Mike Reid Was A Pro Right Until the End
By Edward Druide
The legendary Mike Reid, a/k/a Frank Butcher, makes his final
professional engagement in the feature film Jack Says , which was
released in the U.K. on the 22.09.08 through 4 Digital distribution.
The film received critical acclaim for the achievements proved
possible on a low budget across the worlds film festival in the last
six months, which was delivered with a "team effort" production
employed by lead actor and producer Simon Phillips, but what was the
real cost here?
As we sit and discuss the film I notice that Simon Phillips seems
relaxed about his overwhelming achievements, giving me an indication
that perhaps it is a little bittersweet. I probe a little deeper. He
tell me that "working with Mike Reid was always a big goal of mine
from an early age, I loved his character so much in Snatch and
EastEnders – so having him come on board with the film was a real coup
for me. I was just cheeky enough to ask, and I think that resonated
with him and so he jumped on board. As the first named talent to come
on board it made everything else relatively easy."
And when he says relatively easy I know that this was a hard slog
for the production team that slaved away on principal photography for
over six months, but Simon takes it all in his stride saying "if these
things were easy to accomplish then they wouldn't feel like such an
achievement when completed, it is exactly because they are difficult
to do that we challenge ourselves in this manner."
I can't help but applaud his work ethic here, but he doesn't take
praise well – which is oddly endearing. Simon comes from a performing
arts background, but made his producer name entirely on his own merits
– having previously produced William Shakespeare's Measure For Measure
for the education market.
With all actors you expect an ego, but this is strangely absent
here, as my compliment on his own personal performance he attributes
to the team that assisted him to produce the film. And finally I get
to the big question, How does he feel knowing that his film is Mike
Reid's last? He winces a little and tells me "I am so proud of what my
team achieved. And the securing of Mike Reid was perfect casting in
this film. But perhaps my biggest regret here is that I won't get to
show him [Mike Reid] the finished film. I think he would have enjoyed
it."
Having also persuaded — EastEnders alum Rula Lenska* (editor's
note: she's in four episodes that aired originally in the U.K. in 2002
as Frank Butcher's girlfriend Krystal) appear in the film as well it
is clear that Simon used his very measured communication skills to
enlist some heavy weight help to deliver his vision for the film.
I can see an honesty in Simon Phillips which almost feels like it
doesn't belong in the cut throat world of film, he has that
likeability factor that some lucky actors are gifted with and as he
talks to you it's good that I feel I have his full attention – despite
knowing that he has another two interviews after mine. I have a funny
feeling that we'll see more from Simon Phillips in the near future as
I believe that as one star passes another one might have just had a
beer with me.
More information is available at http://www.jacksays.co.uk
*Rula Lenska trivia: She was married to Dennis actor Dennis Waterman,
father to Hannah Waterman (EastEnders' Laura Beale.)
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