Normally when pantomime villains come on stage, everyone shouts `He's behind you!' But in Shameless this takes on a whole new meaning, as Joe Pritchard gets to grips with Karen Maguire.
He's supposed to be going out with her best mate, Mandy. And she's married to his best mate, Jamie. But the pair have been taking the phrase `A bit on the side' to new heights…be that in the Jockey footie team's dressing room while the other players (inc Jamie) are out on the pitch waiting for kick off. Or in her bedroom while Mandy's daughter is sleeping a few feet away. Karen's knicker elastic has been snapping all over the place. And now she's well regretting it…
"Guilt is just God's way of controlling us, reminding us that everything we do has consequences…fucking works though" Karen monologued the other night. Meanwhile, Joe has bought out Jamie's share of the Jockey and is about to become Karen's `sleeping partner' in the business. He was last seen sticking his hand up her skirt while letching `This belongs to me now. End of…'. Booooooooo…Hisssssssssssssss….
Ben Batt is stood on the steps outside the Shameless studio in Wythenshawe
shaking his head as he tries to describe Joe Pritchard's character. He's been filming some scenes and can't give the storyline away. So he's just shaking his head. And tutting.
"Errm…He's a man of the world, one of the boys…He's not exactly savoury...He's quite controlling…and not very faithful to Mandy" he understates. And then tuts again. And shakes his head.
You can tell he's absolutely relishing playing the biggest bastard on tv. And you can understand now why he gave up a role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet to take the part.
"It was Romeo and Juliet, or Shameless" he recalls "There was no contest…"
However, by family tradition, Ben should have been a top rugby player. His granddad played for St Helens and then Salford City Reds, and his mum's side of the family are the Gregorys - clan of legendary Wigan player, Andy Gregory, who also ended up playing and coaching at Salford.
"Andy is my mum's cousin and they all grew up in Worsely" Ben explains "All of my cousins support Salford City Reds and I love them too. Before I got into acting I was a rugby player too but I broke my leg and was told I couldn't play any more. I needed to come up with something else, quick, and my teachers said `You've always been outgoing, why don't you give acting a go?' So when I was 18 I started taking it seriously and went to drama school."
Ben was at Guild Hall drama school in London for three years but `unfortunately' had to leave a bit early to do a film, The Edge of Love, with Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller…
"It was just a small part and I had a scene with Cillian Murphy but it was good fun and really good experience" he says "Keira was very warm and friendly and dedicated and professional…"
And thin?
"She is very thin but people say she's just a face and she hasn't exactly got the credit as an actress" he explains "She doesn't look like she's very skinny and unhealthy. It does all fit together very nicely."
After the film, Ben did lots of tv stuff like Casualty and Inspector Lewis, before landing the Shameless role as baddie of the year. You get the feeling he's well enjoying it.
"I also did two episodes of Wire In The Blood, playing a serial killer" he smiles "It was good fun getting into that…"
Boooooo….hisssssssss
For Shameless Part 1 click here http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=81
For Shameless Part 2 click here http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=84
For Shameless Part 4 click here http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=96
For Shameless Part 5 click here http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=125
For Shameless Part 6 click here http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=126
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