Thank you to a very lovely fan from the UK for writing this excellent article for our website!
“Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more” – Jeanette Walls.
Drama full of tragedy and comedy- this could describe the acting credits of the immensely talented Adam Nagaitis. Even in the most somber dramas he is a master at finding the humour in the script and creating light relief and even laugh out loud moments without ever losing any of the dramatic tension. With this in mind, I thought it would be opportune to take a brief light hearted foray into some of Adam’s back catalogue, with a focus on his dramatic roles, and re-visit some of his funniest on screen moments in an attempt to try to unravel just why he is so good at this. Please be warned- contains spoilers!!
There is a scene in the BBC drama series The Gold where cocky “sarf London” armed robber Micky McAvoy is being interrogated by the Old Bill. Resisting pressure to grass up his accomplices (“I ain’t giving you no names”), his interaction with DI Nicki Jennings is more like two school kids trying to get one over on each other. When he delivers the line “Billy Jenning’s girl a bloody copper”, implying she has betrayed her nefarious working class roots, it is priceless-elbow on desk, his chin resting laconically on his hand, the narrowing of the eyes, scrunching his nose up, the shake of the head, and the glance to the uniform lurking in the background. He may as well be sticking two fingers up at the law. This is a prime example of why Adam Nagaitis is such a brilliantly comedic actor. It is his delivery, facial expressions and body language (acting basically) which makes it so funny.
I started to follow his career after seeing his performance as enigmatic anti hero Cornelius Hickey in The Terror. Although already familiar with some of the brilliant cast, I became utterly mesmerised by Hickey and the actor behind him, both like a force of nature emerging from the shadows. I totally buy into Hickey’s influence which he projects like a crazy little cult leader (sign me up, I’ll drink the Kool-Aid). My admiration for Adam has just grown with every performance I’ve seen. I also love a good villain and it’s fair to say that Adam has played quite a lot of naughty characters who lie, cheat at cards, and commit blackmail, armed robbery, cannibalism and murder. As Captain Crozier would put it “I really do have my pick”. However, these bad boys are diverse, nuanced and have depth. He rarely plays someone who is purely a thug (although in Gunpowder Milkshake he makes a very charismatic thug).
They say the devil gets the best lines and he has been blessed with fantastic scripts, from some of the very best writers around. It’s what he does with the words though which is astonishing. His performance as dim drug addict Brett McKendrick in the excellent Happy Valley is a great illustration of this. Sally Wainwright’s screenplays for Happy Valley and To Walk Invisible can both be viewed on the BBC Writers site in the script library section, and it is interesting to compare the written word with the performances. She is atypical as a screenwriter for including a lot of detailed directions which in themselves make for amusing reading- the subject matter might be grim but she has a great turn of phrase. Brett is at different points described as a “22 year old smackhead”, “off his face on something” and “has the manner of someone who’s brain’s permanently damaged.” I don’t think anyone writes black comedy better than her as demonstrated by Brett’s opening scene. If you googled the word “ridiculous” there ought to be footage of him in his naff car propped up on bricks singing Another One Bites the Dust. As soon as Catherine Cawood pulls him out the car the smile is wiped off his face quicker than he can mutter “I was just singing”- his voice goes up higher than his polyester jacket riding up his back. The body language is terrific as Brett, humiliated, returns to his car, unable to look his mates in the eye.
We see this again when the police visit his scuzzy flat. He’s got the fear. When he gets up to answer the door his nervous energy is palpable. Is he going to reveal something he shouldn’t to the coppers? ..only that he can flush his toilet. The script provides no direction regarding how he delivers this line but it’s as if he’s proudly announcing he got his scout badge for it. Amongst all the stupid choices which Brett makes though I think the most unforgivable is his crime against fashion, when he releases Lewis from his hiding place another of his highly flammable polyester tops is again riding up. Risky attire for a smoker- one stray blim and he’ll go up like Tommy Lee Royce at the end of series three.
There is a vulnerability and a complete lack of any vanity in these performances. Take problematic man child Private Buckley in Banished. Immature, petulant and spiteful. A couple of the most entertaining scenes in the series occur when Buckley goes headlong into one of his temper tantrums, and it always follows the same pattern:
1. He starts an argument.
2. He is humiliated.
3. He storms off.
4. He cries.
5. Before you’ve counted to ten…
6. He’s back again.
7. He picks a fight.
8. He gets beaten up.
9. Further humiliation.
This occurs when he is ordered to take Kitty to Major Ross yet somehow manages to start a fist fight mid errand. Then later with his face still scabby from the fight he’s previously lost, he goes and does it again (but with even worse consequences). The card game preceding this is a great scene where he is deliciously odious, his gloating face twisted, like a spoilt child who’s showing off because he’s got sweets and he ain’t sharing them. Having had the smugness metaphorically knocked out of him, he returns to pour petrol on the fire, running back in the manner of someone who is pathetically out of control. Contrast this to Micky running like an Olympic athlete in The Gold with the police in pursuit (however, I take issue with how pedestrian they are compared to nimble Micky yet every time the camera cuts back they’re still hot on his heals) . Buckley is simultaneously funny (he’s the character you love to hate who has only himself to blame for getting into these situations), yet he is also tragic. Adam beautifully exposes his vulnerability and inner torment, leaving your loyalties in tatters.
