FilmDaddy talk to Johnny Vegas

This may be the most surreal interview I have ever done, and possibly the funniest too. Just as I am finishing up my interview with Abigail and Richard from Tales from the Lodge, Johnny comes in like a force of nature. He comes to me and shakes my hand and introduces himself, and instantly starts talking to me like an old friend asking about my family and if I am doing ok. He asks me what I am drinking and orders me two…..just in case one gets stolen by a bear or something! After ten minutes of sitting and chatting with everyone around he looks towards me and says “SHIT! Sorry you are meant to be interviewing me, I will shut me gob and you crack on pal”…………..

Film Daddy – So Johnny, what would you say if you were selling this film to somebody?

Johnny Vegas – I would say, creatively it is one of the most ostentatious projects I have ever been involved in. Handing over aspects to the film to the cast involved, the dynamics on set between all of us was brilliant, but then to go off and make your own film within a film is something that attracted all of us to it. But don’t put us all in a room together as we will all go “really? You went for that cut?!” *laughs* But it was the coldest shoot I have ever been on, I got hypothermia! My hands felt like they were on fire but we were stood by a lake, I was like an X-man! *laughs* It was cold because you found out you couldn’t use one heater because it was throwing out the lighting for the D.O.P, and then you cant use a fan heater because the sound department are going mad. Rich (Wiley, producer of Tales from the Lodge) brought 18 different heaters for the set and guess what…NONE OF THEM WORKED! *laughs*

FD – So the film you directed within the film, with quite possibly the greatest mullet ever to be on screen do you have any plans to make it into something more?

JV - *points at hair* Just wait til this bad boy fluffs up *laughs* I think I did the most extensive research in terms of locations, because I went out for the day where we shot and there was an argument between the two religious workingman’s clubs, I ended up in one playing bingo…this isn’t a lie….gathering extras and walking around taking pictures. And, I don’t mean any offence but you know when you look at somewhere and you go “This doesn’t need any set dressing for a zombie apocalypse” and even the locals were going “You got loads of Zombies around here” *laughs* So I ended up playing bingo and explaining I was going to be coming back for a few days filming, and they were so up for it.

FD – Your show Ideal, which I think is criminally underrated by people had rumours of a film being made. Can you tell us anything about that?

JV – We were working on a film, but the people responsible for it got taken over and it was shelved. We are working on a live show for it, but people are, and I don’t get this worried about the subject matter and it isn’t about that it’s about the characters and how these people are forced together who wouldn’t normally spend time together. (Ideal is a show where Johnny plays a drug dealer and the show centres around his flat and the people and friendships formed there) I would love to finish the story, so a live show is the way forward

FD – thanks for talking to us Johnny and best of luck in that live show.

At this point I give Johnny the obligatory Film Daddy sticker and he says “Filmdaddy.com?? Sounds like a man in a bush! Filmdaddy.com he is watching you….touching….sorry mate I got carried away, I love you!”  And with that I left laughing and wondering what had just happened, but Johnny Vegas is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met and certainly gives a great interview!