A Chat with 'The Lord'
Saturday 9th February 2008

Last year, Philip Glenister and his mate, author and playwright, "Lord" Mendelson celebrated twenty years of friendship. Saturday evening, on the eve of Phil's birthday, he and the "Lord" got together for an evening of chat and a glass or two. philipglenister.com web-manager Gareth Hughes was there.

LORD: You've had quite a week. You must be exhausted... This week, you're probably the most famous man in Britain - after the Archbishop of Canterbury...

PHIL: (rolling his eyes) I'm shattered. We've had all the pre-publicity for "Ashes", radio, tv, and then I'm filming split shifts on "Van Helsing" [a new series for ITV1]. Evening and night shooting and then early mornings. That's like being permanantly jet-lagged; it's horrible.

LORD: You told me you were looking forward to going on Jonathan Ross. What was that like?

PHIL: Actually, it was great. I've been on his Radio 2 show a couple of times, so we kind of know each other a bit. The only trouble was I was so tired, I can hardly remember what happened. I had to watch it to remind myself what I said!

LORD: So straight from Van Helsing to the Beeb?

PHIL: Yeah, kind of. My brilliant driver, Darren Leen, who's been driving me since Cranford, picked me up and took me home to pick up the wife [actress Beth Goddard] and he got us there by 6.20 and the show records between 7 and 9pm. I got to my dressing room and Alice from the PR people was there with a big glass of wine - that was welcome - but I hadn't eaten.... And then I was rushed straight into make-up where I bumped into Jonathan.

LORD: I bet he needs plenty of make-up?

PHIL: (laughing) Well, he's much older than me! Anyway, we had a chat and he told me he'd seen "Ashes" and thought that the first episode doesn't do it justice, but that it gets really good from the second onwards. Then we started talking about 1970's fims and he told me he'd been watching "Confessions of a Pop Performer"... You know, one of those 70s British soft porn, peeping-tom movies - with Robin Asquith. He pauses these old films to look at the posters on walls, like Birds Custard and the like - I thought I was the only one that does that !

LORD: Anyway you were on last after Jamie Bell and Dame Vivienne Westwood. Did you all get on in the green room?

PHIL: Oh yes, Jamie is very nice and Vivienne is certainly unique - she gets my vote for London Mayor. But to be honest, I was so exhausted and I hadn't eaten any dinner, so it's all a bit of a blur.

LORD: But did you enjoy it? You're not really the celebrity type, are you?

PHIL: I really did enjoy it but, yeah, the celebrity stuff really isn't me - it just doesn't feel natural to me. I'm interested in the work: good writing, getting the part and the character right, pleasing the audience. This last week, I've had photographers hanging around wherever I go and there was one guy following me and my family around where I live, and I really don't like that. You know, my daughters can sense when I'm upset about something and they knew I was disturbed by this van following us everywhere. Eventually I had to confront the guy. That's when the fame thing really gets ugly.

LORD: And just the four covers for Radio Times too.....

PHIL: Yeah - that's crazy. I got a text from one of the main cast the other day and it said: "Newsagent a stange place to be". It's odd seeing yourself everywhere. Even you said you'd heard me on the radio....

LORD: Oh God, yes. Radio, TV ads, pieces in the tabloids, previews and reviews. If anyone wanted to escape you this week, they'd have had a job.

Phil tips his elbow and a few drops more red wine fall into his glass; only a few mind.

LORD: Gareth here tells me that you had 3,000 hits on your website on Thursday after the show - and over 10,000 last week alone. What do you think of that?

PHIL: It's amazing, but you know I'm just sorry that I can't reply to everyone but, especially at the moment, I don't get a second to myself so Gareth's handling it all for me...... It's just incredible that so many people have written in saying such nice things. You know, in this business, even if things are going okay, it can get quite lonely; it's really great to have such loyal fans who are so supportive.

LORD: They were 100% positive about "Ashes". I think everyone is just happy to have Gene Hunt back on their screens.

PHIL: Well, it's thanks to them he's back. It just amazes me when Gareth shows me messages from China and South America and even Japan. That this character strikes a chord even with people who have probably never seen seventies and eighties police dramas, it's great.

LORD: I remember, all those years ago, being asked by your brother [actor, Robert Glenister] who was in my play at the National Theatre, if I could get you a job front of house while you were at drama school. I don't think either of us thought you'd be on the cover of the Radio Times.... Not after that first theatre production of Romeo and Juliet....

PHIL: You always bring that up.....

LORD: Well, it was the campest Shakespeare I've ever seen. I mean, you don't usually start that play with morris dancing....

PHIL: (laughs) We were young....

LORD: Was the theatre your first love?

PHIL: I like the mix of mediums. After all this TV recently - and a couple of bits in movies - I'm beginning to feel the draw of the stage again. It feels like real acting. Sometimes, on screen, the craft gets lost amongst all the special effects and that always worries me. So, maybe some theatre in the future, I don't know.

LORD: Well, I just want to remind you that I've sat through some dross with you in it in the early years. At least you've made up for it recently: Clocking Off, State of Play, Cranford, Life on Mars... By the way, are you and John Simm planning another show together?

PHIL: Well, there's the germ of an idea coming together and it would be great to work with John again. We've done three things together, so a fourth would be quite cool. It's way too early to say yet, but it's possible.

LORD: What have you got left on "Van Helsing" now? Two or three months? What are your plans after that?

PHIL: A rest, definitely. I want to spend some time with the family. We need a holiday and you and me have got to get on the golf course this summer. Then, in the late summer, there are possibilities: can't tell you what they are though...

LORD: And you'll be happy not to be the second most famous man in Britain next week...?

PHIL: Well, if I ever was. Yes - definitely. Though, having said that, next week I've got two morning TV appearances and some radio interviews, and they'll be promoting the second ep. of "Ashes" quite hard.... So it's gonna be a toughie...

LORD: And you'll do this again, so your fans can hear a bit of your news...?

PHIL: Grease me up with a glass of red and I'm all yours.

LORD: On that bombshell - We'll call it a day!