So the day started badly when I received news of the death of Anton Rodgers. This was as unexpected as it was heartbreaking. I had really connected with Anton when we worked together on "You Can Choose Your Friends" earlier this year. He was not only a skilled and subtle actor, but a charming and lovable man. The warmth you got off him when you saw him on screen was there in real life too and we had so much fun on and off camera. He had been so supportive to me and the whole project throughout and was incredibly game. The script called for him to do a lot of demanding work, but it took it all in his stride, even though it must have been pretty tough for him spending hours in a water tank or sitting in a pond. There was such a wonderful atmosphere between the whole cast and for that month or so of work we did bond into something resembling a family and Anton and Julia were for a short time like a mum and dad to me. So this made things even more poignant. But mainly I have lost a friend.
Anton had always been very happy to talk about his career and I had been excited to talk to him about his appearance as number 2 in the Prisoner, but you just have to read any of
the obituaries to see just how much he did over the last five decades. As sad as this news has made me, I am at least grateful that I got to meet this remarkable and kind man and incredibly proud to have had him make one of his final appearances in something I had written.
I didn't get much time to take it all in as I had a very busy day working on the rehearsals and recording of the last two episodes of TWTTIN. This was a bit of a blessing on a blue day and it was only when I had a few moments to stop and think about things.
Luckily everyone else was in a good mood and we worked hard and came up with some funny stuff. The end of the last show was making Emma and me laugh so much that tears were flowing down our cheeks. It was good to be able to laugh, but a release as well.
And the shows went really, really well, despite the usual last minute nature of the writing. It is another great team working on this show and I think we were all aware that this was likely to be the last time we were together for this and this meant we enjoyed it to the full. We went to Nandos for lunch which has become a mini tradition for the cast and the thing that we're all looking forward to from the minute we start work in the morning. This isn't a bad job really is it? Working with friends, making new friends, laughing with friends. And it felt appropriate that life and the show were going on. Anton would have liked that. I just hope I've got another three decades in this stupid wonderful profession.
It was a long recording, but definitely the best of the series and the audience went for almost everything and we messed around and took the piss out of each other and said stuff that we knew wouldn't go on. It was a skittish, end of term atmosphere and I really loved it.
Afterwards we went to the bar for a drink and inevitably had a bit of a dip, not just because of all the things I was thinking about, but because I was tired from all the hard work. But I got through it and we had a fine time, saying our goodbyes at the end of three series together. Though there were slight murmurings that a TV version might be a possibility, so maybe it's not quite the end.
Still if that happens I will ditch all the other losers and get some proper actors and musicians in! Wouldn't want any of them to think that I might miss them. Ha ha!
