IN CONVERSATION WITH JAKE SIMMANCE
interview by JANA LETONJA
Actor Jake Simmance will be next seen starring as Gary Barlow in Michael Gracey’s ‘Better Man’, premiering on 26th December. Jake emerged in Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal and will soon star in ‘Two Neighbors’, an indie alongside Anya Chalotra, Chloe Cherry and Ralph Ineson.
Having debuted at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, how does it feel to see ‘Better Man’ already receiving stellar reviews ahead of its wide release?
It feels amazing and to be honest, a long time coming. We all knew when we were making the movie that we were working on something truly special and groundbreaking, so to know that audiences are finally seeing what we made and enjoying it is very comforting and validating. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with this movie.
Gary Barlow is such an iconic figure. How did you prepare for this role to capture his personality and essence?
Put simply, I’ve watched every single video of him on the internet. Genuinely, there’s not a YouTube video from that era of Gary that I haven’t watched, studied, and repeated back in the mirror. In reality, bringing him to life is a mixture of technique and instinct. I can mimic his mannerisms, facial expressions, accent and cadence, but I was conscious that ultimately, I needed to play the truth of the scene and bring my own essence as an actor into it. I was very conscious that the extensive material and resources out there for referral is both a blessing and a curse. Any given video out there of Gary is underpinned by the fact it’s the version of Gary he wants us to see, they’re contrived interviews and press conferences and concerts where he’s presenting himself in a certain way. What we can’t have access to is what Gary is like behind closed doors, when the cameras are off, and it’s in those moments in the film I had to read between the lines and trust my own personal judgement.
Michael Gracey’s vision for the film includes the unique portrayal of Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey. How did this creative choice influence your approach to portraying Gary Barlow?
If I’m honest, it didn’t. Michael and the team from Wēta were clear from the beginning that the film would be shot and acted as if it were any other live action film. At the end of the day, we were still a group of actors rehearsing as normal and playing human beings, including Jonno. We interacted naturally and looked each other in the eye, just as you would on a typical film set. The only difference is one of us is turned into a monkey in the edit.
With the film set for release on Christmas, what do you hope audiences take away from it?
I remember coming away from the table read and through a cloud of tears saying to my mum over FaceTime that there is no way anyone can come away from this movie not loving Robbie Williams and rooting for him, in spite of his flaws, and I stand by that. I hope audiences fall in love with him all over again.
I also hope it opens audiences’ minds as to how and why movies are made. Why tell the same story in the same way everyone else has already done? Why not do something different and break the mould?
What has been your favorite moment or memory from working on ‘Better Man’?
This one’s easy. We shot a Take That concert scene in the movie which was the single best night of my entire life. It was our first day on set and we performed in front of 20.000 people at the Rod Laver arena in Melbourne. The production flew Rob out and halfway through one of his gigs the 5 of us got up and performed. We had 20 cameras set up and 4 takes to get it right. It’s the single most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever experienced, and it completely informed the following 4 months of principal photography. We knew exactly how it felt to be pop stars.
With your growing portfolio, from thrillers to musicals and dark comedies, how do you decide which roles to take on?
Up to this point in my career I’ve been a yes man. I want every role I can get. I’ve always held onto the Michael Caine school of acting, take every role that comes so you always stay sharp. It’s an incredibly competitive industry and all I’ve ever wanted to do is act since as long as I can remember, so if the role comes along, I’ll take it. That being said, my dream is to be a part of something in the fantasy genre. I grew up with ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Star Wars’, and am a ‘Game of Thrones’ fanatic. I’ve watched the entire series through 4 times. I love the idea of being taken away by stories so if I can provide that escape for others, I’d be delighted. Most recently, I was awestruck by ‘Fourth Wing’ and the ‘Empyrean’ series by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve got my eye on that project.
Working alongside stars like Michelle Dockery and Sienna Miller in ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’, what did you take away from that experience?
I learnt so much from ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’. Not only was it my first ever time in front of a camera, it was my first ever audition, so at the very least I’ve learned how to handle rejection since then. I was amazed at how many people there are on a film set. Not dissimilar to theatre, only the technique for acting on film is entirely different. I remember my first scene I had to stand on a table and address a group of boisterous young men. This, mixed with the 50 odd crew members stood behind the camera, made me go back to my classical theatre training and I totally forgot I was wearing a microphone. My good friend and scene partner, Ben Radcliffe, quietly turned to me and whispered “There’s no need to shout bro, there’s a mic stuck to your chest”. It taught me that ultimately when acting through the medium of film, you don’t need to work so hard, the camera captures everything and simply feeling and thinking something is enough.
Also soon, we’ll be seeing you in ‘Two Neighbors’. Can you tell us more about your character, Sebastian, and how does he fit into the film’s dark comedy and thriller themes?
Sebastian is one of my favourite roles I’ve played to date. He’s what’s called a ‘gym-cel’. All the usual characteristics of an incel, but with some press ups thrown in there. He’s a very complex and dark character who hates his family and the world around him, which leads to some really challenging and exciting scenes in the film. When I met with our director Ondine Viñao at the beginning of the project, we shared a passion of the importance of ‘homework’ as part of the creative process. I asked her for some resources to help develop the role and she delivered in a big way. I was given books, YouTube and X accounts and various articles to research. I fell into a complete rabbit hole developing this role, and Ondine gave me a lot of trust and freedom to make the character my own. Whilst Sebastian couldn’t be further from me personally, you’ll be seeing a lot of Jake in there.
Sebastian has a point to prove, and a screw loose. He’s exasperated at the state of society and the perceived rejection he feels from the modern world, and he will go to extreme lengths to make his feelings known.
A modern-day genie sounds like a fascinating plot device. How was it working on a project that blends a classic Aesop’s fable with a contemporary storyline?
It was a really exciting blend of working with a story which is so familiar, but translated into a modern context. The characters in ‘Two Neighbors’, Becky, Stacey and Chad, etc., reflect archetypes categorised by the subculture of young men known as incels. Given that I fill the role of the incel for the movie, it felt like I had a really unique perspective of the world, as if I was the only character aware of the metaphor and the context who could see through the Genie’s tricks. It informed the way I played Sebastian, with an intellectual superiority and an arrogance. I think Ondine has done a really excellent job at taking this archaic fable and bringing it into the modern day with relevancy, whilst honouring the shock factor and twist that you get in a typical fable.
When you are not filming, how do you most enjoy spending your days off?
I’m a huge Chelsea fan, so I tend to spend my weekends either sat at Stamford Bridge or travelling the country following the Blues.
How does your heritage, with your mom being Dutch and your uncle being a guitarist in the rock band Di-Rect, impact your life path, both personally and professionally?
Whilst acting has never been in the family, creativity certainly has, specifically on my Dutch side. My Oma was a wonderful painter and her mother was also a very accomplished artist who trained at the Rijksinstituut, and my uncle has been a musician his whole life. I suppose this has impacted my life path as I’ve never been dissuaded against pursuing a creative career. I take reassurance from my uncle’s career path. He played guitar with several big Dutch names before finding stability and real success with Di-Rect quite late in his career. I love watching their success from afar and am reassured that if I remain dedicated to my craft and keep going, I will realize my dreams. So far so good.
TEAM CREDITS:
photography MATT BRAMSTON
styling CHARLIE SCHNEIDER-JACOBSON
grooming SANDRA HAHNEL
