John Simm reveals how Liam Gallagher inspired I, Jack Wright performance
John Simm says Liam Gallagher and John Squire provided him with "a gift from heaven".
John Simm says Liam Gallagher and John Squire's album was "a gift from heaven" for I, Jack Wright.
The 55-year-old musician and actor plays Gray Wright in Chris Lang's thrilling new courtroom drama, which sees a late businessman's family - including his many wives and drill - fighting over the remains of his estate after his apparent death by suicide.
Opening up on his character, Jack's oldest son Gray, John told the BBC: "He's from Manchester, and I know that world very well, plus I was in the music industry in the 90s. They were Gray’s golden days, and I can relate to that.
"I was 20 in 1990, so I just had a ball throughout all that time in that world. I was in a band back then, and so Manchester looms large in my life.
"In fact, by some weird sort of serendipity, Liam Gallagher and John Squire released an album together just as we started filming on the first series.
"I use music a lot for characters, and I just thought this was like a gift from heaven. It was a joy to tap into all that again."
While the Life on Mars star "didn't base him on anyone in particular", he admitted he subconsciously drew on real life.
He added: "I may have been thinking of a friend of mine for his physicality!"
John noted that he is "always" drawn to certain roles because of the writing, and this was no different.
He explained: "Chris Lang is a brilliant writer. The script was just a gift, and the part was appealing too.
"I've been playing Grace [DS Roy Grace in the ITV drama] for the last six years, so just to be able to play someone else was a real joy.
"Finally, I love the character; he's a tortured kind of 90s throwback, i.e. basically myself!"
Indeed, music and the 90s are a big part of Gray's character.
John said: He's the oldest son of Jack Wright, and he's not in the best of places when we find him: his glory days are well behind him.
"He owes people money, and he's got himself into a right old pickle. Gray was a minor pop or rock star in the 90s, possibly having one or two top 10 songs, and he's now a record producer with his own label, a very small indie outfit.
"He wears 90s Adidas, has a Britpop or old raver kind of vibe, he's on the gear, he drinks too much, smokes, is an addict and is basically the bad apple of the family."
I, Jack Wright is coming to BBC One and iPlayer on July 12.
