“I tried to make it as real as possible,” says Craig Fairbrass. “I heard it on the radio.”
He’s referring to The Rettonden Murders, on the night of 6th December 1995, in which 3 cocaine dealers were shotgunned to death in their Range Rover. The murders inspired countless documentaries (including a lacklustre radio doc I made in college) and a string of movies, most notably the Rise of the Footsoldier franchise. In these movies Fairbrass has been playing Pat Tate, one of the murdered dealers, since the first film came out in 2007. “There was a 10 year break between the first 2 movies. It was so successful because of the fans. We took half a million on the first one. It was an exciting part to play.”
Wikipedia says the original Rise of the Footsoldier took 220 grand, but okay.
The Rise of the Footsoldier panel also includes Frank Harper, who portrayed rival dealer and gunman Jack Whomes, and this is the first panel of the day at Comic Con Yorkshire.
The event has returned to Yorkshire Event Centre for a second year, this time also featuring 4 Dr Who actors from differing time periods, plus actors from other franchises.
Compare Tom Finkill starts the questions, which tease out behind-the-scenes stories about Fairbrass having a handful of hair gel when he got to meet Denzel Washington, and another incident when Harper was taken to meet real-life gangster Ronnie Kray. (“He brought out a pot of tea. He said, ‘Shall I be mother?’ and started pouring for everyone.”) To round off, it’s revealed that Terry Stone’s wig, transforming him into cocaine dealer Tony Tucker, we learn cost 17 grand to make. A questionable investment, if you ask me.
Local rock group Lina and the Lions take the stage next.
The next stage attraction is the Dr Who panel.
“It looks like a box,” explains Nicola Byrant, “But it’s not a box. It blows your mind.”
Byrant, who plays assistant Peri to the 5th and 6th Doctor Whos, camps it up for the audience, a good portion of whom are kids, giving us a rundown on the Tardis. She’s on stage today with Christopher Eccleston (9th Doctor), Paul McGann (8th Doctor) and Colin Baker (6th Doctor).
“I wanted to do something for the hearts and minds of younger people,” says Salford-born Eccleston. “Something fun.”
Colin Baker, as it happened, wanted to tell us about a knock on his trailer door one day. “This girl wanted me to sign her old breast implant. I should have said, ‘I feel a right tit!’”
“I was sent a lock of someone’s body hair,” claims Byrant. “A part you can cut it off with scissors. Not a part you’d normally see. Another guy wanted me to sign his arse. I did. But where do you put your other hand to stabilise it?”
“Today, during the photo opp,” Eccleston reveals, “I was given a knitted COVID germ! The girl said, ‘I want to give all the Doctors COVID!’” He goes on to tell us he was once told he ‘dances like he’s recently assembled.’
Tom proposes a game of ‘Never Have I Ever,’ the results of which raises a few eyebrows. “When I got pulled over for speeding,” Byrant says, “the police said ‘Oh my god, you’ve got a Tardis, you can go as fast as you want.’”
“That’s an advantage of your gender,” gripes Baker. “When I tried it, they were like, ‘Oh, you think you’re famous, you can speed…’” He goes on to tell us he admires Jennifer Lawrence, and her body, he pauses, of work.
None have watched Love Island.
McGann nearly got the titular role of Napoleonic TV series Sharpe, but broke his leg in Ukraine. This role then famously went to Sean Bean. Eccleston tells us of his career regrets. “I’ve done so much shit for money. But still, it was good money. Well, I lost it.”
Part 2 to come.
