Born to a cameraman father and a makeup artist mother, the world of film is something he’s always held very close to his heart. After a brief stint on Hollyoaks, as the character Dave Colburn, Elliot got his big break a few years ago when he had a chance meeting with photographer and filmmaker Elaine Constantine, while working as a model. With his brooding looks and athletic build, she was instantly drawn to him and promptly cast him as the lead role in her first feature length film.
How did you first get involved with Elaine and the Northern Soul project?
I met Elaine doing a modeling job. I had to do some sort of gymnastics and Elaine came up to me and was like, ”you look like John Clark!” I just thought she was a bit mad. Then she explained that he was a character in a film she was making, and then a year later she got in contact with me and sent me a script. That’s how it all started; I read the script and loved it.
But you’d done some acting before that, right?
Yeah, I’d done some TV work, but this was my first lead role in a feature length. To actually get this part, where I’d actually have to shoulder the film was quite stressful but really great, a fantastic experience. Easily the best job I’ve ever done.
I bet you say that to all the girls.
Haha, yeah. Every time I get a new role.
So how did you get into TV work?
Well my dad was a camera operator and my mum is a make up artist, who worked for the BBC, so I’ve grown up with all that. Then I got some work experience on a Harry Potter film in the camera department when I was 19. My dad had taught me a bit about cameras so I knew a bit about it all.
Has knowing about cameras and the mechanics of how filming actually works affected you as an actor?
It was nice to see it all from the crew’s point of view. It’s so much easier for actors. But it was really interesting seeing how all these actors, who were at the top of their game, hit their marks.
Was there a specific moment or film or actor that made you want to work in film?
I’ve always been really interested in film; I’m a bit of a film geek. It’s actually a bit of a weird one, but I’ve always really liked Oliver! I remember watching it with my dad when I was young, we went to the stage musical and Robert Lindsay was playing Fagan, and it was just amazing. I just wanted to do something like that; my dad’s friend played a child in the original film and that just made it really real for me.
To play John Clark you had to grow your hair, train for such long hours, learn the dance moves, learn the accent, lose weight, what was it like taking on such an immersive role in Northern Soul?
I mean it was amazing. It was such a big commitment. We were due to shoot it in 2010 but it got delayed by two years, but by that point I’d already lost all the weight and grown my hair. So I was already nine stone, which, when I went to other auditions, made people look at me like I was some drug addict.
What about all the amazing dancing, how long did that all take?
I got taught by Keb Darge one on one, which sort of laid down the foundations. You learn your set moves, but then you sort of go wherever the music takes you. That’s the beauty of it, it’s not like you’re all dancing together; you’re in your own little world. It’s very Northern Soul. Then when they brought more people in we did group sessions with Fran Franklin. There was a real family atmosphere in the groups, People were competing with each other, but in a good way. Everyone ended up pushing themselves, which is how I ended up with a broken wrist -doing some trick that I wasn’t quite good enough to do.
I thought the amphetamine-fuelled all-nighter scenes were really great, very convincing. What was it like filming those? Did you have to train for them as well?
Haha. I didn’t, no. I was just dripping with sweat from all the dancing, and I’d hold my breath before the take so I was really red faced and veiny and out of breath for the whole thing. It was something that Elaine really wanted to get right.
What about the music, did you get really into it?
Yeah. I’d never really heard any Northern Soul before, but Elaine gave me all these albums and the same with Keb. When you dance, everything is to do with the beat and the song, you get really into it.
It’s amazing how passionate the kids in the film are about the music, the drugs, the clothes and the whole ethos of the scene. You don’t really get that today
I don’t think there’s anything quite like it. Maybe the rave scene in the 90s. It was great to meet some of the original people; they feature in some of the scenes with the mock-up casinos. The way they move is insane, they move better than us and we’re half their age.
Did you ever feel self-conscious about really throwing yourself into the dance scenes?
Not really, by that time we got to that point we all knew each other really well. There was a really comfortable family feel to the set. We were all passionate about making the film as good as it could be. By the end of it, we were just ready to go, we’d didn’t care how we looked.
What about the sex scene in the back of the car? Was that tres romantic or quite awkward?
Haha. It was quite awkward. No it fine, Antonia is a lovely a girl, she’s a brilliant actress. It was quite funny timing as it was the only day that my girlfriend at the time decided to come up to visit. It was my first proper sex scene, the idea was worse than the actual doing of it.
What was it like working with actors like Steve Coogan and Ricky Tomlinson?
Very daunting. It was very hard to keep a straight face with Steve Coogan on set. I was dying inside. He’s so great. It was wicked working with all those people, a fantastic experience.
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock
Photography Sophie Green