 |
||||
| The producer Paul Jackson had been working with me and was going on to work on Red Dwarf. My agent sent me along to see Rob and Doug to read for the part of Rimmer. I read with another actor who was reading for Lister and I knew instantly that it wasn't me shortly after I got a call asking me back to read for Holly the computer. I read the "Dead Dave" scene and it was very funny. A few days later they offered me the part. When I did the first series of R.D. Holly was just a voice. I plagued Rob, Doug and Ed at all times, maintaining that it would be far better for Holly to be seen. This was a combination of being convinced that the character would be far more effective for the programme and having just finished two series of Don't Miss Wax, I felt doing a voiceover in a television show was going backward
|
||||
| They
finally relented on episode three. We then went back and re-shot my
scenes for the first two episodes. My persistence paid off - well almost! It took until the second series to get rid of my pixellated face. There was even talk of going down the Dalek road with my voice, but I felt I was distorted enough as a person without any additional effects. In my opinion it was worth all the effort and it was a shame that I was not around for the third series to see how the character would have developed. The reasons I left has been pretty well documented but it was mainly down to misunderstanding between an agent, a producer and to a certain extent, me. It was difficult to even watch the show after I left and when I heard that Hattie had replaced me I was disappointed because they had promised me the character would be someone very different. After all, Holly was intrinsically me, IQ and all! Hattie had played my double in "Parallel Universe", so she was already au fait with copying my mannerisms. I know they did try, because I met Kathy Burke some years later and she told me that she'd read for the part. After the reading she said to them that it wasn't her and that they were Norman's lines. (A great person who deserves all the success she has gained through sheer talent).
|
||||
| I was more upset when I heard the character was dispensed with after the 5th series because I had always felt that I would return to the show at some point despite the showbiz adage "Never go back." I knew a lot of the fans wanted me back because I had started to attend one or two conventions and was pretty overwhelmed by the reception I received. Doug came up to me some months before series 7 and asked me if I would like to return to the series and of course I said yes. | ||||
| I was pretty
upset about Rob and Doug splitting up because they were a formidable
writing partnership and doubts began to set in as to whether the programme
would ever be able to sustain it's past high standards. Series 7 allowed Doug to try out different writers to take pressure off him but although it was an entertaining enough series it didn’t quite match the standard of the earlier series. Series 8 was written by Doug and I felt Red Dwarf was back on course again. I was glad to be back although I didn’t have a huge amount to do which was frustrating at times. |
|
|||
| Red Dwarf Film
I still don't know
what is happening with this at the moment but I will let you know
as soon as I know anything. Honest. |
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
