Here at FemaleFirst we have always known that Noel Clarke was a bit of a talented chap with the likes of Kidulthood, which he wrote, and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Doctor Who under his belt but it seems that Bafta also recognised this as he finds himself nominated of the Rising Star Award.
And 2008 has been a great year for thirty three year old with a return to Doctor Who as well as topping the UK box office with Adulthood, which he starred in, wrote and directed. I caught up with him to talk about his nomination and his very busy last twelve months.
First of all congratulations on the Bafta Rising Star nomination how does it feel?
Thank you. it's a great honour to be nominated for a Bafta because they are some of the biggest awards in the world, and while you can't really define your career by awards it's nice to be recognised by your peers and the industry, and hopefully the public will come out and support that.
This award recognises talent and ambitions so what are these ambitions for you?
My ambitions are what they have always been really and that is to work in the industry that I love and work as hard as I can I'm not interested in the fame or anything like that I just want to work and that has always been my ambition.
I want to make stuff that I like, stuff that causes debate and isn't just popcorn movies but actually has people coming out going I didn't like that because or I liked that because, and that's important to me really.
And what do you think of the other nominees Rebecca Hall and Toby Kebbell, it's a very strong British contingent this time?
Yeah the other nominees are great, it's really weird for me because I have seen Rebecca Hall's last two films and Michael Cera's movies and Michael Fassbender's films and Toby Kebbell's films and they seem on such a different level and I feel the real underdog.
All those actor's works have been worldwide recognised and my stuff has been mostly UK stuff that they seem on such a different level that it just makes it that much more of an honour to be in that category and that James McAvoy and all the others on the jury, from the 270 people they had originally, I'm just thankful that I got into the five. I would have been in the 270, it was worldwide, but to get into the top five is amazing.
Adulthood was a big movie for you last year writer, actor and director how was that for you?
It was definitely a challenge but it was something that I had to do. I have worked hard for a lot of years starting in acting then I got into writing and when it came up and I was offered to direct Adulthood as well, although I wrote it I wasn't supposed to direct it, but when the Film Council asked me if I wanted to do it and I just thought it was an opportunity and I've always tried to take opportunities and make the most of them.
I always thought that in five years time that I would direct but my wife was like 'in five years time you might not be in the position to direct you have got to take the opportunity,' and she was right, which she will love (laughs). All men listen to your wives.
And what was it like taking on the responsibility of being in the director's chair?
Very difficult I mean you have to love what you do because it's a stress if you don't and I love it so much it's all I have wanted to do. Sitting in the director's chair, I think sometimes people think that all directors do is shout cut and talk to actors, but every single decision goes through you down to what trainers the guy is wearing.
It was a challenge and it was very difficult but it was something, through the hard work that I had done in the past, that I believed was possible. Anything is possible and that is what we were trying to say to young people with the film and although there are harsh moments in the film the real subject behind it was that those that made the film were from these backgrounds and if you work hard enough then good things can happen.
And both films do tackle knife crime and gangs why did you feel that that topic would be good for a movie?
It's not that I felt the topic was good for movies the first one I wrote because I thought it was relevant and they create debate, which is what the first movie definitely did. Some press said that it was glamorising knife crime but it wasn't it was a warning saying this is happening so pay attention.
Two years later the reason I think that all the talk of glamorising has died down is because, unfortunately, the film was actually right and teenagers are in a state that they shouldn't be.
If Kidulthood, and I have said this before, was reflective of some of the damage young people were doing then hopefully Adulthood is the beginning of the repair because the film is about being able to walk away and go and do something positive and that is what Adulthood is about.
You penned both scripts so how does the writing process work for you?
It stars with me in a morning on the couch after just coming back from the gym, probably just in my boxers, with a laptop on my lap and me just writing. I just have load of ideas and if I have an idea I will sit down and try and turn it into a story, whether they become movies that everyone sees or whether they just stay on my laptop it doesn't matter.
So how did you go about transforming Sam from villain in Kidulthood to more of an anti-hero in Adulthood?
Obviously it was intentional but at the end of film two you don't have to like him, I don't think that everyone should like him because he still did what he did, but I think you have to respect the fact that the character is trying to change and be a better person.
