Photography - Chloe Mallet

Words - Tajinder Hayer

Lewis Reeves is currently on screens in the Sky Comedy series Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything opposite Sheridan Smith. He will most likely be recognisable to you from the smash hit I May Destroy You as well as Unforgotten, Misfits and The Midwich Cuckoos.

Tell us about the new show, Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything

It’s a great comedy in my opinion, with Sheridan at the helm. It’s completely different to 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps which I grew up watching. Rosie Molloy is a character that is suffering from addiction to everything from sugar to drugs and alcohol. It comes to a point in her life that she needs that she needs to change and whilst the will is there, she doesn’t have the know how. It’s quite a heavy subject matter but the show isn’t and handles it in a really light hearted way.

What’s your character like?

I play Joey who is Rosie’s brother and the two of them are completely different. Joey is quiet up-tight and has is harsh towards her, as he doesn’t understand how she is the way she is. Regardless, he is always there for her and has her back which is lovely to play.

Tonally there is a darkly comic but uplifting feel to the show. What attracted you to this sort of script?

Firstly I was really excited about the names of those involved and then I read it and I loved how it had such a good heart. The whole script was humane and relatable and I also thought that it was quite powerful.

Were you surprised by the success of I May Destroy You?

Yeah I was. No-one can ever plan how successful a show is, but looking back at it it does seem like it had a golden ticket feel about it. In TV and film, it all has to come together to create a success, and here it did. As soon as I saw that Michaela was behind it, I thought that it was something special and to watch her interact on set, she was incredible. I got the feeling that we were doing good work but no, I couldn’t have imagined it would have been such a success.

When you were training to be an actor, did you envisage that you would be doing this sort of dark comic work?

Well at school I was always a bit of a class clown, but its just been the last couple of roles that I’ve been involved in these sorts of shows. Maybe about the last 3/4 years. I think that there is quite a thin layer between comedy and drama which I find really interesting. Typically actors that are in these roles have quite a dark side, and a good understanding of life.

How difficult is it to portray a somewhat troubled character?

When I’m working on heavy scenes it’s exhausting. In the same way that going to the gym can be, its like muscle endurance. That was especially the case with some of the scenes I was involved in with Michaela on I May Destroy You. I was worried at first, but we had an intimacy coach on set who helped give us the language to create like a choreographed routine. Once you have that training, it's much easier to play those sorts of scenes, and it doesn’t feel as if you are in such a dark space.

Typically, how long are you working on a series?

You certainly feel it when its finished and it can be quite a long and strenuous process. In the modern era there is so much content being produced, that it can be quite tiring. On this show we had a week of rehearsal time, which was really great.

What are you working on now and next?

Well I’ve directed a short film which is going online soon called Harry the Hamster. Over the last year I’ve been directing a football documentary for Doncaster Rovers which is a really interesting new challenge for me, but at the moment I am looking forward to enjoying Christmas.

Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything is on Sky Comedy now.

Follow Lewis Reeves on Instagram.