First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
don't already know you?
Hi there, my names is William Marshall and I'm a 19 year old actor from
Derbyshire. I'm ambitious and enthusiastic and I strive to have
unquestionable work ethic and commitment. I pride myself on maintaining a
professional but friendly manner while working on my projects. I am a
registered spotlight actor and also a member of Equity. What got you into acting in the
first place, and what can you tell us about your training as an actor? At
school my favourite subject was drama, it was also the subject I excelled
at in GCSE year. I enjoyed the opportunities it created to explore my
creativity and individuality, my drama teacher Tristan Weston said I had
a real knack for the arts.
After completing my GCSEs I decided to pursue further studies in drama, and
therefore enrolled in West Nottinghamshire College to study a national
diploma in performing arts. My studies majorly consisted of the practice
and learning of theatrical styles, techniques and their practitioners. We
also briefly studied the basics of film and acting for camera.
I completed my level 3 diploma achieving the grade of treble distinction
and pondering what the next step was for my future. After weighing up the
options that were available I decided to re-enroll at West Nottinghamshire
College and continue my education there. I am now studying a higher
national diploma in performing arts, which will be the equivalent to my
first two years of my degree. Can
you still remember your first time in front of a movie/TV camera, and what
was that experience like?
My first time on camera was being
an extra and doing fight stunts for Phil Gardiner's Dead Walkers: Rise of
the 4th Reich [Philip
Gardiner interview - click here]. To me it was like performing in the streets, but I felt an
added pressure to deliver a good performance by the camera hovering around
us during the fight choreography. It was an incredibly fun experience,
both gaining experience in acting for camera and stunt fighting. That
experience ignited my passion for film and TV acting. Besides movies, you've also
done quite a bit of stagework. So what can you tell us about William
Marshall, the stage actor? And how does performing on stage compare
to acting in front of a camera - and which do you prefer, actually? I'm
extremely passionate about theatre and I love performing on stage, whether
it be Shakespeare or a musical. I believe theatre is where every actor
truly learns their craft and discovers the possibilities that can come
from a highly developed knowledge of theatrical performance.
For myself as an actor I find that the most important thing is creating an
atmosphere than completely envelopes your audience and connecting with
them as your character. That is perhaps my most favourite part of theatre,
you don't have that natural atmosphere or adrenaline in film, or at least
that's my opinion. I wouldn't say I had a preference as both styles bring
me so much enjoyment, I can't help but love film and theatre equally.
Let's
talk about some of your current/future projects and your roles in them for
a bit: Legacy of Thorn?
I have been extremely fortunate to have been part of brilliant
productions recently, possibly the most memorable one was working on
Legacy of Thorn, directed by Mj Dixon [Mj
Dixon interview - click here]. I travelled with a few of main cast
who are close friends (Craig Canning & Jane Haslehurst [Jane
Haslehurst interview - click here]) and thanks to
their recommendations I managed to land a small speaking role.
It was a totally new experience working on night shoots that would last
hours, but the professionalism from the Mycho Entertainment team was
second to none. They made me feel welcome straight away and I can honestly
it was the experience of my career so far, so a big thanks to the Mycho
gang.
Reinhelm?
I have had the fortune to land two main cast in two films this year, the
first was James Colagiovanni's Reinhelm. It is a crime thriller in which
the audience follow the story of lead characters and their gangs,
constantly looking at different perspectives on the situations they find
themselves in.
I was first to be cast in the film after providing my CV and following a
short audition process in which I landed the role of Ricky Adams, the best
friend of Reinhelm gang leader Jared. Unfortunately due to unseen
circumstances the film's production has been postponed till next year, but
I certainly cannot wait to get started, as I will be working some
extremely talented and enthusiastic individuals on Reinhelm.
The Most Unusual Mr Wood?
Working with Who Productions has so far been an enjoyable and relaxing
experience. The director Charlie Wheeler saw fit to grace me with the
title role after I expressed my enthusiasm for being part of his latest
production, which sadly has been postponed till a later date.
The Most Unusual Mr Wood is the story of my character Jacob Wood and
his life in both the real world and a dimension created through his
imagination - the question is which is which? It has certainly been one of
my toughest challenges to date, but I am loving the journey that this
character is being taken on.
It is a very special production as it pays homage to the company's
previous creations and celebrates their 5th anniversary. The crew have
been so kind and welcoming I am very much looking forward to end result.
Vamperior?
My latest stage production and a project in which I feel I have faced one
the most challenging roles so far in my career. Written by Hayley Bristol
and produced by A Prop Me Up Theatre Company, Vamperior is a town engulfed
in a war between vampires and slayers and both are set on the annihilation
of the other faction.
I was cast as male lead, Anthony Hall, a rogue vampire the only one true
purpose that he will gladly die for to achieve. The role has been
extremely physical and required a great deal of fitness and precise stage
combat training due to the nature of the script. It has been a very
different experience to my previous stage work and I cannot wait till we
perform.
How would you describe yourself
as an actor, and what do you usually draw upon to bring your characters
to life? As an actor I pride myself on impeccable character
development. I utilise naturalistic techniques to aid in embodying my
character physically and emotionally. I find that one of the most
important things in my acting is to be completely immersed in the story
yourself as your character, therefore, my performance shall hopefully
become far natural and help immerse the audience in the narrative. I pride
myself on being professional but ensuring I enjoy what I do and that my
colleagues do as well, because what's life without a little fun?
Actors (or indeed actresses) who inspire you? I
could say some many astonishingly brilliant actors that have inspired to
pursue my career, but perhaps the most inspirational are the likes of
Meryl Streep, Ian McKellen, Leonardo Dicaprio and Johnny Depp.
It is their versatility to portray so many different roles and create such
iconic characters that have stuck with me throughout my life. Films such
as The Lord of the Rings trilogy have inspired to pursue fantasy,
Sweeney
Todd brought out my love for musical productions. These actors have
inspired me to achieve my ambitions and that is to act for the rest of my
life. I hope to inspire a new generation of artists, as well the dream of
portraying my own iconic character someday. Your
favourite movies? I'm mainly a massive fan of fantasy
franchises, the most notable of all is The Lord of the Rings trilogy and
most recently the Hobbit trilogy.
Speaking of more recent films I also have a soft spot for historical and
documentary films. Two of the best films that I've enjoyed at cinemas were
12 Years a Slave and The Wolf of Wall Street. Both films heavily displayed
the darker sides of human nature and I felt truly connected to the
characters that were portrayed, specifically Solomun Northup played by
Chiwetel Ejiofor, and I found it to be one the greatest performances by any
actor I have ever seen. ... and of course, films you really
deplored?
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I'm normally not one for speaking badly of films,
but one of the biggest let-downs in my opinion was Michael Bay's
Transformers franchise. The first film I enjoyed, a good cast, a decent
plot and storyline and great effects. As they progressed I felt the plots became far too shallow and slightly
predictable and I was never really drawn either by the the main
characters played by Shia La Beouf and Megan Fox. To me the films just
relied on the special effects and battle scenes far too much, that's what
ruined Transformers for me. Your website,
Facebook, whatever else?
Find me on Facebook!
StarNow: www.starnow.com/WillMarshallActor13
Spotlight: http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/5093-0162-0856
Anything else you are dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Well
I hope people have enjoyed getting to know more about me as an actor and
person. I look forward to starting my next few projects with Darren Lynch
and Lynch Films, unfortunately there aren't many details to share and, I
hope to work with many more fantastic artists out there! Thank you
for the interview Michael, it's been a pleasure! Thanks
for the interview!
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