STEVEN CREE | INTERVIEW
His role in TV series Outlander saw Steven Cree quickly become a fan favourite. This time, he’s a literary fan favourite: Gallowglass, from book series A Discovery Of Witches, now brought to our screens. Carl Marsh has a word.
Can you see any similarities between Outlander and A Discovery Of Witches – maybe not so much their storylines as their respective production?
Most definitely. I think they both appeal to a similar fanbase – I soon discovered a lot of fans of both shows from my Twitter feed. When the audition came in, I Googled one of the season one reviews, and it said, “A Discovery Of Witches sits somewhere between Outlander and Twilight”. I don’t know how accurate that is, but I understand there is a need to categorise things.
Before I auditioned for Outlander, I wondered if I wanted to get back into that sort of world again, but it’s been amazing. The fanbase is incredible. I read more about Gallowglass [in the books], and hadn’t seen season one until that point, but watched it and loved it. I didn’t know how good the cast was until I saw it had Matthew Goode to Teresa Palmer; Lindsay Duncan to Owen Teale. There is a host of great actors in it.
As a kid, I always loved fantasy, and I’ve always loved sci-fi. Last week, it struck me: we’re towards the end of [filming] season three, and I was auditioning for a lawyer in this great new drama. I was going over the lines; it’s present day, set in a courtroom, and I just thought to myself that I’d miss playing an 800-year-old vampire!
Some might say there’s a close connection between playing a lawyer and a vampire! Besides that potential role, have you got anything else set to come out after A Discovery Of Witches airs?
I’ve got a film coming out, Martyrs Lane. I filmed that in October 2019, when I had a month off from A Discovery Of Witches. I get to play this English minister – this good, friendly, upstanding, posh and decent guy. Compared to my other role, playing this large Scottish warrior, it was good fun getting to do those different parts at roughly the same time.
It’s essentially a horror, a ghost story, but it’s a beautiful script as well – it’s a story about loss. It’s got Denise Gough in it, who has been doing well these last few years. For me, the real stars in it are a couple of fantastic young girls, so I’m interested in seeing how it gets received.
When does it come out, or does it all depend on the dreaded COVID?
It was going to be out this year, but because of COVID… I think it’s one of those films that will do the festival circuit first. We had to go and do a reshoot, but couldn’t until September 2020. One of my best vanity moments on that shoot came as I was still in the middle of making A Discovery Of Witches: I’d been hitting it hard at the gym, and the costume lady said “you’re far too muscular for all the costumes…” I was like, “You know what? I’ll take that!”
I need that kind of motivation to get in shape!
Listen, there’s no motivation like knowing you’re going to have to get your top off on camera – but also that the character has been consistently described as some sort of muscular beast. I’m never going to get to that level, it is only so big that I can get! But I’ve put the pressure on myself, and it’s good motivation.
A Discovery Of Witches Season 2 will air from Fri 8 Jan on Sky One and NOW TV.
words CARL MARSH