and then he just goes into you know you can he's he's also he's playful he's really playful like the two of them together it's like I've learned so much from actually being with those two guys because they are brilliant and you know I think sometimes they get a lot of bad press because that's the press you know not just necessarily from like the papers or whatever I think just in general people always go well you know you know those two you know it's time to put it away or whatever you know but they they write it you know I mean like they sit down for months and they put this thing together and they created this world it's you know you know and they wrote two shows at the Hydro and you know it's like it's such a huge achievement and actually do you know what it's so typically Scottish and it really annoys me instead of celebrating really talented people what we do is we go I will do you know what I've had enough for that do you know what they're getting too successful for Malik and so I don't want them to get me at high and actually do you know what that's the problem like we do that about everything and actually we should go well if they can do that you know what can somebody else do or how can we all work together we make it you know good and there's a lot of there's a lot of that and it that's just life because people are unhappy with us so I say everybody else unhappy if they look as if they're having fun different attitude from and like you know when you were in when I was in Los Angeles everyone's like it's never no it's always yes yes that might be a little bit difficult than I but we'll get there and it's you know and I know that's a lot of that and here it's just no no sorry can I do it no we don't have the money no we can't find the money no and actually from a spiritual point of view you know something that you know the faith has given me especially like you know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me that you know that idea that something is too much do you think that kind of grounds you then oh it does but it also just goes like when somebody says to me no that can't happen you go well I don't believe that that's true I believe that it can happen that's just other people projecting their fears onto you you know but I'm talking about like project based stuff like when somebody says we don't have the money to give you that well there's money there or you know we don't have the time for us to be able to make that in that period we'll find the time you know I'm saying it's very easy just to shut things down and see if we're not doing it and actually we do that in terms of like the acting industry that's why we're not producing enough drama because we don't have enough money or we don't have the content or it might not be good enough you know we do this all the time in sports I mean I don't even like basketball right but it was on BBC Sport about the UK basketball team all the guys from the nations all their funding get cut and then they're all up in arms and then the government body who cut their funding are going guys obviously really aren't interested in playing basketball and these guys are going well how can we play basketball because you've cut all our funding do you know what I'm saying like everything's backwards brother everything's backwards that's what it is but Scottie boy I know you're a busy man and like I say I love your work and I'm looking forward to seeing you in the future mate and I'm looking forward to see when you do something in 2018 that comes out a year later that will piss you off you know when it started in 2017 it started filling it in this September I'm impatient mate I need it anymore no it's something you kind of you know you kind of forget about it that's good I can't remember I can't remember any of the last series of the game you know the season I watch it but I can't I can't remember I always remember the first day I went on set and I did the talking letter boxing that was my very first day and that's had something like over 20 million views or something now you know whatever it's like a three minute scene and for me that was I'll always remember that day but the last season I can't remember anything I was at a charity event the other week and this wee boy's like can you do the thing about the numbers and the letters and I'm like I have no idea mate what you're talking about mate he's like can you do the dog mate I'm sorry no you show me and I'll do it and he does it perfectly and I'm like is that what you're talking about the legs are so short than that that's brilliant I thoroughly enjoyed you coming on today I appreciate you coming on and taking your time I know you're a busy guy and no doubt you've got an absolute takeover in the future mate you've got your whole life in front of you it was good this wee boy cheers cheers