MR NICE GUY
The musician and actor is delighted to be playing against type as the awkward yet loveable doctor in hit stage musical Waitress
For years, Matt Willis was known as the bad-boy bassist from Busted, so his latest stage role – playing the sweet-as-pie Dr Pomatter in romantic musical Waitress – is quite a change of pace. “I get cast as baddies quite a lot… I think it’s the tattoos, and normally my head is shaved,” laughs the musician and actor, as he catches up exclusively with
hello! ahead of going on a UK and Ireland tour with the production next month. “The band thing probably puts you in that category. It’s fun, but I’m not really like that.”
In fact, of all the characters the 38-year-old has played during his career, including West End roles from Fiyero in Wicked to Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Dr Pomatter is most like Matt in real life.
“He’s a bit awkward and, socially, a bit weird,” says Matt of his character, a loveable doctor who moves to a new town and attracts the affections of its resident expert pie-maker and waitress Jenna (played by former The X Factor contestant Lucie Jones), who dreams of finding a way out of her unhappy marriage.
“When there’s a girl around, he becomes a bit strange, you know? I remember all these things myself,” says Matt with a cheeky smile, before hurriedly pointing out that’s not the case any more: he’s been happily married to TV presenter Emma for 13 years. Together they have children Isabelle, 12, Ace, nine, and five-year-old Trixie.
And while his alter ego’s pie of choice is a sweet, American style, for Matt: “I like a British savoury pie… Chicken and mushroom, steak and kidney… that kind of vibe. I remember when I’d go to the football with my dad, we’d
‘I get cast as baddies quite a lot… I think it’s the tattoos and normally my head is shaved… but I’m not really like that’
have a chicken tikka pie. It was the highlight of my football-going experience… [pies] always remind me of that.”
Come showtime, Matt is looking forward to his family coming to see him on stage.
“[Isabelle] is really excited, I think she’s going to really enjoy it,” says the proud dad, before adding with a laugh: “However, I don’t know what she’s going to think about me falling in love with another woman.”
When it comes to a love of all things singing and dancing, Matt’s eldest daughter – known affectionately as Wizz amongst family and friends – is a chip off the old block. “Isabelle loves musical theatre so much. I think I’ve embedded it in her, so she loves it. She’s quite stagy, bless her.”
It means Matt has the perfect person on hand to help him prepare for his latest stage role. Isabelle has been helping her dad practise by listening to the soundtrack with him as he gets used to the musical’s energetic numbers.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Bagging a role in Waitress has been on Matt’s wish list ever since he first saw the hit musical a number of years ago, but it was put on the back burner while the pop star – who attended Sylvia Young Theatre School in London’s Marylebone as a teenager – refreshed his skills on a two-year drama course.
Of returning to the stage, he says: “It’s going to be a real blessing. We’ve all been without this. We’ve all been stuck in screens, so to have that again with an audience will be special.”
With restrictions now eased, Matt’s schedule has become jam-packed. He’s just finished work on his latest film, playing a Second World War soldier alongside Ed Westwick in Wolves of War. “They had another actor cast and they had some kind of problem, so they needed someone [at very short notice],” explains Matt. “I’d auditioned for the role a month before, so I met the director quickly and was on set within 48 hours.”
His acting career may be taking him to the big screen, but Matt’s heart will always belong to the stage. “There’s something about theatre which just feels special, and it’s as close to free as I feel I can possibly be.”
Waitress The Musical is touring from 4 September. For tickets, visit waitressthemusical.co.uk.