Interview: Rupert Procter

When you speak to Rupert Proctor, you get the distinct feeling he has an interesting past. He played the lead as an alcoholic in Chris Cooke’s cinema debut One for the Road, alongside a crew of Nottingham-based actors. This was a brave move considering he is a reformed drug and booze addict himself.

Rupert also starred as a sleazy journalist in the Notting Hill and now has a host of TV roles behind him (from Peak Practice to Ruth Rendall), but spends much of his time in Nottingham these days. We caught up with him to chat about staying on the wagon and his interesting evening work…

How did you get into acting?
I lost my father when I was twelve and it sent shockwaves through my life until my late twenties. I lost touch with everything positive in my life due to drug and alcohol abuse. During that time it was simply a matter of survival. In January 1990 I had a physical and mental breakdown and was taken to a clinic where they helped me deal with the sadness and grief. Through talking to my doctor I realised just how blessed my childhood was. Acting was at the root of it all and I was encouraged to rediscover that part of me. I ended up getting an unconditional offer from the Bristol Old Victoria acting school. It felt like I was supposed to be there and was very cathartic.

My tutor, Rudi Shelley (who also taught Daniel Day Lewis and Peter O’Toole) knew I didn’t have the means to pay the tuition fees and helped organise a consortium to fund my acting. Sixty four people helped me get through acting school, one of which was Sir Anthony Hopkins, who paid one term’s tuition a year for three years. I got to thank him in person at Rudi’s 85th birthday and told him I’d buy him lunch to show my appreciation. I have still yet to do that!

How do you approach a role and get into character?
I read the script as a whole piece and see what it does to my imagination. Hopefully it will make sense and I will believe I can bring the character to life. When this happens I get excited, it’s like an instinct; if it’s present then I’m interested. Then, I’ll think very deeply about the character, especially their voice. I think of it as their soul and once you find it, they inhabit you. After this it’s discovering their behaviour and then physical traits such as how they walk and other mannerisms they may have.

What film has provided you with the most fulfilling and personal experience?
I find every role I play to be fulfilling in a certain way. That said there are roles that are harder to play than others. One for the Road really brought up ghosts of my past. The scariest thing was that I had been capable of it all earlier in my life. It made me appreciate the fact that I was sober and gave me perspective on the error of my ways. I am very proud of that film and of Chris Cooke for his tenacity. He brought a group together for the first time and it became an artistic family. He had to take several knock backs, so when it was finally given the green light there was a tremendous sense of anticipation. It was an extraordinary experience. I had the chance to work with some very talented actors. Mark Devenport and Greg Chisholm are both Nottingham-based and were awesome. Hywel Bennett (Eastenders and Shelley) was the other lead actor. He was brilliant and I learned lots from him on and around set.

Tell me about your ‘day job’
I work nights in a mental health ward, so it doesn’t conflict with acting jobs. As I’ve been through trauma, I really wanted to help others in a similar situation. When I started this job, I realised I cared about other people and wanted to develop that element of myself. A key part of my job is to observe the behaviour of the patients, and write a report about their physical and mental state, which is much like studying a character for a film or theatre. I believe I have a lot to offer the patients I work with.

What do you think to the filmmaking scene in Nottingham?
There’s nowhere else like it outside of London. The whole community has a real family feel. There is so much talent in the region, it’s an artistic hub. There are obviously the likes of Shane Meadows and Chris Cooke who are already successful, but there’s also a lot of emerging talent to back them up. I especially like Simon Ellis and see him achieving great things in the not so distant future.

What aspirations do you have for the future?
Mark Devenport and I are writing a sitcom together. It’s very exciting and challenging as I’m normally just faced with one aspect of a script (i.e. my character) and getting a performance. But now I have to consider every element. We’re trying to produce a pilot and make six episodes after that.

What are you favourite places in Nottingham?
The homes of Mark Davenport, Dena Smiles, Intermedia and Broadway. Plus a café called Tramwiches. Mark and I have had many productive discussions over the excellent breakfasts in there.

Finally, do you have anything to say to aspiring actors?
Dare to believe in yourself. If anyone tells you that dreams don’t come true you can tell them “Fuck off. Love, Rupert.”