Simon’s made sure that he’s watched everything I’ve done
and fuelled by power players, drugs, seduction and violence, Robert (who soon winds up as a pawn for femme fatale Vera Tribbe (Maryam), awaits his turn in a deadly game of choice and consequence.
“Robert’s a complex character in so much as he’s lived a very selfish life,” Mike ponders. “His decisions haven’t been ones that have been made with anybody else taken into consideration. He uses that to try and become a better person as the film progresses.
“But I liked where the twists and turns were in the script, and that it’s very story and character driven,” he adds. “I’m old-school like that.”
What does he make of the filmmakers’ desire for a modern-day Hitchcock?
“I knew it was a homage, a twist on such an iconic film, and so I approached it differently,” he says tentatively.
“I didn’t watch Psycho, I didn’t watch any Hitchcock stuff, because I didn’t want to replicate what they had done. It’s such a classic, that to try and match it would be ridiculous.
“I wanted to do a fresh take on it, so I went with my own character instincts,” insists Mike, who shot the epic between London and Amsterdam.
“You don’t want to take characteristics from (Hitchcock) either because it was a different era, a different film. It’s such a high bar. If we can have a bit somewhere, in the film, so we can tip our cap to the incredible filmmaking that was Psycho, then we’re happy’.” Having filmed his debut in Subconscious in 2013, and picked up credits for the Pegasus Bridge and Black Site, Mike has traversed many a genre. But horror and suspense-driven thrillers have long been part of his make up, he recalls.
“My brothers tried to get me into Freddy Krueger when I was young – they went hard on me for horrors because they were big fans.
“I started with Aliens (I was 12) and then Predator 2... But my favourite is The Exorcist, which for me still holds its own. You can watch it and still be in shock!”
Next Mike will star in Truth Seekers, the hotly anticipated show from Stolen Picture, the production company run by his older brother Simon, Nick Frost and Miles Ketley.
Co-written by and featuring dream team Simon and Nick, the eight-part horror comedy – set to launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video – follows a team of part-time paranormal investigators who uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK.
It’s the first time Mike has been cast in one of his sibling’s creations – and he couldn’t be happier. “I play Bjorn, Simon’s sort of office rookie,” he says. “While Nick goes out and fights the ghosts or whatever. If you’re a Pegg and Frost fan, you’re not going to be disappointed,” he says. “It was the best experience I’ve ever had – easily.”
He doesn’t take it for granted, he’s quick to point out, keen to affirm he’s never ridden on his famous brother’s coat tails.
“Seven or eight years ago, I started in short films and Simon’s made sure that he’s watched everything I’ve done,” he says earnestly. “So I kind of auditioned for Truth Seekers over that period. And then last year he said, ‘Look, I think I’ve got something for you’.
“I always trusted him; I knew he would know when I was at that level and we never wanted to force it, it had to be the right character, in the right circumstances, and thankfully the stars aligned,” Mike finishes.
“I was very lucky to get in there. You can’t even put into words [how it feels] to work with your big brother, let alone if he’s an A-list actor.”
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