Nick Frost cuddled Simon Pegg for half an hour at post-lockdown reunion
Actor Nick Frost, 49, on ‘hug therapy’ with Simon Pegg, being the only man on set and confusing Covid rules.
Why did you want to play Bertram in the crime anthology series Why Women Kill? He’s a killer too…
I don’t want to seem too humble but I’m always amazed that anyone would just offer me a part.
It was also a chance for me to flex my drama muscles but retain a kind of lovable, comedic vulnerability that I liked in Bertram.
The challenge with hi is that people shouldn’t like him – he’s a serial killer. But the vibe I’m getting from it being shown in the States is that people really like this cute mole man and they absolutely shouldn’t.
It’s set in 1949, which is an interesting time to explore…
Yeah, and what struck me is if you look at all the costumes, especially the ladies’ costumes, they’re incredible ad very accurate.
The ladies were putting on a show and celebrating life after the war. Apparently they’d have dressers, which is kind of incredible.
What prep did you have to do?
I watched loads of David Niven films, and James Mason, because I wanted Bertram to be a proper old wartime man.
You could take Bertram out, make him black and white, and pop him in any of those old films. I liked the opportunity to create a post-war narrative for this tragic, awful man.
How did you feel being a man among so many women?
Oh my. My glasses were often covered in a sheen of oestrogen! No, most of my scenes were with Allison [Tolman] and she’s a wonderful person and a lovely actress.
We have a similar work ethic and spent a lot of time together. She’d come and hang out with my family and we had a really nice time.
But when it got to a point when all the ladies were on set, I was kind of like Bertram. I’d just watch it all unfold and say my dialogue.
I was thrilled to watch that. It was an embarrassment of riches with the ladies.
Was it filmed during Covid?
We only finished at the end of April and I’d been there from mid-October, so right in the middle of the pandemic.
Fortunately, beaches and playgrounds were open so we could hang out at those when I wasn’t shooting. it was only the last month where we could go and have diner out, which was fantastic. But it was very different on set.
Part of the joy of my job is listening to the camera team talk but we were in a bubble off set and on set surrounded by anti-Covid police.
I don’t think Covid cares that they’re shouting ‘red zone!’ No one’s sure what’s right, you know? Like, I wasn’t allowed to sing a song on set but I could kiss another actress, I don’t get it.
Are you keen to get more work in Los Angeles?
I’m not going to say no. The reason I’ve never moved is that I have two children with different mothers so I never wanted to go with one child and the other one feel left out.
The thing about this opportunity was I didn’t have to sign on for five or seven years, which is the usual shape of things. I’ve never wanted to be away for that long.
This was one season and they said. ‘Here’s some money, the scripts are great, here’s Alison Tolman. Oh, and by the way, your family can come over and your other family too.’ So we all got together and had a conversation, and the kids’ mums essentially said, we should absolutely do this.
Have you seen much of Simon Pegg during lockdown?
We have our own production company so we have meetings twice a week and speak all the time.
But we did a little film shoot the other week about people who have been friends for a long time and I hadn’t seen Simon for about a year, physically.
They wanted to see us being tactile and we just cuddled for half an hour. It was amazing. We felt like we’d been through hug therapy and it felt nice being held by another being other than my parner and children.
I’ve missed that a lot because I’m a hugger. It’s made me feel very detached from humanity.
Do you have more plans to work with him?
There are always things being percolated but it’s more, have we got three years now to say that we can’t do any work, we’ll just develop this? It has to be really good.
I think me and Edgar [Wright] and Simon will do something together again before too long.
What else have you got on for the rest of the year?
My partner is very pregnant right now. The baby is imminent, which is very exciting. I’ve got more of HBO’s The Nevers to film and then just a couple of lovely films that I’m not number one on the call sheet for but they’re really good characters.
I’ve had to put my family first and what my partner needs in terms of me being around for the baby.
And I’m also really grateful that I can say to my agent that I need some time off. I know it’s been 20 years but it’s a nice position to be in and I don’t take it for granted.
Why Women Kill season two starts on Alibi at 9pm on Thursday.
Original article at Metro.
This article has been reproduced for archive purposes.
