David Tennant and Michael Sheen explain how their Staged characters were developed
The popular actors are appearing on The Graham Norton Show tonight ahead of the release of a second series.
Given that Michael Sheen and David Tennant essentially play versions of themselves in hit lockdown comedy Staged, you'd be forgiven for thinking the show was improvised – but the popular actors are actually performing from scripts.
And speaking on The Graham Norton show ahead of the release of a second series, the pair revealed exactly how their personas were developed for the show.
"I’d say David is not like the David Tennant in the show and I would say I probably am like the Michael Sheen," Sheen said, although Tennant disagreed.
"No, I think the versions of us were inspired by elements of us and then exaggerated," he explained.
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And Sheen added that he and Tennant had still not actually met writer Simon Evans in person, although they claim that his writing for them has adapted the longer they've been working together.
“The writer didn’t know either of us when we started, and we still haven’t actually met him," he revealed. "We brought stuff to it and as he got to know us slowly, I became more horrible.”
“And I became more pathetic!" Tennant chipped in.
The second series, which will begin at the start of 2021, is expected to include more petty disagreements, appearances from family members and celebrity cameos (Dame Judi Dench and Samuel L Jackson were among the big names to feature last time out).
And Sheen has explained how the new series will also reflect the different stage of the pandemic that we find ourselves in now, after the original run focused on the first lockdown.
“The first one reflected that time when everyone was locked in and you couldn’t leave, and you at least knew the rules," he said. "The second series exists in a world that we are all living in and reflects all the confusion there is about what we can do. We are constantly on the verge of going somewhere, but never quite get there.”
The Graham Norton Show airs tonight at 10:45pm on BBC One. Staged season two will premiere on BBC One on Monday 4th January at 9:45pm. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
