
Joining the cast of 4 O’Clock Club on CBBC in Series 7, which aired at the beginning of the year, Nathan Clarke could be seen playing the role of the new music teacher, Danny Boyd. Nathan is also involved in voiceover roles, including Thomas & Friends, and he has stage experience in a number of theatres such as London’s Trafalgar Studios where he played Saleem Khan in East is East alongside Ayub Khan-Din and Jane Horrocks. Sitting down with Nathan recently, we talk about his role of Danny Boyd in CBBC’s 4 O’Clock Club, his previous stage work and his most challenging roles.
You joined the cast of CBBC’s 4 O’Clock Club in Series 7, how much are you enjoying playing the new music teacher?
Itās an honour to play a music teacher in 4 OāClock Club. Itās a show that focuses heavily on the musical element so it felt like a huge responsibility but an opportunity I was really grateful for. Theyāre huge shoes to fill because Jason Callender, the actor who played the previous music teacher, Dexter Harris, is fantastic, and I really respect and admire his work in the previous seasons. It felt like there was a huge weight on my shoulders to take that on but yeah, Iām really lucky they chose me for the part.
How would you describe your character, Danny Boyd?
Danny is a very likeable young man, he has just come out of university doing a teachers degree. Heās bright-eyed and bushy tailed, he wants to do well and wants everyone to like him. Heās got his head screwed on and is just a genuinely nice bloke. Thatās what really attracted me to the role – his innocence and likability. Amongst the chaos at Elmsmere Manor, he remains a really sweet guy whoās just trying to do his best at keeping everything together.

Were you required to learn any musical instruments for the role?
Thankfully, no! I made it very clear that I couldnāt play any instruments when I went in for my initial audition. The only musical requirement was being able to rap, because itās such a massive part of the show. They said, ācan you rap, Nathan?ā and I said, ‘well, I am the UKās answer to Eminem,’ after a chuckle they said āno, but seriously… we canāt just take your word for it, haha, we need to actually hear you’. I went in and did a soundcheck with Mikis, who is our very talented composer, and he recorded me rapping along to an instrumental from one of the previous seasons. Thankfully they liked what I did… maybe not the UKās Eminem but decent enough for the part!
Have you had a favourite scene to film?
There was a scene in a cafĆ©, which is deliciously awkward. Danny just gets the complete wrong end of the stick and thinks he needs to go and pretend to be Maddieās boyfriend to scare off Mr Bell. Halfway through the scene we go into this rap, about the events that have just happened, it was just such a laugh. I get on really well with Genesis (Lynea), who plays Maddie in the show, and it was just an excuse for us to do some crazy stuff during the rap. That is the beauty of 4 OāClock Club. Our amazing directors always say to just show them what we’ve got and they’ll rein us in if we’re being too ridiculous, hahaha.
Also, there was a scene where itās my first ever introduction to Mr Bell who is the new headteacher at Elmsmere Manor – Dannyās interview to become the school’s new music teacher. It was the scene that the producers asked me to prepare for my first audition. As it was one of the last scenes we filmed (just because of filming schedules and stuff) it kind of made me look back and appreciate the journey Iād been on being a part of the show. From the very beginning at my audition, right to the very end of filming, performing that same scene. Hopefully I did the character and show justice! Haha.
Are you able to tell us where 4 O’Clock Club is filmed?
We film in Manchester, which is really nice. I love Manchester, Iāve worked there before on a show called East is East which was on at Trafalgar Studios in Londonās West End. After our run at Trafalgar, we went on a short tour, to Birmingham, Richmond and finally Manchester – I fell in love with it even though we were only there for a week. When I found out I got the part in this, and they said we film the show in Manchester, I was very excited. I really love the vibe there.

How do you spend your time in between filming scenes?
If you come to set youāll probably see me wandering around searching for food, mucking about having a laugh with Genesis, Dan Wright (Mr Nunn) and Simon Lowe (Mr Bell) or trying to find the next person to prank. If thereās a long wait in between scenes, it can get kind of boring, so you have to keep yourself entertained! I do go over my lines, I must say, itās not all fun and games, just mucking about doing nothing! So, Iām either pacing up and down learning my lines, going over the scenes or getting up to mischief of some sort!
