Hope Springs A quick chat with Annette Crosbie
Jun 22, 2009
Hope Springs star Annette Crosbie talks about role for OAPs, Dame 'bloody' Judi Dench and the importance of top on-set caterers!
How was it filming Hope Springs?
"Why would anyone in their right mind film in Wanlockhead in winter? It’s the highest village in Scotland – it’s madness!"
Still you had a good time, really...
"Of course. Alex (Kingston) was a tower of strength. The catering on set was absolutely brilliant, and that can save a show. It can turn a lynch mob into a nice bunch of people. Getting up at 6am day after day to find it is raining can get you down, so the food was very important."
What about your character, boozy hotel owner Sadie?
"She’s a tough old bird who has a terrific zest for life. Sadie is not a happy bunny when the series begins – you wouldn’t believe how easy that was to act! But into her life come these four glamorous strangers. Even though she knows they’re up to no good, she is ready to go along with them. What I love is that there are seven good roles for women, which makes a change."
Do you still get a lot of reaction to One Foot in the Grave?
"People still shout, 'I don’t believe it!' at me. But it is lovely. You are in the business to entertain, and such a great series happens once in a lifetime. Somebody once told me that she was among a group of people Saddam Hussain had used as a human shield in Iraq. On the plane back, they showed One Foot…, and she said the release of the laughter was just amazing. It is that kind of thing that makes you proud."
How easy are you finding it to get good role these days?
"There is just one problem. There are so many of us 70-somethings hanging around. When parts for older women finally come along, bloody Judi Dench gets them all! I could play a patient in a hospital drama, but at my age if I read scripts and think it would bore the knickers off me to watch, I won’t do it. I have no work in the pipeline, so I can get out of this lunacy for a while. Besides, I’m enjoying being 75 and still here – with enough energy to complain a lot!"
How was it filming Hope Springs?
"Why would anyone in their right mind film in Wanlockhead in winter? It’s the highest village in Scotland – it’s madness!"
Still you had a good time, really...
"Of course. Alex (Kingston) was a tower of strength. The catering on set was absolutely brilliant, and that can save a show. It can turn a lynch mob into a nice bunch of people. Getting up at 6am day after day to find it is raining can get you down, so the food was very important."
What about your character, boozy hotel owner Sadie?
"She’s a tough old bird who has a terrific zest for life. Sadie is not a happy bunny when the series begins – you wouldn’t believe how easy that was to act! But into her life come these four glamorous strangers. Even though she knows they’re up to no good, she is ready to go along with them. What I love is that there are seven good roles for women, which makes a change."
Do you still get a lot of reaction to One Foot in the Grave?
"People still shout, 'I don’t believe it!' at me. But it is lovely. You are in the business to entertain, and such a great series happens once in a lifetime. Somebody once told me that she was among a group of people Saddam Hussain had used as a human shield in Iraq. On the plane back, they showed One Foot…, and she said the release of the laughter was just amazing. It is that kind of thing that makes you proud."
How easy are you finding it to get good role these days?
"There is just one problem. There are so many of us 70-somethings hanging around. When parts for older women finally come along, bloody Judi Dench gets them all! I could play a patient in a hospital drama, but at my age if I read scripts and think it would bore the knickers off me to watch, I won’t do it. I have no work in the pipeline, so I can get out of this lunacy for a while. Besides, I’m enjoying being 75 and still here – with enough energy to complain a lot!"
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