Acting Adventures in the Ukraine

I spent the start of this week in the Ukraine acting.

It was a shoot for a commercial in which I play a cuckoo trapped inside a clock that will air in, of all places, Kazakhstan.

It was a weird experience.

I knew that Ukraine was going to be different from the moment we landed, as soon as the plane thudded onto the runway, the Ukrainians around me were unbuckling seat belts and trying to extract their excessive volume of hand luggage from the overhead racks. British Airways staff resorted to shouting at them to stop it and forcing people to re-do up their seat belts and I noted on the return journey, special voiceovers in Ukrainian came over the Tannoy, their content most certainly related to STAYING IN YOUR FUCKING SEAT YOU MENTAL UKRAINIAN.

In a fit of very British pique I did not remove my seatbelt until the light was switched off, by which time most the Ukrainians were all stood, ready to leave and staring at me as if I were mad.

In my time there I noted a people brusque, rude, slap-dash and corruption-ridden (I witnessed it first hand by traffic police and in the regular efforts to short change me in shops); and a world away from my experience with people in Poland and the Czech Republic. I felt very far away from home in a place a long way East and oddly, very, very Russian. The Cyrillic didn't help I'm sure, neither did the collapsing Khrushchyovka, awful roads, incessant gloom and quite possibly the worst food I've had anywhere in the world.

The shoot itself was a gruelling effort, 19 hours stuck in a Brezhnev era Soviet film studio/nuclear bunker (I kid you not, underneath us was a huge dis-used bunker and warning signs about what to do if you were hit by a nuclear bomb, ie: die) that was patrolled by feral dogs and flat-faced Ukrainian crones.

It was made bearable by the incredible Swedish director, who I've had the real honour of working with before and the excellent Norwegian DOP. And I've no doubt the end product will look awesome and be hilariously funny, in spite of all the breathtaking incompetence, Health and Safety in flagrante (such as chainsawing the set with wild abandon to rapturous applause) and leaking roofs.

If I'm honest, my rather negative tone about my Ukrainian experience may be related to the fact the crew NEARY SET ME ON FUCKING FIRE AND THEN LAUGHED ABOUT IT. I won't go into detail but it involves flame, a massive un-flame-proofed bird suit and the two meeting in unholy unison.

I'm glad I've been, glad to have my first job of the year but also glad to be back home in one piece. I'll leave you with some pictures I took of the dilapidated Communist film studio.

DHG: A Year in Review or Blowing Me Own Trumpet

2010 has been the best year with regards to acting, which is wonderful but leaves you hoping 2011 can top it rather than disappoint, great success only keeps pushing the bar further up. As it should, I wouldn't want it any other way and obviously 2011 brings the joys and pressures of Our Style is Legendary as well.

Thing started very well, working with good friend Martin Collins in Spain on an Italian commercial...



And then, one of my proudest moments, my feature film debut was released in the UK and the US and is still doing the rounds on DVD, airplane seat backs and pay-per-view tele. It was really something to see my big hair and face up on the movie screen...



Have I told you all how much I love Norway? 2010 I got to go back again in order to sell glasses...



I managed to fit in a few more gigs of Poles Apart before working with Nottingham born director Dominic Murphy on a marvellous VW commercial that has unfortunately led to people shouting: "Pull yourself together" at me in the street. Just found out this is now making it's way to Ireland and France next year...



For me, the clear highlight of 2010 was the arrival of my own comedy creation, Kirky, who I have high hopes for as a star of UK television in the making. Kirky has took me to some lovely places, the BBC for a start and we made some more last month as well, so I can only hope that he'll be on everyone's TV even more often come 2011.



And then when I thought it couldn't get any better I secured one of those huge American TV jobs for Yahoo! directed by the finest commercial director of the last 15 years Bryan Buckley, where I got to mime to a Motley Cru song, which is perhaps the epitome of utter cool...



Surely the run of form would end here? No. Instead I got to work with Mark Denton again on some lovely looking Steam punk style Bulmer's adverts...





Towards the end of this year I crammed in some voiceover work, another Norwegian commercial, a film with Keith Chegwin, more Kirky, a short film and a national tour of the magical Hypothermia, one of the most challenging theatre roles I've ever had and, to be honest, a much needed return to treading the boards.

I'll leave you though with the full collection of vids I made for Gillette, which may be whoring of the highest order but they are funny as fuck and all made-up on the spot. Especially the one of me rapping. Here's to 2011 being even more awesome.

What I Made When I Went to Norway: Brilleland Advert

You may recall that way back in February I filmed back to back adverts for the European market, one for SKY ITALIA with my good pal Martin Collins and another, in one of my favourite countries to work in, Norway.

Well, hot off the press, here is my latest Norwegian advert...



And while I was stumbling around the YouTubes finding that, I also came across this badboy, from the heady days of 2007, presenting a pilot, film TV show.

My hair, let it be said, was horribly shit.

Oh well.



Oh and on the 17th April, I turned 34.

Go figure.

What I've Been up to of Late Aside From Being Ill...

My recent relative lack of blogging is to be explained by the duel effects of possible PIG AIDS/Man Flu/a cold and a very busy start to 2010 work wise, with January bringing some eleven auditions and February already clocking up three and me working on two shoots in the last two weeks. Pretty awesome stuff and bodes well for the rest of 2010.

First I was off to Barcelona for yet another Italian commercial with the same company that made the IKEA one, which is seemingly going down a storm over there. This time I was with my good friend Martin Collins, as we worked our comedy double-act magic, which was a blast getting to film and work with a good pal and a Notts lad to boot with some serious comedy features...only downside was he gave me whatever vile lurgy he had.

Here is a smattering of images from Spain that capture some of the wonder without giving too much away...the spot is for SKY Italia.

Then, with a hardly a moment to catch me breath, I was off again to one of my favourite countries, Norway and Oslo to do yet another Norwegian commercial after the wicked time I had there when making the Keno (the Norwegian national lottery) spot; which in itself is a fine piece of art.

It really was a dream to be back in Norway and I had a bit of an epiphany in my hotel room, staring into the bathroom mirror and imagining myself many years ago and how this kind of job and amazing adventure would've seemed so far from my grasp and here it is, an everyday truth. What a blessing.

Either that or all the medication I was taking was effecting me.

The Keno ad I made previously was quite a big deal in Norway and I nearly didn't get this job, for Brilleland, because I am a bit of a known face amongst Norway's 4.7 million residents but thankfully, the gave the best man the job and I was back. I got recognised quite a bit when I went walk about in Oslo, which was odd and as I took in the freezing air and sights of Oslo it struck me just how weird a job I have.

The shoot itself was great fun and I reckon the opening sequence will be perfect for my showreel as I fall over a huge array of items before pulling myself together and...sit on some drumsticks.

Anyway, here are a few images from my time there and hopefully, in another two years, I'll get to go back again!

Normal blogging service is resumed!

Keno Commercial

While I'm not writing blogs, this is the sort of stuff I'm up to! Take a look:



This is a commercial I shot last week in Norway for the new Norwegan national lottery. It was so much fun, I was sad to say goodbye when it was all over, but glad to get back home to my Eva-Jane...
She didn't take the kissing too badly... I suppose.