With crime drama series London Kills starting in 2019, Bailey Patrick can be seen as one of the lead detectives, DC Rob Brady across both series, with the show currently streaming on BBC iPlayer. Earlier this year, Bailey played the series regular role of Callum in the BBC mini-series The Nest and some of his previous screen work has included an episode of Good Omens alongside David Tennant, People Just Do Nothing and he was involved in one of the big EastEnders storylines in 2016 with his character Mike Rendon. Bailey also has experience in theatre where he has performed in Toronto for Our Country’s Good, played Trevor in Peter Pan Goes Wrong in the West End and was part of the British premiere of The Country Girls in 2017 at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre. We recently spoke to Bailey about playing DC Rob Brady in London Kills, being part of BBC mini-series The Nest and working on EastEnders as villain Mike Rendon.
Can you say about playing Callum in The Nest and what was the series like to work on?
The Nest was an incredible piece to work on. The calibre of writing from Nicole Taylor and the mix of some of the finest actors in the game, both established and up and coming, not to forget the most supportive and hardworking crew, it was an absolute dream job. Callum was a gift of a character, one I hadn’t been able to explore previously on screen, he had a great sensitivity, a huge heart for his wife and family but was constantly trying to hold them all together and neutralise the constant strains being forced on the family much to the detriment of his relationship with Hillary and the kids.
Every day on set was a joy, the atmosphere was like a real family throughout cast and crew and it was an environment that pushed me to my best, working alongside Martin Compston and Fiona Bell, people I’ve grown up watching, to be able to throw it down with them I learned so much. The up and coming talents, Samuel Small and Mirren Mack, were a joy to work with and be around and they brought a fresh energy to the whole project.
Was there anything that drew you to the script and what was it like reading it for the first time?
Reading the first episode I was hooked. I’m lucky to have a fantastic agent who allows me to have the opportunity to go up for some of the best work being made and I knew this was special as soon as we spoke about it. Nicole has a way of drawing you straight in, I started reading episode one on the flight home from shooting a commercial and before I knew it I was on episode three and had landed. Her reputation as a writer stands for itself, I had always wanted to be involved in her work. To be cast as Callum amongst Scottish acting royalty in my eyes was a real honour. What a wonderful talent Nicole is and her energy is palpable, she was so generous with her time working with us through the scripts and our characters’ stories.
You play DC Rob Brady in London Kills, what is the character like to play?
Rob Brady is great fun to play. He’s a no nonsense salt of the earth copper with a hidden heart. He’s not the sort of detective you’d want coming after you if you were a criminal as you see in many of the interview scenes and chases over the series. He holds the team together. Stern but fair with a military background, he doesn’t mess about let’s put it that way. I enjoy being able to play someone with such gravitas and authority. I spend a lot of my time trying to make people laugh and having a giggle myself, so to play someone who takes themselves very seriously is a lovely balance.
What do you enjoy most about filming the series and being on set?
Filming the series is so much fun. It’s unlike anything I’ve worked on in the past. We make an episode a week!! On the whole, for most dramas that’s pretty much unheard of, so it’s really intense for time. That makes the energy on set extremely focused, no real time for errors, you have to be ready to smash it every time, no hanging about. I love that way of working, no time to think, working on impulse is a real buzz and it shines through in the show, I think. I love working with Sharon (Small), Hugo (Speer) and Tori (Allen-Martin), and everyone who comes in as a guest is always top draw, the crew works harder than I could begin to tell you but they’re all brilliant and a good giggle. We’ve a great family atmosphere, it’s a dream job working in the city I grew up in, I always wanted to be in The Bill but I’m happy now London Kills has ticked that box for me now (If The Bill ever comes back I want to be in that as well).
Have you had a favourite scene/episode to film?
That’s a tough one really. I don’t think I could narrow it down to one, the scenes where I’m investigating the boss David, played by Hugo Speer, and confronting him were very juicy to shoot. All the interviews are very intense but I find them really good fun and, of course, any chase scenes… I’ve pretty much ended up saying everything’s my favourite there in a roundabout way.
Why would you recommend watching the previous two series and who do you think it will appeal to?
The show’s very fast-paced, it’s an easy watch full of well-known guests, everyone’s on top of their game bringing you non-stop action. There are plenty of twists and turns and unexpected suspects. For those who’ve never been to London, or those who love it, the backdrops of our locations and landmarks are like no other crime drama. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in each episode. I promise once you start, you’ll be hooked.
What was your episode of Secret Life of Boys like to film and who was your character Naz?
I went over to Northern Ireland to shoot that, which is a beautiful part of the world. They were a cracking cast and crew. It was fun to do a show for younger viewers. Naz was a builder who seemed to always have the hump as everything on his sight kept being ruined by Matt, the apprentice.
