Eddie Izzard on his role in TV remake of The Day of the Triffids
[from conventrytelegraph.net]
AMONG the stars of the BBC’s upcoming remake of The Day of the Triffids is the comedian and actor Eddie Izzard.
Izzard, now 47, made a relatively late screen debut in Damien Hirst’s 1996 short film Hanging Around and is the first to admit he hasn’t received any formal acting training.
He considers his starring role on the American TV series The Riches as his “drama school”. The Hollywood writers’ strike in 2007 and 2008 halted filming and despite the series’ success, it was never picked up again once the strike ended so Izzard is hoping to do a film version instead.
Although he made his name in stand-up, Izzard says he prefers “really gritty, interesting dramas” and if good film roles don’t arise, he’ll do TV roles instead.
And that’s why he agreed to appear as the “charismatic sociopath” Torrence in two-part futuristic drama The Day of the Triffids, to be screened on December 28 and 29.
Izzard says he’d watched the 1962 film but not the TV series from 1981. “I was at university but you’re not supposed to stay in and watch anything at university are you, well I never did.”
The story follows the few sighted survivors after an unexplained solar storm blinds much of the world’s population. Torrence is among those left to battle the deadly plants.
He said: “This is what I’ve worked out: The whole world is the classroom, politics is the classroom, how we interact is the classroom and it gets very feral. If we’ve adapted The Day of the Triffids right then it should feel like this could happen.
“Everything interesting is about energy. Fireworks, war, parliamentary question time, rock concerts, it’s all about energy changes and we’re intrigued.
“In Day of the Triffids parts of London are seen as decayed or broken up, that’s why the Blitz was a hellish time but also a fascinating time.”
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