Have you acted in anything like 4 OāClock Club before?
No, I donāt think I have actually. That was what really drew me to the project, it was something Iād not done before, it was a new challenge – the musical element. I really loved the concept of it, even though it is a comedy like Plebs, which Iād been in before, itās aimed at a slightly younger audience which is just a different experience for me. Iām really enjoying it so far.
Can you tell us about the episode you filmed for Plebs?
Plebs is set in ancient Rome and it focuses on three guys who work at a grain factory. I played a young ancient Egyptian lad called Ramases, whose father owns the grain factory and sends me there on work experience. Throughout the episode itās complete chaos and Ramases almost destroys the company! I suppose it was my first real shot at doing comedy for television, the stuff Iād done before was a lot darker and more serious, so it was an opportunity for me to see if I could actually be funny I suppose, haha. It was a really fun part to play though… heād definitely be getting a detention or two from Mr Bell if he was in 4 OāClock Club, hahaha!

You’ve previously worked on feature film We Still Kill the Old Way, what can you say about it?
We Still Kill the Old Way is a film that one should not watch unless theyāre over the age of eighteen, it is very violent and has lots of bad words in it!! It was my first screen credit and first experience of being on a major set as a lead character. It was an important moment in my career and a huge opportunity for me to prove myself on the big screen, I suppose. Itās about a group of young lads from Bethnal Green that are running riot, getting up to mischief, doing a lot of awful things to people in the area. They do something very naughty that involves one of the older members of this gang… Iām not explaining this very well – Iām really trying not to be graphic! Itās about a group of mischievous young lads that end up killing this old retired gang memberās brother. The older gang member, played by the brilliant Ian Ogilvy, then comes out of hiding and starts to take retribution on the youths in some really nasty ways…
Iām really sorry about that, that was the worst description of that film you will ever hear! Ask everyone else in the cast and theyāll explain it beautifully!
Who was your character?
I played a character called Dean, who was a lovely young lad that had found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, thatās what really drew me to the role and the project. The complexity of the characterās inner struggle. Heās a young kid thatās become involved in a gang called the E2 alongside the filmās main villain, Aaron, played by Danny-Boy Hatchard. Even though Dean is part of this gang, heās got bigger dreams and wants to do well in life. He knows that if he carries on, down this path, heās just going to end up in prison or dead. For my first ever film, I was very lucky to have been trusted with such a complex part.
What was it like on the set of Harry Potter?
Ah, I loved working on Harry Potter! I was fourteen when I did my first Harry Potter audition for The Order of the Phoenix, I suppose it was just a huge learning curve for me. I started to really become interested in acting when I was eleven or twelve years old, possibly even younger. At fourteen, it was really inspiring for me to be on set with the likes of Maggie Smith and the late Alan Rickman, and also learning set etiquette, paying attention and it really grounded me, I suppose. It was huge fun, youāre there with your mates, and youāre at Hogwarts, which is mind-blowing. Watching and observing some of the countryās best actors on set, it kind of pushed me to want it more and I knew that it would take a lot of dedication and hard work.
Where do you record for Thomas & Friends?
We record in London, I canāt remember where exactly, but itās in London, which is quite handy to get to. They call me in when my character Alfie has got a new storyline in the show.
How long have you been doing voiceovers?
I did my first voiceover job in 2014, so itās been four years now. Luckily for me, my first voiceover gig was on Thomas & Friends, it was in a film called Sodorās Legend of the Lost Treasure. I was always a massive fan of Thomas as a kid and so to fall into something as huge as that, on my first voiceover job, is a blessing. Iām very lucky that they chose me.
After Thomas & Friends, I was called up by my lovely voiceover agent, Becky, and she said, āIāve passed your CV on to CBBC and they really like your work. They want to get you in to do some recording for something called Faves at 5 which is where people can call in and vote for their favourite programmes to be shown at five oāclock. Theyād love to get you inā. When I went in to the BBC to record, the director said, āthe producers have heard your stuff and said youāre great, are you in any CBBC shows? Because we usually get actors in that are in one of the shows to promote the channelā. I said no, Iāve never been in any of the shows, he then said that I should be and that I could definitely be in a CBBC programme! A week later I had the 4 OāClock Club audition, and a week after that I got the part, it was meant to be!
