Him-Itv-Wylie-Interviews
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HIM$ Produc+on$Notes$ Contents$ Press%Release % %%%3% Foreword%by%Paula%Milne 5% Cast%interviews%% 6% Episode%Synopses %22 Cast%Credits%%%%%%%% %23% Produc>on%Credits%%%%%%%% %24% ITV$COMMISSIONS$THREE>PART$DRAMA$“HIM”$ WRITTEN$BY$ACCLAIMED$WRITER$PAULA$MILNE$AND$ PRODUCED$BY$MAINSTREET$PICTURES$$$ “What’s(that(thing(they(say?(There(is(no(greater(fear(than(fear(itself.”( HIM%is%a%threeCpart%‘domes>c%horror’%drama%commissioned%by%ITV%from%the%producers%of% Unforgo7en,%Mainstreet%Pictures,%and%wriKen%by%the%mul>%awardCwinning%screenwriter%Paula% Milne.% Katherine%Kelly%(Mr(Selfridge,(The(Sound(of(Music(Live),%James%Murray%(Suspects,(Cucumber,( Primeval),%Patrick%Robinson%(Mount(Pleasant,(Casualty,(Holby(City)%are%joined%by%Simona% Brown%(The(Casual(Vacancy,(Murdered(by(My(Boyfriend)%and%newcomer%Fionn%Whitehead.% The%story%focuses%on%a%17CyearCold%boy,%known%only%in%the%drama%as%HIM%(Fionn%Whitehead),% who%is%caught%in%the%limbo%between%childhood%and%adulthood.%But%he’s%also%trapped%in%a% limbo%between%the%two%homes%of%his%divorced%parents,%mum%Hannah%(Katherine%Kelly)%and% dad%Edward%(James%Murray),%each%now%remarried%with%new%families.%Patrick%Robinson%plays% step%dad%Victor,%Simona%Brown%as%stepsister%Faith%and%Lucy%Liemann%as%step%mum%Beth.%% % $ $ HIM%is%the%cuckoo%in%both%their%nests,%a%reminder%of%the%failure%of%their%past%and%a%threat%to% their%newfound%domes>c%bliss.%Like%any%teenager,%he%is%riding%a%rollercoaster%of%confusing% emo>ons.%Like%most%boys%he%finds%it%hard%to%process%his%feelings%so%tends%to%“act%out”.%But% his%behaviour%is%also%triggered%by%something%else.%He%is%engaged%in%a%primal%struggle%to% contain%the%terrifying%secret%of%a%supernatural%power%he%inherited%from%his%grandfather.%A% power%that%only%his%ageing%grandmother,%played%by%Susan%Jameson%(Casualty,(New(Tricks)% understands.%She%urges%him%to%use%his%gi]%only%for%‘good’%for%she%knows%if%he%doesn’t%it%could% end%in%tragedy.%% When%his%17CyearCold%stepsister%Faith%(Simona%Brown)%moves%into%the%family%home,%HIM% finds%himself%irrevocably%drawn%to%her.%%They%both%know%their%mutual%aKrac>on%could% rupture%the%family.%%The%turmoil%this%causes%in%HIM%escalates%out%of%control%and%with%it%his% supernatural%power%–%and%those%closest%to%him%are%in%his%line%of%fire.% Alec%Newman%(The(Bastard(ExecuMoner,(The(Last(Kingdom)%stars%as%Psychotherapist%Clive,% and%Anastasia%Hille%(You,(Me(&(the(Apocalypse,(Not(Safe(for(Work)%is%also%cast%as%Professor% of%Physic%Research%Magda%Denham.% This%striking%and%original%drama%focuses%on%life’s%major%themes:%the%painful%breakdown%of% rela>onships,%love,%loss,%betrayal%and%passion.%At%the%heart%of%the%story%is%HIM’s%rite%of% passage%from%boyhood%to%manhood%as%he%struggles%not%to%lose%his%humanity%and%control%his% supernatural%power.% HIM%has%been%commissioned%by%ITV’s%former%Director%of%Drama%Steve%November%and% Controller%of%Drama%Victoria%Fea.% The%drama%will%be%execu>ve%produced%by%Laura%Mackie%and%Sally%Haynes%who%departed%ITV% in%2013%to%establish%produc>on%company%Mainstreet%Pictures.%%Him%will%be%produced%by% Chrissy%Skinns%(The(Last(Kingdom,(Mr(Selfridge,(Marchlands)%and%directed%by%Andy%De% Emmony%(Lucky(Man,(Recovery,(God(On(Trial(and(Bletchley(Circle).