Interviews An Interview with Ian Hanmore by DJ Forrest

Hi Ian, you play mostly characters who only appear in a handful of episodes, is this by choice? Have you ever wanted to play characters who have a longer onscreen presence?

Ian: No, not by choice, that’s what I’m offered.

Although short roles, they are memorable roles, such as Game of Thrones as Pyat Pree and Doctor Who as Father Angelo - what interests you about characters such as these?

Ian: These are fun characters to play. It’s particularly nice if your directors trust you enough to make something unusual of them as was the case with both these jobs. Angelo very controlled and Pyat slightly unhinged!

During the fight scenes in Tooth & Claw (2007) in the courtyard, did you have training from a fight choreographer, and did you also do any of the acrobatic performances like the other 'monk' characters?

Ian: I was given great instruction by Dave Forman in the use of the staff and although I didn’t do any aerial stuff, I had an arranged fight with veteran stuntman Tony van Silva which was also repeated by an experienced martial artist double. The two versions were then intercut - which you’ll spot if you slomo! Pleased to say most of my stuff was used - great fun all round!!

Were your stage roles as big as your characters in film and television, or as memorable as those in the above and Outlander?

Ian: I’m most proud of having played Mohammed Mossadeq, the democratically elected PM of Iran who was deposed in a CIA plotted coup in 1953 in Wildcat Theatre’s 2009 production The Fall of the Peacock Throne, an exciting piece of theatre exposing a disturbing event and the US’s first “Black Op”.

Also very much enjoyed taking the role of Danforth in the National Theatre of Scotland’s first touring production of Miller’s, The Crucible.

Were you a fan of Doctor Who before you took the role of Father Angelo? If so, who was your Doctor, growing up and who still is your Doctor?

Ian: Oh yeah! William Hartnell in the sixties, Tom Baker in the seventies and David Tennant in the noughties. Loving Jody Whittaker’s now!

Have you voiced any characters for Doctor Who or Torchwood for Big Finish Audios?

Ian: No, would love to though!

What productions are you currently involved with and can you share anything with us at the moment?

Ian: Nothing at the mo although I filmed a couple of episodes of the yet to be aired Prime series “Carnival Row”, playing another cleric (!) Master Thorne.

Can you tell us anything about your character, Master Thorne and about the series? Is it set in the US or the UK?

Ian: It’s set in an alternate reality London. I filmed it in the Invalidovna, an impressive disused military sanatorium in Prague.

Have you voiced any video game characters?

Ian: No.

Although your IMDB credit list only lists your acting roles, have you ever worked behind the camera, as writer, director, producer?

Ian: No

Is there a role out there that you would love to play above all others?

Ian: Yes, the next one!

There are a lot of photos that depict life in London in the height of the 50s and 60s, with fashion and the music scene, but what was it like growing up and living in Edinburgh at that time? Were you a trend setter?

Ian: I was quite hairy back in the day and hauled before the Headmaster on a number of occasions for infringements of dress, cheeky English Compositions etc. Happy days...

Do you still live in Edinburgh or visit as often, if you don't?

Ian: Live there.

Between rests in filming, how do you relax?

Ian: Five grandchildren - no relaxing! And I write and record music as I’ve always done - secretively!

I understand that acting is a hard profession and not one to be taken lightly, so naturally, you'd need to be able to keep the wolf from the door during the quiet spells in between programmes/productions - what jobs have you taken while waiting for the next acting gig to come along?

Ian: Car delivery and hospital filing.

What book are you reading at the moment?

Ian: Dickens’s Little Dorrit

How did you get into acting and who was your role model growing up?

Ian: Mid-life crisis, dead end job. Guess I did want to act as a child. Loved Peter O’Toole, Malcolm McDowall. Got laughed out of the Career’s Masters office for mentioning my ambition. Cue puberty (and a beckoning life as a rock star) followed in due course by my disillusioned thirties.

Are you a method actor?

Ian: No. Read a bit of Mamet got a bit interested while studying acting skills at tech college in 93/94 but never really bought into it, prefer acting intuitively (all I really can do actually).

Have you ever 'corpsed' during rehearsals, or during a take? A fit of the giggles that just won't settle?

Ian: I’ve had my moments but none are standing out. Funny old game though...Feel lucky to have stayed with it so far.

Thank you, Ian, for a truly wonderful interview

Headshot photo courtesy of Margaret MacDonald