Do you watch back all of your projects?
Yeah, I do actually, I think I just enjoy seeing how itās all turned out. Depending on the director that you work with, sometimes in between shots, they let you see what youāve just done in the previous shot, which I like. By watching myself back, I pick up bad habits, like if Iām blinking too much haha, or if Iām not favouring the camera as much as Iād like. There are times however when I do look back and I just think, ah I could have done better or tried it that way, but I suppose every actorās going be like that. Weāre perfectionists!
What and when was the last stage show you appeared in?
I think that would have been a show called The Revenger’s Tragedy, which was on at the Nottingham Playhouse in Nottingham. It was very different to a lot of stuff that Iād done before. Itās a Jacobean play so was a big challenge getting to grips with the language and rhythm. Iād just come straight out of doing a play called The Suicide at the National Theatre in London. I was playing another young fifteen year old who was up to no good in that. Iāve just got one of those faces, hahaha, I just look like I should be up to mischief! The Suicide was very current and contemporary, so when the audition came up for The Revenger’s Tragedy and they asked me if I would like to play the character Hippolito, brother and right-hand man to the lead guy in the play, I felt like it would be a huge challenge for me because I hadnāt done any period pieces since training at East 15 many moons ago, hahaha. It was indeed a massive challenge but good fun. I made some great friends on that show and the Playhouse is a really nice theatre. Nottingham is lovely too!
Which theatre have you enjoyed performing in the most?
I loved working at Trafalgar Studios doing East is East. East is East is a show thatās really personal to me, and I auditioned for drama school using one of the speeches from the play. I used to watch the film when I was a kid all the time! The dad in East is East is very much like my late grandfather. I grew up watching it and did all the impressions from the film, so when the audition for the stage play came up, I thought, Iāve got to get this part, and luckily I did! An added bonus was the writer of the film and the play, Ayub Khan-Din, had now grown old enough to play the father in the show and was cast to play my dad. It was amazing! Itās an autobiographical piece as it was based on his experiences as a kid. Thereās a character in the show, called Sajid, who basically lives in his parka coat and that was Ayub as a kid, the story is kind of told through his eyes, it was the writerās experiences of growing up in Salford at the time. It was great being in the rehearsal room with him as youād get all these kind of nuggets of information about your character in the show as they were all based on Ayubās family.
I played a character called Saleem, who is an art student living a double life pretending that he is studying engineering instead. His father would never approve of him studying art. Speaking to Ayub in rehearsals, I asked what was going through his brotherās head at the time, and he said his brother was going through a really tough time, trying to keep this secret from his father. It was his dream but he just couldnāt tell his dad. There was a lot at stake for him. It was really special. I even met his real life brother – the one that Saleem is based on – at the press night of our show… it gave me goosebumps, Iām telling ya!
Jane Horrocks, who played Ella Khan – my mother in the show, is one of our countryās finest actors, you donāt get any better than that, so, again, it was huge being cast alongside her. I felt like it was a big responsibility for me to do the play justice, as itās a story that Iāve grown up with. Thatās one Iāll treasure for the rest of my life.

Which role has been the most challenging to prepare for?
There have been a couple. As an actor, I really try to immerse myself into each character I play, thatās the training that East 15 has given me, you kind of embody the character, and really work from the inside out. The two that spring to mind are the show I did at the National Theatre – The Suicide, and Tyrant on FX.
In The Suicide, I was playing a fifteen-year-old kid called Demetri. Around that time I had previously prepared for a part that I wanted to be bigger for. Iād been going to the gym and lifting weights, just trying to pack on a bit of muscle, and then when I got the part in The Suicide, I thought, this kid, a little teenager from the hood part of East London, probably spends his time running around his estate, playing football with mates and definitely wonāt be lifting weights at the gym. I know at that age I definitely didnāt have the cash for a gym membership! Haha. I thought Iāve got to slim down for this! I stepped up my cardio and cut out the junk food… #sadtimes! I think I started rehearsals at twelve stone, and I got my weight down to like ten-and-a-half stone by our first show. It had to be done, I wouldnāt have looked like a believable teenager otherwise. Physically, that was the most challenging for me. When I did start performing that part, loads of people did think that Iād just come out from college hahaha, I was getting IDād at every bar I went to, hahaha.
