It’s one thing how people really responded to it emotionally. Having ruddy cottage pie with Elton John and David Furnish. One of them was answering the phone and a voice saying: “Hi Callum, this is Elton.” I was like: “Oh my gosh, what the fuck?” We went over to his house for dinner last Christmas. There are certain moments in my life I’ll never forget. It’s lovely the way it’s entered mainstream culture. Last weekend, I saw a whole gang wearing “La!” T-shirts. The medium of television goes straight into people’s living rooms and it’s magical. One of them even called me Colin! While we were making It’s a Sin, we felt like a family and the show belonged to us. The first time that lockdown lifted, I remember walking through Soho and three separate people came up in quick succession to talk about it.
When the show came out, the world was shut down. How did it feel making millions of people cry? There was no room for airs and graces - I just had to go there. Particularly the seizures, dementia and when he loses his dignity in front of his mother – I wanted to make sure that was told truthfully and felt visceral. I was very aware that it was based on real stories, on people that Russell knew, so it needed to be portrayed accurately. Howells with Neil Patrick Harris in It’s a Sin. It was brilliant to nibble on his ear about it. He also played Emcee on Broadway, so when Neil was over here filming Doctor Who recently, we had dinner and discussed the role. He couldn’t get over the way I said “beautiful” and made me say it about eight times. I don’t think he’d ever heard a South Wales valleys accent before.
CABARET EMCEE HOW TO
Not just in terms of acting but how to conduct myself and manage my time. Was your relationship similar off-screen?ĭefinitely. Neil Patrick Harris ’s character, the tailor Henry, was Colin’s mentor in the show. There’s no pretending, that’s just me being fucking petrified.” When I watch it back, I’m like: “Crikey, that’s real. I was red in the face from raw nerves and didn’t have to do any acting. I have a vivid memory of my first day being the scene where Colin’s in the Two Brewers, sitting in the corner, shaken up by seeing all these men kissing. How nervous were you, walking on to the set for the first time? Neil Patrick Harris couldn’t get over the way I said 'beautiful' and made me say it about eight times I worried I wasn’t ready but thought: “I’ve got to do this.” I gave it some welly and got the part. Not just that he’s Welsh but that he’s queer and on this journey. I was at the end of my second year when my agent said: “Russell T Davies is looking for a young Welsh character in his new series.” When I read Colin, I really connected with him. You were still at drama school when you read the It’s a Sin scripts. It’s usually just pop culture and reality TV! Me and Omari don’t normally talk about such deep things, trust me. Between the wars was a fascinating period for Germany, with the transition from the Weimar republic to Hitler’s rise to power. We’ve spoken a lot – not so much about our roles, more about the historical backdrop. Your It’s a Sin colleague Omari Douglas was in the Cabaret cast last year, playing Cliff Bradshaw. That’s the thing with this play, it provokes all sorts of mad ideas.
Earlier on, we were discussing the Emcee’s parallels with Dominic Cummings, which is the most ridiculous reference point. To make them have a good time but also subvert their expectations. In some ways, the role is there to shock and meddle with the audience. I have a lot of adrenaline at the moment. I’m excited about flipping that on its head. It’s a very different role from Colin in It’s a Sin, isn’t it?
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