Like many a London actor Phil learnt his craft at
the Anna Scher acting school, Islington. It has given training
to large chunks of the Eastenders cast including Susan Tully,
Patsy Palmer, Gillian Taylforth as well as comic and actress Kathy
Burke, Harry Enfield's favourite female Chum. While traditional
schools like RADA would have them speak BBC english circa 1950
and smother their natural accents, Anna told them to be themselves
and speak in the voice God gave them. Good acting isn't necessarily
about versatility, it's about being believable.
By his own admission, Phil's career has been 'all
over the gaff,' since the film. Although a familiar face on Children's
TV (he'd starred in Raven and Four Idle Hands) , his next move
was to utilise his fog-horn voice to the full and play the Fool
in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of King Lear in
Exeter. Exeter? Didn't Hollywood beat a path to your door?
'There was never any of that,' he recalls a touch
ruefully. 'At one point someone suggested I get an American agent,
and I did for a while. But she said I'd have to go out and live
there and I had to change my accent and I wouldn't have any of
it. This was before Gary Oldman and Tim Roth had made that big
breakthrough, and at that time only directors went to America
after making their films. I did two other films in 79 - Breaking
Glass and Scum, and all the directors of those went over there.
They found it tough in Hollywood, though. '
'Nobody ever suggested Quadrophenia 2 seriously,
at least I hope they didn't. The idea we talked about, jokingly
I hasten to add, was to have Jimmy go back to London and he'd
go into the advertising game and end up as someone like Alan Parker.
(The director of Evita began his career directing adverts). But
you know what sequels are like, they're never any good. I used
to hate telly and did loads of theatre, but I ventured out in
front of the camera a few times.'
His method acting muscles were given a full stretch
when we worked with Mike Leigh on Meantime. Was there much rehearsal
for that? 'You're joking aren't you? We rehearsed for eleven weeks.
What's difficult with Mike is you're not allowed to talk about
your character to any of the other actors. So when you meet the
other actors you only ever meet in character. He'd also make you
go out into the street in character. He'd say 'go into character'
and we'd go into a corner for a few seconds and come out as our
character. He'd then give you things to do like go to the supermarket.
So you'd go to the shops and have Mike Leigh staring at you through
the window.'
Isn't all this method acting hazardous to your sanity?
'It is, there was one guy who had a bit of a problem,
but not with me because I know who I am and I've always wanted
to do improvisation. I don't mind being taken to another planet
and being a different guy as long as you don't go around whacking
your wife. It's not something I would particularly want to do
every time I play a part though. I mean, I can act, I can do this,
I don't have to have too many elaborate exercises to become that
part, I don't have to work in an ice cream factory for a year
to play an ice cream factory worker.'
Patrick Marber, who co-created Paul Calf and Alan
Partridge, is a fervent admirer of Phil's acting. He couldn't
believe his luck when through friend Ray Winston (the lead in
Scum) he agreed to play a part in Patrick's first ever theatre
production Dealer's Choice. They later worked together again in
the BBC production of Miss Julie.
'It was on at the same time as Match of the Day,
so that's why you missed it.'
After years of shunning the camera, Phil is back
in love with television.
'I've just done a series for the BBC called Holding
On playing a restaurant critic, that's eight episodes coming out
in April. And I'm going into comedy, full on proper comedy - that's
a departure for me. It's a series called Sunnyside Farm, the script's
excellent and it's got that BBC2 slot on a Friday at nine in the
evening.'
But for all this, Phil Daniels will never be forgotten
or separated from Jimmy-the-mad-mod of Quadrophenia. He has always
reBODYed a youth cult icon and the Blur Parklife association didn't
revive it so much as reinforce it. He still gets pointed and prodded
in public. 'On the whole people have been alright about it, touch
wood, even if they're rockers they'd go to me and say, 'It's alright
that film.''
Because of the mod revival scene at the time, with
The Jam and Secret Affair and the other mob, people tried to make
me a mod. But it's something I've purposefully avoided.'
And he's still protesting about the Vespas. To make
matters worse these mopeds are not even vintage ones. They're
the double snidey new models, a different shape from the originals
with a modern gloss finish. Far from terrorising the Brighton
sea-front, they look more like something your granny would ride
to the shops on.
'What do they want from me? I ride a Harley-Davidson.
' A Harley? So you're a rocker then? 'No I'm not. I'm not a mod,
I'm not a rocker - I'm a mocker!'
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