Tyrant really pushed me mentally. I played a dream of a character called Munir – another young lad but this time living in a village in the Middle East. The show at the time was really tackling current issues that were happening over in that part of the world and still happening today, in fact. It took a lot of research and character preparation before I even got to set. As soon as Iād been cast in it, I thought I need to educate myself more on whatās going on over there, because I feel like I owe it to, not only the character, but the people the character is based on. It took a lot of preparation and a lot of research. The way the show worked was, they wrote episodes as it went along, so Iād never know if I was going to be killed off – I was constantly on edge, haha. As the show was developing, I was finding out that my character’s storylines were getting a lot more intense and he was finding himself in some really tricky situations. So, much like Dean in We Still Kill the Old Way, there was that real inner struggle that I had to keep working on. Towards the end of the show, I donāt want to spoil it for anyone, but at the end of the show, my character finds himself becoming an inside man in an organisation, and gets found out. Heās tortured, and eventually killed #moresadtimes!
In the script, as Iām being tortured, other characters around me say that my character hasnāt had any food or drink for the past, I think it was thirty-six hours, so stupidly… hahaha, this is just me being a silly method actor – something I was taught at East 15, I didnāt eat or drink for that amount of time – donāt try this at home, kids!! Haha. Actually I think I did have some water at various points throughout the thirty-six hours, bit of an exaggeration! Hahaha. I told my fellow cast mates, and they said, youāre an idiot, what are you doing, youāre getting loads of free food from this company?! But I gave it a go, and to be fair it did work, it really did, it put me in the headspace of Munir in that situation. Tired, cold and hungry. However, even though I was obviously quite hungry and under energised, I still had a sharp level of focus on set, remaining in the moment and listening to the director’s instructions. I think hunger does that to you. Keeps you on your toes – taking note of all the snacks lying around that youāll devour once the sceneās complete!! When I watched the scene back, thereās definitely a look on my face that no amount of make up would be able to create. Iām definitely glad I did it, I wanted to go out with a BANG and I think I did – at least thatās what people told me it sounded like when I fainted to floor as the directed shouted cut. Haha, kidding.
Has your acting career taken you to act in other countries?
Yeah, it has. Iāve been really lucky actually, I spent four months in Budapest filming on Tyrant, which is on an American channel called FX, it was amazing! It was a city I wouldnāt have ever thought to visit beforehand but Iām very glad I was able to work there. It really is a beautiful place. Whatās better is you can essentially experience it all free of charge, which is nice! I filmed Plebs in Bulgaria too which was another lovely place Iāve been able to see and explore through work.

How did you get into acting?
I first wanted to be an actor when I was about seven years old, when I was cast in a school assembly by my school teacher. We were doing a performance based on this book by a writer called George Layton, the book was called the Balaclava Story, and I was cast as the main character. I absolutely loved it. When we did rehearsals, Iād kind of break off into a monologue that the teacher hadnāt written into the script, she was like, ‘thatās great, Nathan, but can you stick to the script?’. Hahaha! I just wanted to do it more and more, I remember going home telling my mum that I really enjoyed it, and she enrolled me in a Saturday acting school called Italia Conti, where I did Saturday classes to sharpen my tools and learn more about the craft and the industry.
Luckily for me, my mum worked in media – my mumās played a huge part in the success of my career, she worked alongside my agent who Iām still with today. She mentioned to her that I was into acting, and I was extremely lucky to get in an interview before being taken on at the agency. I owe everything to my agent, Charlene, from the moment I signed with her as a young lad sheās believed in me – more than I believe in myself at times. I thank the universe every day for allowing our paths to cross!
What projects are you working on at the moment?
So, at the minute Iām doing a lot of writing myself, knocking up some ideas that Iāve got for various things. My personal lifeās kind of taken over at the minute, not majorly, but because Iāve just bought my own place itās all been a bit hectic. So yeah, just writing and trying to pay my mortgage on time!
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Continuing being creative, writing my own work, and just auditioning for other projects. Oh and also definitely trying to pay my mortgage on time. I must remember to do that, haha!
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