On our pilot show in May 2006 Tony spoke to us about his career from the early days at the Italia Conti Stage School through to roles in Dr Who, General Hospital and of course, Crossroads.
He shared his memories of Noele Gordon and even explained how he got his trademark moustache! Tony also kindly answers questions put to him by the Crossroads Appreciation Society. It was an in depth look at Tony's career that was a must for all his fans. Here are some the highlights from the interview.
Your first role in Crossroads wasn’t as Adam Chance was it?
No, I was Mr Perkins. I sold Kitty a house. It’s the very first time I ever had a moustache because Nolly [Noele Gordon who played Meg] was sitting in make up and she said ‘He looks far too young to be an estate agent – stick a moustache on him!” And that’s exactly what they did, they glued a moustache onto me.
How did you feel when you got the role of Adam, where you nervous?
I walked around Birmingham on the Sunday, knowing that I was going to start on the Monday, hoping that a bus would come onto the pavement and run me over. I was so frightened and a guy, Carl Andrews [who played Joe Macdonald] was starting at the same time. When we got talking we both said how terrified we were. It was shot as live and you couldn’t afford to make mistakes because we had no editing suite. The one person who got me through that and taught me how to handle the animal, and it was an animal, was Ronnie Allen, who played David Hunter. He really looked after me and told me how to approach the show and I’ll always be grateful to him for that.
Were you surprised when Crossroads came back and you were asked to be in it?
Yes and yes! Very surprised to be in it, but also very glad. I got a phone call asking if I’d go and see he new producers of Crossroads and how did I feel as coming back as Adam. And he was just as evil as he was when he’d left - it was great fun!
I believe you were due to go into Crossroads Mark III before it was axed?
Yes. Crossroads Mark III!! I remember watching the very first episode going out and I would say without a doubt everyone who is still alive who had been in Crossroads phoned me up and said “Have you seen that load of crap on the television that is going under the name of Crossroads? What do you think?” Well let me tell you, I watched every single episode! If Yvonne Grace [the producer] had been able to call it The Samsons, I think it would still be on, because it was a dress rehearsal for Hotel Babylon [BBC show].
I think its problem was the Crossroads legacy, that people wanted it to be something else.
The old people, who loved Benny, Miss Di, Doris Luke, all those people, hated even the first one they brought back, let alone Yvonne Grace’s production of it. They didn’t want to see it because there weren’t the people they wanted to see from the past. The younger people didn’t want to watch it because Crossroads had that terrible stigma of the sets wobbling and people forgetting their lines. I think if it had been given a chance it would still be on, because it did get a lot of people who wouldn’t miss it and if I was out I videoed it – I did not miss one single episode!
You can now buy personal edition prints of Crossroads and other shows/stars
from ITV’s 50 years of broadcasting!
http://shop.rexfeatures.com/
Prints can be purchased via the online galleries but visitors are welcome to contact Matthew Greenland at Rex matthewg@rexfeatures.com for information on availability of images, to order prints or to ask any questions they might have. Matthew can also advise inquirers on how to search for extra 'Crossroads' images – for example by typing *ITV Crossroads into the search bar. Click here for an order form
|
