The Lady: Why Ed Speleers Refused to Imitate Tommy Cressman | Set Stories

The subject matter that we are exploring is really difficult for people to get their heads around . I almost threw everything out the window that I've worked before . For many years I've really questioned ability . What I found through [music] working with Meera is that I relax so much more because she is this sort of bundle of positivity . I've spent enough of my life worrying . I I'm Ed Speleers . I play Thomas Cressman [music] and you are watching this on Granite State Stories . Trust is something to do with it and there's a lot of it is trusting yourself . And that's why I was really interested in playing this part . Beyond subject matter, beyond it being based on you know on true events, it comes down to human behavior and I think that's what always drives me . And I felt like I understood his world . I don't know. I . I just there was there was a relatable elements to it . I just feel that there was things that I wanted to try and convey . In terms of finding those moments though , I don't have a sort of hard fast rule of doing it but I think that's what I found intriguing about this particular experience was that it was I almost threw everything out the window that I've worked before and it and and I really wanted to dial into Tommy's personality. He was conveyed as a sort of a fun loving lover of life , wanted everyone to be having a great time and dancing and enjoying the thrill of it . I think I felt if I dialed into that being his main way of operating then the fall from that is going to hurt so much more and it will hurt him as well. And I I guess that was something I think also Lee, our amazing director, he allowed us space . It didn't really we care again and this is where it became quite like working in the theater . The cameras we didn't really care where they were. They never felt invasive even if they were right up in your grill . It was never a thing that they were constricting you in any way . It really felt like everyone was delicately working around and I just allowing that space to play and have fun . And also Lee dictated that. But he dictates it in a way that is so laid back . And like when he's happy with something he doesn't sort of we didn't with me anyway . He didn't like jump up and down from his seat and tell me how good you are