There are things that scare you that you should still do
BRYAN CRANSTON PLAYS A JUDGE IN GRIPPING DRAMA, YOUR HONOUR. HE TELLS GEORGIA HUMPHREYS WHAT VIEWERS CAN EXPECT
FROM Malcom In The Middle to Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston has proved he is one of TV’s most versatile actors.
And the latest addition to the Los Angeles-born actor’s CV is a 10-part legal thriller, coming to Sky Atlantic and Now TV.
In Your Honour – based on the Israeli show Kvodo – Bryan, 64, plays Michael Desiato, a respected New Orleans judge whose teenage son, Adam (Hunter Doohan), is involved in a hit-and-run.
Impulsive decisions are made, leading to a high-stakes game of lies, deceit, and impossible choices – so get ready to find it an addictive watch.
Here, Bryan discusses playing flawed characters, injuries during filming, and why we could see him singing in the future.
Tell us what attracts you to a role...
If I read a character who has all the answers, makes the right decisions, is kind to everyone, I’m bored. I don’t want to play that character.
But someone who has flaws, but tries to be a better person, I think everyone can relate to that – and I think that’s what’s necessary for an audience to invest their time and energy and sympathies toward a character, to root for them. And so that’s what I look for.
Michael Desiato is someone who goes against the law, under special circumstances – a bit like Walter White in Breaking Bad...
There are similarities. You have to find that distinction between them. Walter White was very methodical in his journey, what he was plotting out to do; Michael Desiato in Your Honour is impulsive. He has to make an immediate decision on what is going to save his son’s life, and then has to suffer the repercussions from that decision.
So, there are distinct differences, and I hope the audience sees that, and hopefully forget about Walter White and watch Your Honour with an open mind – and be entertained.
How did you prepare for portraying a judge?
Well, the first thing I did was go to
New Orleans where the story takes place, and the courthouse.
I watched a bunch of trials in various stages and observed the judges and how they handle themselves.
Some are very “masters of their universe” kind of thing, and they take control. Others like to be in the background.
From the script, and from experiencing the trials for two weeks and different judges, I just started to pick and choose what elements and personality fit best for the story. And I think Michael, he’s one to sit back and allow the jury and the lawyers to take control of a trial.
Unless he needs to make a statement, then he’ll step in.
What was the most challenging part of the role?
It was actually the running. When I was younger, I used to run marathons and I was looking forward to getting into that mindset of being a runner again, but then I got injured.
I had to have epidural shots in my spine two different times in order to just have a slipped disc not give me sciatica, and it was troubling.
And then I strained my hamstring muscle in one of the scenes and that put me back a couple of weeks. So, it was difficult to come to terms with that.
When I started running marathons, I was 30 years old. I think Father Time has said, ‘Not so fast. You do not – and you will not have – the same body you think you still have.’
When it comes to career choices, is there a genre that scares you?
Musical theatre is something that I’m not comfortable with; I wouldn’t call myself a singer.
And therefore, I probably will do it at some point in the future.
There are things in life that scare you that you should not do.
Naturally; you worry about your mental health or your physical wellbeing.
And then there are things that scare you that you should still do.
As a performer, I don’t want to look at something and go, ‘No, no, I only do this’.
I think it’s courageous for adults to allow themselves to be a beginner at anything.
Covid-19 meant you had seven months off from filming. What was it like returning to the role after that?
We were actually rehearsing in shields that put a barrier between you and the other person and, for me, I’m 64 years old, I’ve had my fair share of rock concerts that I’ve been to in my life – I am absolutely positive that I have lost some measure of hearing.
And so, what was interesting is when you’re talking to someone with a mask, or a shield, it’s so blocked. I can’t constantly say, ‘I’m
sorry, what did you say?’
It must make the atmosphere different on set too...
He has to make an immediate decision on what is going to save his son’s life On his character’s quandry
The crew was asked to stay clear of the cast, just so that we try not to get anyone infected, but that kind of segregated environment, it’s uncomfortable, and it was anti-social. And so, it’s difficult.
