Two Doors cast is just Quinncredible
Impact of legends, lasting alongside industry record a single about starring his band time to Actor Jamie talks lockdown gave Game and how ned role in Still
FILMING the Two Doors Down Christmas special during a pandemic was unlike anything Jamie Quinn had done before. The 31-year-old, who plays Ian Baird, explained: “It was like doing a completely different job, with safety measures, testing, bubbles, masks, everything socially distanced.
“The camera guy next to me would have a Darth Vader mask on.
“The BBC was on it, every precaution was taken to make sure everybody was safe.”
The show takes the familiar cast – Ian’s parents Beth (Arabella Weir) and Eric ( Alex Norton), and their neighbours Colin ( Jonathan Watson), Cathy (Doon Mackichan) and Christine (Elaine C Smith) – and transplants them from Latimer Crescent to Colin and Cathy’s Highland lodge.
Just when Christmas 2020 couldn’t get any worse, the Bairds are trapped in a remote pine-lined holiday home with the one-upping Whytes and buffet gannet Christine in her velour tracksuit.
Jamie said: “The script dives into Covid a little bit – we are able to have a good laugh about it at the end of the year.”
Working on the BBC series, where his gay character is accepted without comment, has been a joy for Jamie.
Hit Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek has been widely praised for having gay characters whose sexuality is not an issue – but Two Doors Down has been doing it for years.
Jamie said: “It’s never the storyline. The only joke is people – usually Cathy – overcompensating, overly making me feel welcome.
“It’s great to have as many different people represented on mainstream TV but we never wanted it to be about the character’s sexuality.”
Every day on set with Two Doors Down’s ensemble cast of comedy veterans is “a masterclass”.
Jamie said: “They are all in their prime as performers, at their craft. Watching them, I’m learning every day. “They’ve all got their own method. “Doon is very physical whereas Elaine is very musical.
“Alex is an old thesp. You could drop him in anywhere and he’s ready to go. You say ‘action’ and he lights up.
“Arabella is a comedy legend – she’s worked with the greats, Bob Mortimer and the Fast Show.
“Johnnie Watson’s so low-key, the subtlety in Johnnie’s work is just genius.
“I’ve got all these different things to observe, all these forces of nature, and I’m stealing from them all.”
Jamie has been lucky to be part of two of Scotland’s favourite TV shows.
On Still Game he played Fergie, the
wee ned who starts off terrorising the ice cream van and then takes relationship advice from Jack and Victor.
The show’s fans still love to remind him of his shell-suit days.
Jamie said: “People still go crazy for that. They will start talking about an episode that was made almost 20 years ago. It has become a part of people’s lives – it’s more than a TV show.” ut no matter how impressive their CV, lockdown has not been easy for actors. Theatres shut, film sets closed down and a job that is precarious at the best of times became a wasteland.
With acting jobs closed off, Jamie used the time “to be creative”. That has meant making music with his band Penny Mob, which can be done in his bedroom.
He said: “We are such a bouncy live band. We play every show like it’s our
Blast show on Earth. Not having that outlet has been frustrating. But it has made us focus on writing and recording.”
The band are split between Jamie’s base in Glasgow and his bandmate Andrew Mullen’s home in Lincolnshire. Jamie records from his bedroom while Andrew has his drum kit in the garage. Thanks to digital technology, they have produced and released a single, Revolution, despite being 280 miles apart. Jamie said: “The old days of going into Abbey Road and spending £1million to record your album have gone now. You can produce an album from your bedroom.”
Revolution is the first track on what they hope will be an EP released in spring. And as soon as people can jump up and down in small venues again, Penny Mob will be promoting it on tour.
Jamie said: “We are hoping to get a wee hometown tour that takes in
GlGlasgow andd LiLincolnshirelhi as welllll the middle of next year.”
He also wouldn’t want the nameme of the single to put off any potential fans.
Jamie said: “We are an alternative ative band. One minute we will be playinging a hyper politically charged track, the next minute singing a love song.
“We are not political activists standing nding on a soapbox on Sauchiehall Street treet shouting, ‘Thou must hate the Tories’. ries’. But if you’re going to make a song ong called Revolution you’d better have ave something to say.
“It’s pretty aggressive and highly hly charged, about compassion and nd unity and solidarity, people and nd community. We’ve got to look after er each other and support one another.” r.”
The Two Doors Down Christmas as special is on December 28 on BBC2 C2 at 9pm. Revolution is streaming on n Spotify and YouTube now. for f
It’s heidin fur away days tae Dumfries or Inverness it’s bampots in Bermuda shorts or mibbi fancy dress it’s a kerry oot at Meadowbank an watchin ower the waw it’s the great big heidge at Brechin as ye shelter frae the snaw it’s a tasty Forfar bridie or a drink in Benson’s bar it’s lunchtime in the Fitba Bar when ye play against Stranraer it’s a dauner doon the showgruns when yer playin Raith at Stark it’s a fine view o the mountains ower at Recreation Park it’s Kincardine’s bright blue limanade that turns yer lager green it’s a pub crawl in Aul Reekie it’s a night in Aberdeen it’s when some late-nite zoomer takes exception tae yer scarf an ye wake up realizin ye’ve been wannered by a dwaarf it’s the caird schools an the sweepstake as yer travelin tae the game it’s a pint in Auchterarder when yer nearly haufwey hame it’s a baur o waarm toffee that’s easy tae the chew that comes straight frae McCowans when ye play at Ochilview it’s the Stag’s Heid at Dumbarton coz it’s handy fur the trains wher yer watchin oot for polis an wee rockets throwin stanes it’s a stap-aff at Burntisland it’s a bagga chips in Ayr it’s the roads through Bonnie Scotland that kin take ye anywhere.