XMAS, GRADO
Two Doors Down actor to a family is looking Christmas, mum was forward but wishes still here his to join him
atmosphere turns a little fraught. Christine is in a huff as Eric and Beth get invited to Gordon’s parents’ for Christmas, Cathy is desperate to find the “real” party and Michelle is having to ward off Colin’s unwanted advances. Alan takes Ian out the back for a de-stressing puff which backfires when Gordon joins in and becomes looselipped – and then there’s the kazoos. Grado admits he hopes his own Christmas won’t be as eventful. He said: “This is my first Christmas as a dad so I plan to make it a big one and kick the hell out of it. We are going to be with Stephanie’s family. “I won’t be doing what Alan does out the back door. I’m much better behaved in real life and I have a matinee panto show the next day so I will be away to my bed early.” Grado, who is starring in panto at Glasgow’s Pavilion theatre, admits he still gets starstruck by his co-stars Alex Norton, Elaine C Smith, Jonathan Watson, Doon Mackichan and Arabella Weir. He said: “They are total TV royalty. I sit there and look across the room and see Alex who is known for Taggart but I grew up watching him play a guy called Elvis in the kids show Renford Rejects. “Then you’ve got Elaine C Smith – I was obsessed with Rab C growing up and Jonny Watson, who I watched every year in Only an Excuse and also Arabella and Doon, who are absolute legends. I can’t believe I am in the same room as these folk and I thank my lucky stars. “It’s the stories they have. You can pick any subject and they will have a story about it. We all have a great relationship and we are on a WhatsApp group with each other. I love being a part of it.”
Grado added: “I also get on really well with my onscreen partner Joy. She’s just had a baby too.
“There is only two and a half months between our kids and it was nice to go through it together.
“I would ask her questions I wouldn’t ask my real life girlfriend about being pregnant, like what can I expect, what happens next or what do I do about this. It has been brilliant.”
The star, who is playing one of the Ugly Sisters alongside River City’s Stephen Purdon in Cinderella, admits he finds it hard to keep a poker face during filming.
He said: “The hardest thing is trying to keep a straight face. I often have to bite my lip and think of something sad to stop me spoiling the scene especially when Jonny Watson starts his sexy dancing.
“You might start filming at 8am and at 7pm that night you could be on the same scene but it is still just as funny so I have to keep concentrating really hard.
“Alan is supposed to be deadpan, whereas I’m someone who is always laughing. It’s hard to switch my face into Alan’s character but I try.”
He added: “I would love to try my hand at a serious role. In panto, I’m usually in a pair of high heels carrying Stephen around on my shoulders.
“It would be great to play an evil character. I’ve been practicing my baddie faces in front of the mirror so who knows, one day you might see Grado the serial killer.” ●Two Doors Down Christmas Special, BBC Two, December 20 at 9.30pm.