We were looking at just shooting the last two and a half episodes of the series so it was easier to think, ‘OK, we’re near the finish line, let’s just power through with these conditions that are in place that are necessary’.
But, if I were just starting an eightmonth project with these protocols in place, it would be depressing, to be absolutely honest with you.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to get back to a point where we can all be in the same room, where we can hug each other again, but we have to have universal co-operation.
It’s not a country effort, it’s not a political effort, it’s a human effort. Let’s do the right thing, wear our masks. Let’s beat this.
Your Honour starts on Sky Atlantic on Tuesday at 9pm and is available on Now TV from Tuesday
WHILE you might struggle to get many 12-year-olds to eat their veg, Omari McQueen isn’t your average tween.
Not only has he been a vegan since he was eight years old, but his CV reads like that of a seasoned chef: running a pop-up restaurant, selling a range of dips, presenting a cooking show on CBBC – and now publishing his own cookbook.
Omari fell in love with food by accident. “When my mum was sick, my dad taught me how to cook when he was going to work,” he explains. “He taught me and my older brother how to warm up food and do the basics, but I wanted to get more into it and actually use the stove, learn how to fry and chop things.”
When researching food that might help his mum Leah feel better, Omari stumbled across veganism. He soon committed to a plant-based diet, saying: “I didn’t like the way animals were treated for food and clothes, so I decided to become vegan and cook my own vegan meals.”
Omari’s enthusiasm for cooking and veganism is infectious, and you can see why he’s the perfect bubbly host for a CBBC cooking show.
His approach is all about having fun with food, saying boldly: “I’m creative – the kitchen is my science lab. I’m always experimenting with different flavours and different meals, and making new recipes.”
Part of this experimentation is bringing in Caribbean flavours and seasonings into his plantbased dishes. Omari’s grandmother “cooks Caribbean meals”, he explains. “I put my own vegan twist to it”. His eyes light up when talking about his vegan Jamaican patties: “They taste delicious!”
With a TV show and burgeoning business already under his belt, writing Omari McQueen’s Best Bites Cookbook was a no-brainer – and for Omari, it was a huge achievement. “I’ve got dyslexia and I find spelling hard sometimes,” he admits.
“But I achieved the goal, because I wrote the whole book myself. I had some spelling mistakes, but my mum checked it and
I wrote the whole book myself. I had some spelling mistakes, but my mum checked it and then it was really amazing.
Omari on writing his cookery book despite having dyslexia
then it was really amazing.”
For Leah, food is a jumping-off point for her son to learn about so many different things.
The book has helped with his spelling and self-confidence, and she says: “Omari learned to read fluently by reading cookbooks... And most of Omari’s measurements and maths have been through cooking as well.”
Leah homeschools all six of her children, saying: “It’s hard work, but I make sure they are learning in a way that they’re enjoying at the same time.”
That’s not to say it’s always smooth sailing in the kitchen. After a few pointed looks from his mother, Omari admits sheepishly: “I am messy, I do not tidy up after myself.”
To which Leah adds with a humorous groan: “It’s absolutely hell. When he goes into the kitchen, he takes every seasoning out – he’s got about three cupboards now.
“When he’s in the kitchen he’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to be making vegan patties’. And then he’d be like, ‘But I’ll make a cake as well’. And then you’ve got cake mix all over the sideboard.
“I’m like, ‘Omari, you’re sitting down and waiting for things to cook in the oven or bake – why are you still sitting and there’s mess around you?’ “He’s ruined a few of his good knives by putting them in the dishwasher – they’re not meant to be in there, but he’s too lazy to give it a wash. But he’s learning, and I’m teaching him.”
One thing Omari has certainly mastered is setting himself targets and going for them. “Achieving goals, I get that from my mum,” he says with a grin. “She always wants to achieve some goals of her own.
“I have my own vision board of what I want to achieve, and whenever I achieve a goal of what’s on that board, then I cross it out.” So what’s next on his list of goals? Other than a cheque for a million pounds (yes, that’s on the vision board too), Omari’s next big plan is to start making balanced, vegan ready meals for children, and donating part of the profits to free school meals.