Returning to the delectable (or despicable depending on your view point) Mr Hickey, this is an interesting role in Adam’s career where he goes from playing mostly disempowered weak characters, to ones with power and influence. Hickey seems to transition from one state to the other over the course of The Terror. However, despite his leverage and intelligence, there is also something quite childlike about him. Physically he looks tiny amongst the statuesque cast, and when he takes possession of Fitzjames’ boots he stomps around like a toddler in Mum’s big shoes. He also has almost child-like dreams and quests which perhaps fuel his ambition-voyaging to the Sandwich Islands, then his febrile conviction that he can commune with the Tuunbaq.
What is really amusing though is how every time he locks horns with Crozier, Hickey responds to authority and chastisement like an arrogant schoolboy called up in front of the head master. The interrogation scene following Lady Silence’s abduction is an absolute peach. He starts off proudly explaining his working out, but realising this isn’t going as well as he hoped he starts smirking, answering back and ultimately losing his temper. I absolutely love the moment when he pushes his tongue in his cheek when he realises he’s getting more than lines- a nasty little boy with defiance written all over his face. Later, having been so naughty that he is back in front of teacher, this time with a noose round his neck and facing execution, he is smirking again, eyeball rolling, and doing impressions. I can’t help but admire his nerve.
I think The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon might just be the funniest thing Adam has appeared in. This is slick, glossy escapism. “Entrepreneur” Quinn is yet another problematic man. Adam is very entertaining when playing twinkly eyed Lotharios- this all started with two timing Micky McAvoy and his “nice hass in the country” and all his cactus talk. Quinn, on the other hand takes the top prize when it comes to love bombing- a Monet painting, Marie’s patisserie and a four poster bed. (Some might settle for doodle art, a bag of crisps and a dirty mattress on a concrete floor.) Smooth operator Quinn can also rustle up a cocktail, speak fluent French and is a natty dresser (Brett take note), no wonder he’s a hit with the ladies. He’s a cool customer, unphased by the rotting undead lurching over the cobbles of Montmartre, who doesn’t hesitate to punch one in the face, and simply shrugs it off when a super powered walker’s head explodes. However, there is a picky little issue, Adam has a track record of fathering very beautiful offspring (see Red Rose and The Responder) and Laurent is no exception, but come on.. there is no way that boy is the biological offspring of Quinn and Lily. Quinn can lay his hands on works of art by an impressionist master, surely he can get a DNA test.
Now, the maestro when it comes to seducing the ladies is Ryan in American Star, Lancashire’s answer to Casanova. He can really rock a pair of aviator sunglasses, partially off setting the dodgy compost coloured Hawaiian shirt. Having given gorgeous Gloria the full cheeky charmer routine and getting some language tuition off her, as he walks off you can almost imagine a speech bubble coming out of his head which reads “mmm I’ll be seeing you later for some more oral lessons.”
Ryan is funny because he is an extremely dangerous character in a claustrophobic thriller who masquerades as a seemingly normal bloke who makes trivial chit chat, almost like a Quentin Tarantino character but very British. For this to be funny it needs the presence of Ian McShane (my teenage crush when he was roguish antique dealer Lovejoy) as Wilson with his dead pan expression, he’s like the straight guy to Ryan’s funny guy. Wilson is so simmeringly angry “stay in the south Ryan”, whilst Ryan is lolling about by the pool on a sun lounger (even though it went dark hours ago), flippantly gobbing off, sucking on his fag, waving his arms around, supping his beer, quoting from a Bette Midler song then sorting his Mum out with the TV settings. This is a classic example of a scene being simultaneously humorous and tense with an underlying sense of foreboding. Director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego credits Adam with bringing his own interpretation to the character of Ryan, it’s a great performance. Poor Gloria though- I just hope for her sake that it was the best one night stand ever. Come on Ryan- behave! The British on holiday abroad have already got a bad reputation!
Then we have the enigmatic Franny in The Responder. This is starting to read like the top ten “most wanted” list. We first see him plastering a wall, only a fool would dare give him a bad review on Trusted Trader, then again I don’t think it would be necessary- this guy takes pride in his work. Tony Schumacher’s writing brings to mind that of Sally Wainwright’s, conjuring a grim world with these wicked flashes of humour, many of these moments involve Franny. He’s a great character-intense, tricky to pin down, and has his own specific ideas of how the world works, whether it’s making sure that him and Chris are financially fair and square, or what time of day is acceptable to eat a cheeseburger. The Maxie’s drive through scene is perfect- the combination of a great script combined with brilliant acting- check out all of Adam’s little mannerisms, and as for that unblinking look that he gives Vernon.. who’d have thought that ordering a sausage and egg roll could be so tense?
