Craig Fairbrass caused a huge stir in EastEnders over 20 years when his super smooth character Dan Sullivan arrived in Walford in 1999. He was the new boyfriend of Carol Jackson, who began an illicit affair with Carol's daughter Bianca (played by Patsy Palmer). It literally broke Carol's family in two! Now Craig, who also starred in London's Burning and the Sly Stallone movie Cliffhanger can be seen all these years later in BBC1 drama Boat Story, playing a particularly vicious, violent and unpleasant character called Guy, who works for the gangster The Tailor (Tchéky Karyo).
Here Craig Fairbrass reveals much more about playing gangster Guy in BBC1 and Amazon Freevee series Boat Story...
Interview: Craig Fairbrass chats about playing gangster Guy in Boat Story
How did you feel when you first read the script of Boat Story?
Craig Fairbrass says: "As actors, we get lots of scripts to read and some are good, some are bad. But when you get something that is so special, it’s amazing. I got sent the first two episodes and I just didn't get up. They were so good. It's so well written, and so original. They literally blew me away. That is an amazing thing when you're turning the page and you're wondering where's the character going and the stuff that comes into the story is amazing."
Who is Guy and what's his part in Boat Story?
Craig says: "Guy’s methodical and very disciplined. He's very loyal to The Tailor and he wants to do his best and wants to show that he's a professional. He's not got time to waste. Anyone who gets in his way, it doesn't end up nice. He's a very loyal man and a professional who takes his job very seriously. Jack and Harry Williams are so clever. They’re such smart writers that you think that Guy is just another henchman, but he's got so many layers and I've been very lucky in my last four or five films, that the roles I'm doing now have got a bit of subtext and depth to the characters."
Where do we find Guy at the start of the story?
Craig reveals: "Guy works for The Tailor, he’s a gun for hire who has been brought up from London, because the two people who have found the illegal drugs on the beach, decided to keep it and are thinking about selling it. So, he has the job of finding out who took the drugs and getting it back for The Tailor, at any cost. Guy’s very ruthless; he takes no prisoners to the point that the body count quickly begins to grow."
What can audiences look forward to about the series?
Craig says: "It’s a very wild ride and it's an incredible story. It's got a human story at its heart with very complex characters. It's got a lot of dark humour, and it’s very moving at times. The great thing about this is that the violence is there for a purpose and it’s not just violence for violence’s sake, they've got a limited amount of time before the drugs are sold; Guy realises this once he starts putting two and two together and nothing will stand in his path - he leaves the Terminator roasting. He's on a mission to get those drugs back."
What has it been like filming the various action sequences in Boat Story?
Craig explains: "It's very unusual for a UK show to have that amount of action in it, but it's clever action, not silly action. It's the right action for what actually goes on. There’s one sequence in particular, which was like nothing I've ever read before, it reminded me of a big American action sequence, it’s very explosive and very violent. You've never seen an opening like this in any British show before. We were also lucky on this as we had amazing firearms experts who were monitoring us 24/7 and two to three cameras on every shot, Steadicams and lots of other moving parts, all choreographed to perfection."
How was it working alongside the rest of the cast?
Craig says: "I was always a massive fan of Tchéky’s and I love Daisy, Paterson and Ethan. All the actors that I've had some really big dramatic material to share with have been incredible. It's lovely when you're working with people of that calibre, I can't thank them enough. I'm only too pleased and honoured to be in their company."
How does Guy compare to other roles you’ve played?
Craig reveals: "My career as an actor and in the last 45 years has been predominantly action, so I’m used to that aspect of it. It’s the drama that’s new. I got hit with an eight-page dramatic scene for Boat Story and had about 14 hours to learn it. I can run around all day with guns and fighting, but Boat Story is a stunning drama, about people who have got an Achilles heel. Tough guys who are a little bit damaged, a little bit more interesting than just being a thug and Guy has those qualities. There's a lot more to him than just a man who walks around shooting people and you get to know him, and you get to know what his real passion is…"
What has it been like filming in Yorkshire?
Craig says: "I think it's my third job in Yorkshire, I love it. The people are amazing. Very friendly and very different to London; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it."
Why should audiences watch Boat Story?
Craig says: "It’s so original and so different. I've been an actor for a very long time, and I've not read a story like this. It's just very, very gripping and fresh, it's like nothing you've ever seen. It's the writing and it all begins with the writing in the scripts, then the actors bring it to life, and it is quality, absolute quality."
* Boat Story can be seen on BBC1 from Sunday November 19 at 9pm, with episode 2 on Monday November 20 at 9pm. It's a six-part series that plays out in weekly double bills on Sundays and Mondays.
* In the US, Boat Story can be seen at a later date on streaming service Amazon Freevee. We'll update when we have a US air date.