% Paula%Milne%is%known%for%wri>ng%The(Virgin(Queen,%The(PoliMcian’s(Husband,(White(Heat,( Small(Island,(The(Nightwatch%and%Endgame.% HIM%will%be%distributed%interna>onally%by%ITV%Studios%Global%Entertainment.% % %% $ $ $ Foreword$by$Paula$Milne,$Writer$ I’ve%always%been%fascinated%by%the%horror%genre.%More%specifically,%why%it%has%compelled%the% audience%so%enduringly%over%the%genera>ons.%%What%is%it%about%the%genre%that%keeps%bringing% the%audience%back%to%it?%%Does%it%play%out%our%darkest%fears%–%as%Stephen%King%once%said%–%and% the%father%in%the%HIM%says%in%the%opening%–%“there’s%nothing%there%in%the%dark%that%isn’t%in%the% light”.%Haven’t%we%all%woken%in%the%night,%disorientated%and%fuelled%in%dread,%%and%seen%some% familiar%object%in%the%dark%and%recoiled,%thinking%it%is%something%threatening%and%ominous?%%So% does%the%horror%genre%then%allow%us%to%exorcise%these%visceral%nocturnal%fears,%then%a]erwards% return%to%the%safety%and%normalcy%of%our%daily%lives?%%%% And%why,%on%the%whole%does%the%genre%focus%on%adolescences?%THE%TWILIGHT%movies%laKerly% demonstrate%this.%Is%there%something%in%the%quest%to%find%out%who%you%are%and%if%you%can%ever% fit%into%the%world%that%resonates?%Is%there%some%enduring%part%of%us%as%adults%that%s>ll%hankers% for%answers%to%such%primal%ques>ons?%%% So%when%thinking%about%the%horror%genre,%the%idea%of%some%external%supernatural%force%taking% someone%over,%like%poltergeists,%ghosts%or%witchcra]%simply%didn’t%interest%me%as%much%as%the% idea%of%someone%figh>ng%to%control%the%emo>onal%demons%within%them.%%The%movie%CARRIE( was%a%big%influence%in%that%respect,%how%it%centres%on%an%alienated%teenage%girl,%using% telekinesis%to%symbolise%her%struggle%with%puberty%and%the%brutal%reality%of%her%life%ahead.%%So% she%tries%to%take%control.%%% Then%I%started%thinking%about%teenage%boys,%how%they%get%a%bad%rap%in%these%post%feminist%days:% under%achieving,%ac>ng%out%and%in%par>cular,%their%difficulty%in%ar>cula>ng%the%emo>onal% turbulence%they%face%during%their%own%burgeoning%puberty.%%Having%three%sons%gave%me%some% insight%into%that!%Add%to%that%the%backwash%of%HIM’S%parents’%divorce,%now%both%remarried%with% new%families;%the%boy%is%a%kind%of%cuckoo%in%both%nests.%%I%thought%the%drama%could%be%a%kind%of% allegory%of%contemporary%family%life,%to%explore%the%complexi>es%of%it.%%HIM%has%to%navigate% complicated%rela>onships%with%stepCparents%and%stepCsiblings%–%not%least%control%the%powerful% aKrac>on%he%feels%for%his%new%stepsister%that%he%never%asked%for,%but%was%expected%to%simply% accept%as%a%sister%C%though%he%didn’t%feel%that%way%about%her.%%So%I%suppose%I%wanted%to%use%the% horror%genre%as%a%prism%to%explore%all%these%powerful%issues%of%family%life%that%so%many%in%the% audience%have%either%witnessed%or%directly%experienced%in%these%post%divorce%days.%.%%% …That’s%why%I%gave%him%no%name%but%HIM;%in%that%sense%he%is%all%our%brothers%and%all%our%sons.%% Paula%Milne%2016%% % % Cast$interviews$ Fionn$Whitehead$is$HIM$ $ Q:$How$did$you$get$into$ac+ng?% %% “I%started%ac>ng%in%primary%school.%The%classes%were%few%and%far%between%but%when%we%did%do% them%I%really%enjoyed%it.