Can you tell us about playing Kold FM Boss in People Just Do Nothing?
PJDN was a show I’d loved for years, I’d watched it with my mates at drama school and we all wanted to have a part in it. Growing up, I was a UK Garage DJ so the show was basically a replay of me as a teenager. The boys are crazy talented and I had a lot of fun working with them all and everyone off camera. We improvised all day, it didn’t feel like work. There are very few times I can remember laughing so hard they really trusted me to bring in my own lines, it was a special job to work on. I don’t think I’ll ever get over being part of such an epic comedy.
How was it playing Mike Rendon in EastEnders and what was the storyline like to be involved with?
Eastenders was a big soap to me growing up, everyone talked about it in school or wherever you were, and in my house it was a big deal. Mike was a good villain to play, and it’s fair to say I’ve grown up around a good few to base him on. It’s a huge responsibility stepping into such a long-running highly regarded soap, they all work so hard and you can feel the weight of history as soon as you step on set. I always wanted to be on the square, and turning up as Mike was a dream role. The storyline was that Mike was chasing after Jay for unsettled drug debts and bullying him into working for him. It was a big story at the time and I got a few “doof doofs” (cliffhangers) and a really good response from fans of the show. I’d love to get back on the square again one day.
You played Brickie in award-winning film Kicking Off, can you say about the film and what it was like to work on?
It’s a football comedy starring Warren Brown and Greg McHugh. Two fans kidnap the referee that sends their team into relegation with everything that can go wrong along the way. Brickie is one sandwich short of a picnic basket type of football obsessed fan, who is never without a bag of chips. He drops the pair in it whilst not even realising what he’s done. It was director Matt Wilde’s debut feature film who directed me in drama school, so that was a huge honour that he gave me an opportunity to be part of the project. I’m a massive football fan and we got to have a match with England’s Geoff Hurst, I was eating chips wearing goalie gloves though… not exactly how I’d imagined meeting him.
In 2017, you were part of the British premiere of The Country Girls at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre, what was this like to do?
Chichester is fantastic, so many talents have passed through there. It was somewhere I’d wanted to perform at some stage in my career. My mum’s family are from Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland, so I was really proud to have been asked to be involved in an Irish play.
I learnt lots on that job and having a live audience with several shows per week is a great discipline for actors.
What are some of your favourite memories from playing Trevor in Peter Pan Goes Wrong?
We played at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue to huge audiences. The atmosphere was electric. I had to open the show and, luckily, got the first few laughs before we even began, a huge responsibility but an unbelievable buzz. I once got my boot caught hanging upside down on wires with my arse out after attempting a forward flip which was supposed to look bad but I couldn’t get loose, the audience were in fits of laughter and it went on for what felt like ages but luckily I got myself loose. I also got smashed in the face with Captain Hook’s hook and covered in blood at the end of the show and the audience thought it was part of it, I carried on till the curtain call and left in an ambulance and was back in the next day for a double show with a huge black eye. It was very high energy slapstick, lots of bruises and injuries, but loads of fun.
How was it performing in Toronto for Our Country’s Good?
My first professional theatre job, it was extremely daunting in such a big theatre, The Royal Alexandra in Canada, most shows that are successful in their equivalent of the West End are musicals, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was a long run and I learned so much working with some of the best actors for stage in the business. I made lots of mistakes but grew as an actor, I don’t think I’ve felt fear like it before I stepped on for my first scene, that was a turning point for me, I knew I wanted to play principal roles after that show. Toronto is a beautiful place with beautiful people, I loved being there.
Can you tell us about some of your other roles on screen and stage?
Playing Spike in Good Omens for Amazon alongside David Tennant was a highlight. I had to wear an amazing permed wig, it was a star-studded cast and working alongside such an incredible actor was a real learning experience for me. He was a truly gracious and humble man very generous with his time and a true professional.
What first drew you to an acting career and how did you start?
I had always been a massive fan of comedy and films when I was growing up. Both my mum and nan were big fans of theatre and, if they ever could afford it, they’d take me to the theatre or cinema and I’d sit in amazement at whatever they showed me. It wasn’t until I got older that I started telling jokes and doing impressions, I got in trouble keeping everyone out of their class in college making them all laugh in the common room and the teacher said, “why don’t you just go and be an actor somewhere and let everyone get on with their work”… so I did. I went to uni for a few months doing a media performance course then they told me I had potential and to try for drama school, I had no idea what it was so applied for RADA, got into a foundation course there, didn’t really enjoy it that much so moved to Rose Bruford and did my BA Hons in Acting there with some amazing teachers and classmates who let me find what I did best, then was let out into the big bad world. I’m still learning more and more on each job and with each new cast and crew. It’s a dream job, one that not many people get the opportunity to do from the part of South East London I grew up in, so I’m very grateful for every day I get to do what I love.
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