On Friday he was speaking in the voice of solidarity to support SAG-AFTRA and the strike theyre on.
It feels like a really important point and moment in our industry.
In fact, hes a member of that organization too, and hes actually on strike as well.
Tobias Menzies and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ & Menzies as Prince Philip in ‘The Crown’Everett/Netflix
Theyre not shooting with any SAG actors, so Im stood down, he told me.
Brad is on strike too, he added.
Im not able to work, and thats right and proper.
Tobias Menzies at the Equity rally in London in support of the SAG-AFTRA strike (Baz Bamigboye/Deadline)
… Thats what unions are about.
Its about the collective and the group, not the individual.
Its a necessary fight, he continued, as he raised a fist.
Id recognized Menzies in an instant because Im familiar with his everyday look.
The glasses, short-sleeved shirt,chinos, sometimes worn with a blazer.
I spot him in theater foyers all over town.
Kinnocks sitting three tables behind Menzies, but hes facing me.
Later we giggle like schoolboys about the sighting.
When she hears about it … well, you’re able to imagine.
It comes down to trust.
when you want it.
But those people are quite hard to come by, arent they those people you really trust?
And its like, Its OK .What are you going to do?
How do you navigate it?
It must be hard in your job, he said.
Trust has been established, so I tell him about the disappointing stage revival Id watched the previous evening.
I like that he didnt pounce on my tale with any evident glee.
He asks constructive questions as we have a go at fathom why the piece hadnt worked.
I remember being blown away by that original production.
It was so fine, he says admiringly.
He was working as an usher at the National Theater at the time.
With his posh-sounding accent, its easy to assume that he might come from an aristocratic monied background.
His laugh instantly dispelled that notion.
Im sort of no-money, hippie London scene.
His father was a radio producer at the BBC.
I mean, 70s London was a pretty alternative place.
And my parents were definitely in the middle of all of that.
There was a lot of books and a lot of theater and a lot of music.
But no, there was often not much money around.
It was pretty formative, and I had a great time in it, he tells me.
He was the beneficiary of a grant that paid his fees when he won a place at RADA.
And if that hadnt been the case, I wouldnt have been able to get in.
I wouldnt have been able to go.
And if thats the case, I think thats a loss.
It keeps you honest, he says, smiling.
You know the worth of a pound.
No, cleaning is a very honorable profession, he adds.
Its like, you sort of get it done.
The comedy in Holofceners film is really rooted and not performative.
And so it was really fun to change.
There were cameras in cars trying to create the thrill of the race.
Theres still a lot he has to learn about screen acting, he says.
And I want to keep learning.
Menzies enjoyed working with Louis-Dreyfus.
That was really impressive, to see her, how she does it.
It played at Londons Almeida Theatre in the summer of 2019, directed by Rupert Goold (Judy).
So, we might try and bring that back, he said hopefully.