%Originally%it%was%just%to%entertain%my%friends.%Then%as%I%got%older%I% started%doing%more%workshops%and%looking%for%opportuni>es%outside%of%school.%% %% “I%joined%the%Orange%Tree%Youth%Theatre%in%Richmond,%Surrey.%I%was%also%quite%into%sports,% including%rugby,%but%I%le]%that%behind%and%just%focused%on%drama.%I%became%a%member%of%the% Na>onal%Youth%Theatre%and%completed%their%twoCweek%intensive%summer%course.%I%also%studied% drama%at%GCSE%and%AClevel.% %% “Ac>ng%is%a%release,%a%rush%I%don’t%really%get%from%anything%else.%I’ve%always%been%interested%in% the%way%other%people’s%minds%work,%how%people%interact%with%each%other%and%rela>onships,%so%it% combines%all%of%those%things.”% $ Q:$How$did$this$role$come$about?% %% “I%saw%the%audi>on%posted%on%the%Na>onal%Youth%Theatre%website%and%applied%for%it,%but%I%didn’t% hear%anything%back.%Then%I%was%encouraged%to%apply%for%it%again%by%an%old%Youth%Theatre%director% and%so%I%reCapplied%and%included%a%very%clear%photo%in%the%email.%The%cas>ng%director%Daniel% Edwards%called%me%within%10%minutes.%I%put%a%lot%of%it%down%to%him,%he%was%incredible.% %% “This%is%my%first%professional%ac>ng%job.%I%was%preKy%gobsmacked%for%a%solid%two%months%a]er%I% got%the%role,%I%was%delighted%but%also%extremely%shocked%and%couldn’t%really%believe%it.%I’d%set% myself%up%for%a%life%of%doing%liKle%jobs%and%trying%to%make%ends%meet.%I%was%working%in%a%cafe%at% the%>me%and%just%doing%ac>ng%because%I%really%loved%doing%it.%Then%when%I%got%this%role%it%blew%it% all%out%of%the%water.%It%was%not%what%I%was%expec>ng%at%all.%It%was%amazing.% $ $ % Q:$Was$the$first$day$on$set$a$memorable$experience?% %% “I%didn’t%know%what%was%going%on.%It%was%bizarre.%I%was%just%being%pointed%to%places%and%told%to% do%different%things.%It%was%crazy%and%the%most%hec>c%thing%I’ve%ever%done.%I%enjoyed%that%new,% weird%feeling.%Not%so%much%a%learning%curve,%more%a%learning%ver>cal%incline.”% %% Q:$Who$is$HIM?% %% “HIM%is%a%17CyearCold%boy%who%has%been%hung%out%to%dry%a%bit.%His%parents%are%divorced%and% they’ve%both%got%new%families.%So%he’s%been%le]%in%the%middle%and%he%feels%le]%out,%isolated%and% lonely.%He%doesn’t%feel%like%they%want%him,%even%if%that’s%not%true,%because%they’re%both%busy% with%new%families.%He%isolates%himself%by%removing%himself%from%social%situa>ons,%op>ng%to%be% on%his%own%a%lot,%smokes%a%lot%of%weed%and%blocks%it%all%out.%Everything%he%does%is%done%to%block% out%the%rest%of%the%world.% %% “He%also%has%this%uncontrollable%power%which%is%part%of%the%reason%why%he%isolates%himself.%The% emo>onal%response%and%the%supernatural%power,%it’s%hard%to%know%which%came%first%and%which% triggers%which.%HIM%is%smart%but%under%so%much%pressure,%he’s%conflicted%and%it%bursts%out%of% him.%Because%no%17CyearCold%can%really%handle%that%intense%secret.”% $ $Q:$Why$is$he$just$called$HIM?% %% “The%writer%Paula%Milne%gave%a%liKle%speech%about%HIM%at%the%script%read%through,%which%was% really%moving.%She%said,%‘I%didn’t%give%the%character%any%name%because%he%represents%all%of%our% sons.’%That%was%quite%poignant.%% %% “A%lot%of%aspects%of%the%character%are%extremely%relatable%for%any%teenage%boy’s%life.%All% supernatural%aspects%aside,%the%feelings%of%loneliness%and%isola>on%a%lot%of%people%get%at%that%age%