‘Grantchester’ star said that many actors have the attitude of ‘why not me?’
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Grantchester and Soldier Soldier star Robson Green has hit out at a new wave of actors entering the industry, saying that many expect to stumble upon success “without doing the work”.
The 61-year-old, originally from North Tyneside, rose to fame in ITV’s Soldier Soldier as Dave Tucker before topping the music charts with co-star Jerome Flynn after the pair covered Todd Duncan’s “Unchained Melody” in the drama. He went on to star in comedy drama Northern Lights, detective series Grantchester and ITV docuseries Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green.
The actor runs his own production companies, which aim to create opportunities for creatives in the north-east of England – but has claimed that he’s struggling to find actors and writers who are prepared to work hard for roles.
“There’s been a lot of levelling up in the North East. But there are a lot of [actors and writers] who are just expecting things to happen without doing the work,” he told The Telegraph. “It’s not just the North East; there’s a generational sense of embittered belief. The attitude is very much, ‘Why not me?’”
He added that he finds that a number of actors come to set without knowing their lines. “I cannot believe actors come in [to film a scene], and they’ve got the script in front of them. I go, ‘Do you want this or not?’ But a lot of them think they can fast-track it without putting in the work.”
Green also bemoaned the lack of quality in TV roles he’s being offered at the moment, admitting that he’s being sent “a lot of crap scripts”. He continued: “And I mean crap stuff that is on the nose, like an A-level paper or something. There’s some good ones out there, but that influx of really good writing seems to be lacking.”
He added that many writers “don’t have the care and attention and the nurturing they deserve”, with a lot of it being down to lack of investment in the arts. “I know there are people tearing their hair out at the quality of some of the theatre in the North East at the moment,” he said.
Throughout his career, Green has dedicated time to supporting projects in the North East of England. Earlier this year, Green partnered with the Kielder Observatory in Northumberland National Park to create a new stargazing experience near Hadrian’s Wall with a telescope named “Robson’s Reflector”. He’s also set to star in new BBC drama Northumbria Mysteries, which has been filmed in the local area.
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“That’s a WIND REEL AND PRINT (WRAP) on The Northumbria Mysteries,” he wrote on Instagram last month. “One of the most Joyous filming experiences of my career. What a story what a team! Transmission TBC. A series for all the family set against the magical and jaw dropping backdrop of Northumberland. Watch this space.”
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