Burn Up
Marc Warren plays Philip Crowley
Can you explain the character of Philip Crowley and how he fits into the
drama?
Phillip works for the Government; his exact role is kind of ambiguous – he
could be an advisor or fixer of some kind, or a minister without portfolio,
which means that he has no particular office.
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He is sent to Calgary
by the Prime Minister ultimately to get the USA to sign up to Kyoto 2 at the
Calgary conference.
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He's manipulative, witty, well-connected and very
good at his job. He's not a committed environmentalist, he's just doing
his job.
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Have you worked with Rupert before?
We'd met at a party before, but he heads up Spooks and I do my bit on
Hustle, so it was like a meeting of the two different shows really.
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We got
on really well; as soon as I landed in Calgary, Rupert left a message for me to arrange meeting up
and we went on to spend three days in the Rockies, which was extraordinary.
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Has filming Burn Up changed your opinions on global warming?
I've never been much of a political animal and I would say that I was very ignorant of global
warming, so reading the script was alarming and terrifying and that only increased after watching An
Inconvenient Truth – my knowledge has increased by 100%.
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If what they say is true, then it's terrifying.
It's almost impossible for the mind to comprehend, so I think it chooses not to. I recycle already, but
I've certainly become more mindful than I was!
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What are the differences of filming in Canada as opposed to England?
I think the main difference is the climate and you can see the Rockies – can't really see those from
London. I saw a coyote the other day whilst I was eating my dinner.
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Generally, as an actor, you turn
up on set, get your make up done, go on set and say your lines, so it's much the same wherever
you're filming. Scenically though, Canada is beautiful.
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You're quite diverse in your choice of parts, can you talk about your style and how you approach a
role?
I just turn up and get on with it really. I try not to get in the way too much. Of late I try to be as
relaxed as possible. When I relax, more things happen and things flow better.
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I've never thought of
acting as rocket science – you put on the costume, get your hair cut and that's it really.
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I started off
in my career in quite serious roles and then went into a bit of comedy, now I seem to do a mix of the
two.
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How have you found working with Bradley Whitford?
I'm really impressed with Bradley – he's class. He's someone that I was nervous about working with –
so I made sure that I really learnt my lines!
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Bradley is a fantastic actor and he has a real freedom and
it's great when you get challenged like that, it's a real learning process.
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I did 24 episodes of Hustle,
but it pales into insignificance compared to his seven years on The West Wing. Working with that class
of actor really pushes you.
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Marc's television credits include Hustle, Messiah V: The Rapture, Oliver Twist, Hogfather, Dracula, Doctor Who, Life On Mars, Ballet Shoes, The Vice and Band Of Brothers.
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His recent feature film credits
include roles in Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story, Green Street, Land Of The Blind, The Lives Of The
Saints and, most recently, Wanted alongside Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.
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JP3/PPR
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