Fisherman’s Friends is the heart-warming story of Cornish fishermen who achieve a top 10 hit. hears more from star Daniel Mays, and finds out whether a Hollywood career beckons... I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to working in
IF THERE was a word to sum up Daniel Mays’ workload right now, it would be ‘frantic’. The Essex-born actor, 40, has a new film out – comedy drama Fisherman’s Friends, based on the real life story of the sea shanty group from Cornwall who, after being discovered singing on the harbour, were signed by Universal Records and achieved a top 10 hit.
This month also sees him star in the new series of Porters on Dave, he’s in the hugely anticipated adaptation of Good Omens (due to be released on Amazon Prime in May), he’s just finished filming comic thriller Temple with Mark Strong for Sky One – and that’s just scratching the surface of his busy schedule.
“That’s my next project, there!” he points to a sizeable script on the arm of the sofa. “Temple ran over by three weeks and I start that on March 18, so I’m scared I’m not going to get the lines in my head. It’s good to be busy. But I just want to make sure I’ve got a clear head for each project that comes along.”
Even though he’s clearly a little weary, Daniel is down-to-earth and pleasantly easy to talk to.
He seems – to put it simply – a genuinely nice guy. And I particularly appreciate his enthusiasm when I tell him I’m Cornish myself ; he starts asking me the questions : “When you come over the River Tamar, it’s a different world, isn’t it?” he says.
Indeed, that’s what you get a sense of in the heartfelt Fisherman’s Friends, in which Daniel plays fast-living, cynical music executive Danny.
While on a stag weekend in the tiny village of Port Isaac, Danny is pranked into trying to sign a group of shantysinging fishermen.
But, after ditching London life for a while, spending time with the band, and getting to know the locals, he starts to question the life choices he’s made.
“He’s someone who’s been completely married to his job, never had a real, steady relationship, always been in the rat race, and knows where he’s going, and he’s become very successful; he’s got the Range Rover and the gadgets and the gold discs,” Daniel elaborates.
“Everyone can relate to that, when they maybe come to a crossroads in their life and think, ‘What is important?’ ‘How successful am I?”’
The role meant five weeks filming in picturesque Port Isaac (IT V ’s Doc
Martin is shot there too).
Daniel followed this with a holiday in the county with his wife Lou, and their kids, 11-year-old Mylo, and Dixie, six
– an “idyllic” week, which included going surfing with his son.
“It’s such a beautiful part of the world and I will go back,” he says.
“It’s good to get out of the city, isn’t it? Recharge the batteries.”
Even though he was relieved to leave the Cornish accent to co-stars like James Purefoy and Tuppence Middleton, Daniel found the sea shanties infectious (personal favourites of his include ‘South Australia’ and ‘John Kanaka’).
“When we weren’t filming, we would be in the pub and, invariably, we would all break out into song,” he recalls joyfully.
“And then I got to sing with the real Fisherman’s Friends at the wrap party when they held a big concert. So, it was a fitting end to it all. It was a lovely experience.”
Doing such a feel-good film was some welcome light relief for the Line Of Duty star, considering he’s done so much heavy work in the past.
Notably, early on in his career, for dramas All Or Nothing then Vera Drake, he was directed by Mike Leigh (“I would simply say he made me the actor I am”), who is known for intense working methods.
As for how Daniel – the third of four sport-mad brothers – got into the industry, he signed up for the Italia Conti stage school as a young teen, before winning a place at Rada.
Something he’s spoken about previously in interviews is the need for more opportunities for underprivileged, working class actors.
“People are much more aware of that struggle now,” he notes, when asked if it’s something that’s improved as his career has gone on.
“There was a period, a couple of years back, when that argument was in the public domain quite a lot ; privileged actors that were getting every award.
“My argument with that, always, is there needs to be people from poorer backgrounds who are writers, directors, producers, the executives in the upper offices that make the decisions, to give working class voices a platform to tell stories. We should always have a place for that. All I’m saying is, there just has to be a balance of things.”
On the topic of what’s next, he doesn’t scoff at the suggestion of heading to L A for roles.
“I would be lying if I said that isn’t something I’m attracted to, because there are lots of English actors doing so well out there,” he says, adding that he possibly has a Netflix show lined up.
His tone changes slightly as he adds, warily: “I don’t want to go there and do bad work, though. I feel like I’ve got a high calibre of work going on here, so I don’t want to damage that. It would have to be the right thing. But it’s always hard; I have children and nd it’s whether or not you uproot them.” em.”
As to whether his children might follow in his footsteps, he says : “Well, Mylo was in Matilda in the West End for nine months,” before adding with a chuckle: “But I think it had the reverse effect.”
“He’s just enjoying just being a normal boy at school at the moment”.
“If they want to do that at a later stage, I’ve always said whatever they’re enthusiastic about... You just want your kids to find their passion in something. And I’ll support them to the end.”