Interviews Paul Kasey by DJ Forrest

Paul Kasey born 5 August 1973 is an accomplished actor, dancer and gymnast and stands at 5’11”. 

Most people will know him from the creatures he’s played on Doctor Who from the Auton, Coffa of Forest of Cheem, Slitheen, Zu-Zana, Clockwork Droid, Cyber Controller, Cybermen, Whisper Men, Ood, Ood Sigma, Pig Slave, Host, Hath Peck, Judoon, Sorvin, Robot Santas, Wooden Queen to the Nephew in ‘The Doctor’s Wife’. 

Yet Paul has appeared in a lot of other character roles including the Weevil, Janet, and the Blowfish in Torchwood. 

In Sarah Jane Adventures has appeared as various Slitheen characters, Shansheeth, Red Robot, Metalkind, Judoon, The Dark Rider, Kudlak, Ukodni Emperor, and The Mistress. 

Paul has also appeared in Being Human as the werewolf and has appeared as the Fox in the Foxy Bingo adverts.

Out of all of those roles that Paul has taken, it’s the role of the weevil that I love the most, even though if I’m honest if I ever met one in the street I’d want to quickly run in the opposite direction, but I am also fascinated by the sheer animatronics that goes into a creature such as the weevil. 

Recently Project: Torchwood had the opportunity of putting some questions to Paul about his role as the weevil and his other character roles.

Interview with Paul Kasey

When we think of acting, the general consensus is, you’re playing a character, but people see your face, how did you get into character acting in the roles that you portray, how did that come about?

Paul: I suppose you could say it was a series of events and castings that led me to playing the character roles I have over the years.

What was the first ever role you played and had you started out as an actor?

Paul:  I originally trained to be an all round performer not just solely an actor. The first ever character role I played of which included the wearing of full prosthetics was a “Reaper” on Blade 2.

You’ve played quite a number of characters both in Doctor Who and in Torchwood, what is the hardest costume to get into and be made up into?

Having seen the preparation involved in putting a characters head together, the moulding, the time you sit in the chair being made up, how long does the process take from start to finish?

Paul: None of the costumes are hard to get into its more about the length of time that might be required; it can range from 15-20 minutes to 3-4 hours

I know from being made up into a zombie the time scale sitting in make-up can vary between varying levels of ‘decay’ but it is something different when you’re wearing a full costume, does this limit you when you’re on a break between takes, in how much you dare eat or drink, knowing you maybe can’t take a toilet break? 

Paul: All the costumes are made with this in mind, with some of the costumes I have worn parts may have to be taken off first before we venture to the bathroom.

How many other roles have you played when you’ve been in full monster make up?  Or are the monsters listed above the only creatures you’ve played?

Paul: Over the years I have had the pleasure of playing many different character roles but I`m not sure exactly how many.

Other than Doctor Who and Torchwood have you ever featured in any other production? 

Paul: Yes I`ve been lucky enough to appear in other TV productions, films and commercials. The character that most people talk to me about is the dancing fox on the “Foxy bingo” adverts.  

Are you involved in Wizards Vs Aliens at all?

Paul: I`ve not yet been asked to work on the children’s TV programme called “Wizards Vs Aliens”, but I do hope in the future that I might be considered for a role.

When you’re not working what do you do to relax?

Paul: I enjoy going to the cinema, spending time with my cats and pottering in my garden.  

The weevils are my favourite alien creature in Torchwood.  Although I know a fair amount of the movement in the face would come from animatronics, how much are you given in scope for ‘acting like a weevil’? I’m aware you’d be choreographed such as with the cybermen having viewed that on Confidential, but when the weevils are running, it must put a lot more pressure on you not to run ‘like a human’.

Paul: The performance the puppeteers give to the animatronics along with the physical characterisation of any role, go hand in hand. When playing these types of roles like a Weevil in Torchwood I get to think about all the characteristics and mannerisms that the creature may have. So when it comes to the shooting of any scene that the Weevil was a part of I would just react in the way a Weevil should.

When you were chasing after Jack and Owen up the car park, how many weevils were actually involved in that shoot?

Paul: To be honest I can’t remember how many Weevils there were on the day we were shooting the car park scene.

It looks a very active job and one I’d love to get involved in with being made up inside a creature, it must look fantastic as well as a little scary seeing your face made up like that, and how much is involved and how much prosthetics have adapted over the years as far as creature acting is concerned – how much does it affect your everyday living, I mean in the sense you must have to watch what you eat, and being in a certain position for certain creatures must strain muscles considerably like an athlete always using one part of the body more than the other.  How do you stay in trim?

Paul: I enjoy watching other people’s reactions to what I look like as this is a good indicator to how scary I look. I like to keep as fit and healthy as I possibly can because my job at times requires that of me. I`m lucky that over the years I`ve been able to eat anything and my shape has not changed in the slightest. Some roles are more physical than others but I feel as long as you stay in trim and make sure you have a good stretch out then you are less likely to strain any muscle.

If Torchwood returned and to its roots or as close to its roots as it could do and there was a need for a return of the weevil, would you reprise your role?

Paul: I couldn’t possibly resist the chance to play the Weevil again if it was to come about.

When I used to roleplay I used to have an account for a Weevil, and he was the only talking weevil in existence, of course we know that that would never really happen in real, but he was basic in his speech, going by the fact that certain letters would be hard to say given the movement of their mouth.  How much movement do you have with the weevil mouth in order to be able to speak if you had to?

Paul: If at some point a talking Weevil was required then an animatronics head would be built with this in mind. The original Weevils mouth was made to snarl and I controlled the opening and closing of it.

Questions from the fans

Kirsty Price, Pauline Howard and Katie Louise Brock asks:  What is your favourite character to play?

Paul: Hi Kirsty, Pauline and Katie. I find choosing just one favourite character out of all the ones I`ve played one of the hardest questions to answer as they are all my favourites but for different reasons.

Echo Fain : I would never have guessed such a handsome and interesting face was under that mask. When you do the physical characterizations, are you also doing the voice of those characters are you the voice of a judoon, a cyberman, a weevil?

Paul: Thanks Echo Fain for your question. More often than not I do the voices or dialogue when we are on set filming but later on the actual voice gets recorded and laid over mine.

Claudia Lindner What was your absolute favourite TW episode with an alien that you’ve played?  Are you currently working on any new project that you can share with us?

Paul: Cheers Claudia Linder for both of your questions. I`m finding it impossible to choose just one TV episode as my favourite as when I think I have found it I think of another and so on. I have been working on new projects and to find out what they might be you will have to keep your eyes peeled to your TV screen in the next few months.

Jackie McNaughton asks:  How hard was it to get coordinated with all the other cybermen to march like that? I know you had a choreographer but it must have been hard with a big old suit on and limited vision.

Paul: Jackie as you have already mentioned we had a rehearsal period with a choreographer for the movement of the Cybermen her name is Ailsa Berk. All the guys and I by the end of the rehearsal period had covered every base and all the different things that we might be required to do within the scenes. In the past when there have been performers playing the same characters in the same scenes it is imperative that at times we are completely in sync. This is achieved by having the choreographer on set with us along with the knowledge we have gained from the rehearsal period, this is how we achieve the shots that are required.