Lenny Rush isn't sure he'll ever live down his unusual 'first on-screen kiss'
The Reluctant Vampire star Lenny Rush has opened up about his unique and awkward smooch in the BBC comedy.
Lenny Rush kissed a pumpkin for his first ever on-screen smooch.
The 17-year-old actor has reflected on an awkward scene in new BBC comedy The Reluctant Vampire where he ends up pretending he's practising his techniques on the large orange squash.
Speaking to The Big Issue magazine, he quipped: "I'm going to be honest, no, I did not practise."
However, Lenny - who plays Val in the show based on Eric Morecambe's classic books - insisted he's not a "natural" by any means.
He added: "No, but it was my first on-screen kiss. I don't think many people can say their first on-screen kiss is a pumpkin.
"So, yeah, got to live that down..."
Just like his pumpkin kiss, Lenny revealed he decided against going method for another project when his Slow Horses alter ego Reece Nesmith had a farting competition with Gary Oldman's character Jackson Lamb on the spy thriller.
He said: "You know what? I didn't [go method]. But right, there's this really weird thing where you're pretending to fart, you feel the urge to actually fart.
"I'd say in my mind: I cannot be farting in front of Gary Oldman. That can't be happening."
When it was suggested the veteran actor might have respected that level of commitment to the craft, Lenny agreed.
He quipped "I think he would. If I just went, 'Look Gary, I'm method. You don't mind if I let one or two drop?' "
For the pumpkin smooch scene in The Reluctant Vampire, Lenny recently admitted he howled coming across the moment in the script.
He told Rolling Stone UK: "Honestly, reading in the script alone was laugh out loud, and then got to the moment and I was like, 'Oh, I’ve actually got to kiss this pumpkin.' "
The Reluctant Vampire features a talented cast with the likes of Sian Clifford, Tom Davis, Bill Bailey, Ross Noble and more.
The BBC teased: "As vampire heir to the throne, there are great expectations for Val to follow in his father’s traditional footsteps, however he’s never really got to grips with the usual bloodthirsty rites of passage.
"When his mum reveals he’s not actually a vampire at all but is in fact human, he finds himself caught between two-worlds trying to hide his secret and protect his family while grappling with his own identity and the pull of human life."
The Reluctant Vampire is available on BBC iPlayer, and continues Sundays on BBC One.
