Interviews Ceri Mears aka Banksy - Day One by DJ Forrest

As Banksy did you have a lot of fun playing that character, albeit short scenes? 

Ceri: Yes!  It was great to work with such lovely people as Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, John Barrowman and Naoko Mori.  They really made me feel welcome.   The only problem was, we were shooting until 3am and I had a couple of very young children at the time so I was exhausted.  I fell asleep between takes on a couple of occasions!

What was your first acting role? 

Ceri: My first professional acting role was as a young boy who went off to fight for the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.  It was in a play called ‘No Other Way’.  After the first performance, a young lady thanked me for my performance and told me that she was the grand-daughter of the boy I had played.  It was quite an emotional moment!

You’re in a new film at the moment ‘One Chance’ can you tell us anything about it?  

Ceri: One Chance is the story of Paul Potts, who was the first winner of Britain’s Got Talent.  It’s got lots of great actors in it, including Colm Meaney, Julie Walters, Mackenzie Crook and James Corden.  It’s produced by Simon Cowell, but as far as I know, nobody tried to chuck any eggs at him this time!

If you were to play the lead in a production, who would you want as your leading lady or leading man? 

Ceri: Ooh tricky!  Probably either Eve Myles or Mackenzie Crook, because they are two of the friendliest people I have worked with.  They also like a good laugh!

What would be your dream role?

Ceri: When I was young I really wanted to play Dr Who, so now that Matt Smith has called it a day … you never know!

Have you ever been offered a script and thought ‘I’m not doing that’ and if so what was it? 

Ceri: Not really.  You get asked to do all sorts of strange things as an actor.  It’s one of the reasons I love the job.  I once had to pick cabbages in a field dressed as a French maid for a film.  There were workmen working nearby and every time I went on set they’d wolf-whistle me – I think they thought I was actually a woman!!!

Before you became an actor what jobs had you taken to keep the ‘wolf from the door’? 

Ceri: Taxi driver, bingo caller, cinema projectionist, laboratory assistant, pizza delivery, barman, shelf stacker and tax inspector!

Have you ever watched Torchwood since or before you took the role of ‘Banksy’? 

Ceri: Yes.  I really enjoy sci-fi, so I would have watched it whether I was in it or not.

Are you a super hero fan and if so who is your ultimate super hero? 

Ceri: I’m not a huge fan, but my favourite would have to be the Spiderman cartoons of the 70s.  I spent many a childhood evening playing Spidey in the back garden!

Other than acting have you been involved in any other part of film making, producer, director, writer, camera man? 

Ceri: No, although I did play a cameraman once.  I think that’s the nearest I’ll get to being ‘The other side of the lens’ as they say.

Thank you very much for the interview

Ceri: You’re very welcome.  Good luck and thanks for showing an interest in my career.  .