As far as hes concerned, youre not an actor when youre sort of political.
Lowden cites Ian Macdonald, the campaigning attorney he portrayed in Steve McQueensSmall Axe: Mangrove.
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But that is absolutely not why I take jobs.
Jack Lowden as Kenneth Noye in The GoldBBC/Tannadice Pictures/Sally Mais
Everybodys entitled to their opinion, but people get annoyed when actors give their views, Lowden adds.
I think Steve is my favorite director and I had heard about the way he worked with actors.
And I know that if anyone is going to make me a better actor its someone like him.
The Gold. Credit: Tannadice Pictures, Sally Mais
He did make me better.
Hes sincere in his beliefs about thespians.
I always want to respect acting as a skilled profession because thats what it is.
The more interesting thing for me was that he was sort of a chameleon.
He had this charm and got on with everybody, says Lowden.
I found a lot of the script very, very funny, says the actor admiringly.
Lawrence Gough(Gatecrash, The Last Bus) directed three ofThe Goldepisodes.
and Tom Cullen (BecomingElizabeth).
Lowden tells us that he relished playing the notorious crook Noye and refuses to judge his moral vacuity.
Im playing the guy on the page and its not really my business what peoples perceptions of him are.
Its to provoke you into thinking, Christ, what is it I actually believe in?
It was so bizarre and very different to what Ive played in the past.
Yes, its brash but its tastefully brash, he adds.
The trainer, says Lowden, gave him an understanding of presence and of how Noye should carry himself.
It was quite fascinating to learn about presence in the terms of when someones been in the ring.
Lowden remembers training for wrestling comedyFighting with My Familywhere he was hurled around a wrestling ring by Florence Pugh.
I was on set for that main event.
Another key aspect of creating Noye was the shit ton of hair.
That was a lot of hair.
And that includes some of the Cockney slang.
In one scene he tells an associate to lose that syrup.
Answers on a postcard if you know the answer to that.
Dont wanna wait that long?
Remember, its Cockney rhyming slang.
Lemon squeezy: easy.
Forsyth undercuts the darkness, the grime and the threat in the tale with humor.
Lowden meets the razor-sharp wit with a willing funny bone.
The part won him an Olivier award.
It was the same with Terence Davies filmBenediction, where he portrayed Siegfried Sassoon.
Im just constantly trying to find the funny moments.
He was glued toOnly Fools and Horses, which helped with his portrayal of Noye, andFawlty Towers.
I watched them all it was almost like a comfort blanket, every night.
I couldnt watch aMidsomer Murders, for Christs sake, because I found it too serious and scary.
Later he relates some of the giggles he shared with Dorothy Atkinson onThe Goldset.
Ive loved her since seeing her inMum.
TheSlow Horsesseries is based on Mick Herrons acclaimed series of novels.
Season 3 is already wrapped and will stream later in the year.
The fourth shoots in three and a half weeks.
Lowden has plenty to occupy himself with until start date.
They met on director Josie Rourkes Working Title filmMary Queen of Scots.
Once theyd watched Fingscheidts 2019 filmSystem Crasherwe knew she was the best fit.
Its about improving my knowledge, and Saoirse is exactly the same.
Theyre developing other pictures and plan to announce a new film project soon.
You dont see them in nightclubs or any of the restaurants, where bold-faced names regularly hang out.
As he prepares to scoot away I mention that Im allergic to gold.
Hes not but hes also not an expert.
The Goldstarts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on February 12.