Franny is at it again when he rocks up unexpectedly to see Chris, just as he thought he was having a nice bit of family time. When Chris agrees to stay on, Adam conveys Franny’s victory by squirming slightly and almost giggling. It’s like a romantic conquest, as if that girl he’s been chasing after for weeks has just agreed to go to the pictures with him. Then he’s back to focused Franny, moments later making a very clear threat- that fixed grin and unblinking eyes again are unnerving. A brilliantly nuanced and cringy scene, thanks to the excellent interplay between Adam and a flustered Martin Freeman.
Franny’s mattress may have cost three grand, but he’s got serious competition from Quinn and Lonsdale for the best bed. Speaking of whom.. there are some memorable moments in screen history where a character makes a lasting impression in their opening scene, for example Ursula Andress emerging from the sea in Dr No. If you’ve seen Adam’s most recent role as Lord Lonsdale in A Thousand Blows, then you will understand. This character is unlike anyone Adam has played. The man is an aristocratic buffoon, the sort of person Oscar Wilde was referring to in his famous quote about fox hunting, “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.” He is a questionable man of his time and class, but he does produce some wonderfully idiotic moments. The much anticipated arrival of the Chinese delegate becomes a catalogue of faux pas, misunderstandings and bluster. Lonsdale’s flamboyant reveal of the silverware is ridiculous, he conducts a chamber orchestra with the most insipidly smug expression on his face (it reminds me of the cheesy grin to camera which 1970s UK pianist Bobby Crush used to do), and he ushers his guests around like cattle by flamboyantly waving his arms about. I have a grudging soft spot for him for agreeing to take on a prize fighter in a bare knuckle boxing match and accepting his defeat like a good sport old boy, standing in front of the Chinese VIPs looking bedraggled, with his shirt hanging out and dabbing a cut to his head.
Incidentally, I think some of Adam’s funniest moments are from some of his interviews and personal appearances. He always comes across as being intelligent, warm, modest and unshowy, but with an occasional glimpse of mischief. Here’s three to check out:
1. Adam’s BAFTA Sixty Seconds. He efficiently and intelligently gallops through this, then his reaction when he realises what he’s said in response to the last question is pure gold.
2. The Terror interview alongside Nive Nielsen. Recalling the infamous flogging scene, and the ensuing ordeal after the cameras stop rolling. He’s funny, self deprecating and has enough charisma to melt the North Pole.
3. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Cast Diaries when Adam describes playing a walker. Genuinely funny how he can transform into a zombie or a shark (yes, a shark) in the blink of an eye.
Adam has appeared in a few comedies in small roles (The Inbetweeners 2, You Me and the Apocalypse, Upholstergeist) as well as some of his radio work. A more notable example is his character Jimmy in The Commuter. Although this isn’t a comedy, Adam provides the comic relief in a taught thriller about a nutter trying to blow up a train. Liam Neeson may have saved the impending disaster but for me Adam saved the film and delivers the best line, subverting a classic scene from Spartacus. Hopefully one day we will get to see him play a major comedy role, he would smash it, but until that happens we can still enjoy and laugh at his amazing back catalogue of dramatic roles.
More Please!
Now just for fun, here are some suggestions for future projects involving some of his beloved and memorable characters:
- A sitcom set in Franny and Jodie’s cake shop. “We’re not selling you a knickerbocker glory with rocky road sauce, it’s breakfast lad”.
- A comedy drama two hander: Grandma and Grandpa (The Agency) on surveillance. No action, just them two babbling on. Well, mostly Grandma babbling on about a broad range of educational and enlightening topics including Anglo American terminology, and his latest medical problems.
- Brother and Sister (Upholstergeist) on an episode of Cash in the Attic in their gothic home. They seem particularly keen to get rid of dear departed Great Auntie Ethel’s dusty old chaise longue.
- Ryan and his Mum at home (a sitcom). “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
- A biopic about the life of Lord Lonsdale. No gag here- this would be genuinely interesting.
- Hickey is a contestant on a reality survival programme. Unfortunately he has killed and eaten the entire cast, crew and production team. The scary found footage film is then scrutinised and edited to become Netflix’s latest hit serial killer documentary- Hickey: Inside the Mind (and stomach) of the Arctic’s most notorious killer.
- A prison set sitcom. William Braxton (Law and Order UK) and Rick Bennett (Red Rose) as cell mates. Rick steps in to protect William in the showers and ends up getting another five years added on to his sentence. Micky McAvoy is the big cheese on the wing, if anyone crosses him they’ll get a cactus somewhere they don’t want it. Adam playing all three characters using clever camera trickery.
- An audio education guide to learning French narrated by Quinn (tres fantastique).
- Bring back Banished. Maybe a regretful Buckley will find redemption and get his woman after all (naked and carrying fruit).
- The next James Bond film. Bond is boring, Adam to play the charismatic villain.
- Dating game show Blind Date. Which eligible ladies man will she choose? Number one Micky from sarf London, number two ex pat Quinn, or number three Northern boy Ryan? Mmm…decisions, decisions…