People who do do bad things and come out of those establishments feel that they have no choice but to fall back into it again and I think if you are truly sorry and try to change then they should be given that opportunity. In the film it shows that he is truly sorry and I think that if you have learnt your lesson and you really want to change then you should be given that opportunity.
Adulthood topped the UK box office toppling The Incredible Hulk how were you by the film's success?
I was very surprised, I wish you could see me now I'm just sat in a cafe, I'm just a normal guy who loves his job. But I suppose people just understood what we were trying to do with that film, and I appreciate that there were scenes and moments in the film that you wouldn't want to see happen, but those things do happen in real life I didn't just make them up but I think that the message of stop doing it and walk away resonated with people and that's why people went to see it.
And there are some that dismissed it as a small 'urban audience' but for it to get to the top of the box office, get three times it's budget and for it to recoup it's budget on the opening weekend says that there is a lot more than just an 'urban audience' that want to see it, and actually it's quite a few people who want to see what is going on in their city and see how they can help stop it.
And you have worked in both television and movies how do they compare. Is there any that you prefer?
I just love my job and I love acting I do acting, writing, directing. TV is a lot quicker you have less time on TV, sometimes on a low budget film it can be quick. I enjoy them both really but I suppose the difference is, where I have written and or directed, is I have a lot more say in what happens whereas in TV I'm working for other people, which isn't a problem, actually it can be quite liberating to have no other responsibilities then just saying your lines. Some of the TV stuff that I have done have been some of the best jobs of my life and have been really successful shows.
Well that leads me into my next question you are best known for the role of Mickey Smith in Doctor Who so how was your whole Who experience?
My Who experience was fantastic! I had just come from Auf Wiedersehen, Pet which had come back after eighteen, and I was like 'well how do you top a show like that?' And then all of a sudden I was getting cast in Doctor Who and I was like 'this is how you top it'.
Doctor Who was amazing and a lot of people were like 'oh it's going to be all shaky sets and nonsense' and I guess Chris, Billie, Camille and myself I suppose many would say that we were taking a gamble.
You can either jump on at the beginning or you jump on a band wagon and we all read Russell's scripts and we wanted to be part of it, for me it was never a risk because I had loved Doctor Who when I was young and it coming back I would never have not wanted to have been a part of it.
It has done very well and a lot of people have jumped on the band wagon but that's fine (laughs) they can do that but I was there at the beginning.
People love the show and I love the show, even when I'm not in it I watch it, I think it's one of the best shows on television and it has made us think and inspire a lot of shows that have broadened our imaginations like Primeval and Demons and Torchwood television is coming alive.
And what do you think of David Tennnant's replacement Matt Smith?
Yes Mr Smith well I'm ecstatic there was a lot of speculation about people and names were flying around and he came out of nowhere, probably not to the powers that be they had him tucked up their sleeves for a while, but to the general public and indeed to myself.
I think that it's great! It reminds me of when Buffy first came out and it was this teenage girl fighting these demons and everyone went' this isn't going to work' and it went on to become one of the biggest shows on TV.
And since Doctor Who came back with Chris and then David and now Matt they have got steadily younger, and I'm not saying that next time he should be a teenager in a school uniform, but it's great that young people have a dynamic Doctor instead of the old days, apart from Peter Davidson, they were all older men. And I can't wait to see who is the assistant and all that malarkey.
Finally what is next for you?
I have got two films coming out this year at some point one with Jim Sturgess, he's quite well liked by the ladies apparently, called Heartless it's kind of a thrillery, horror type thing. And then another fella is liked by the ladies, but for different reasons I guess, Danny Dyer, he was in Adulthood, the film is called Doghouse. And obviously I'm just writing new stuff for myself so it's all good.
The Bafta Awards take place on 8th February.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
The Orange Rising Star Award is voted for by the public to vote for:
Michael Cera - text CERA to 82058
Noel Clarke - text CLARKE to 82058
Michael Fassbender - text FASSBENDER to 82058
Rebecca Hall - text HALL to 82058
Toby Kebbell - text KEBBELL to 82058
or visit the Orange website orange.co.uk/bafta to register your vote.
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