This year, Tia May Watts played Krissy Meyer alongside Cush Jumbo as Mo Meyer in the Lifetime feature film Girl in the Video, and Renee (Babysitter) in Gossip To Die For on Tubi. In Series 24 of Midsomer Murders, Tia guest-stars as Daniella Saunders, and her previous projects include an episode of Casualty as Ayesha Brown and The Chelsea Detective as Flo Cowie, and she had her first regular screen role playing Georgina in the ITV thriller series Hollington Drive. Tia has also filmed for commercials, such as for Vodafone with Sam Ryder and Amazon Prime with Emma Raducanu, and having previously studied at The BRIT School, she currently attends Ghetto Film School, and she writes and directs her own material, which has seen her write a sitcom TV pilot. Chatting to Tia, we found out from her about playing Krissy Meyer in feature film Girl in the Video, filming as Renee (Babysitter) in Gossip To Die For and having her first regular character in Hollington Drive as Georgina.
Can you tell us about the Lifetime feature film Girl in the Video and your character Krissy Meyer?
Krissy is headstrong, determined, optimistic and gullible, and working on Girl in the Video was fun but also intense. I had just finished filming Midsomer Murders a few days before and this was my first feature film and I was the lead! Safe to say I crashed as soon as I stepped into my hotel every night. From the nature of the film to having to do an American accent, intimacy co-ordinators, to stunts on top of that were all very daunting to begin with, but I quickly connected with the entire cast and crew who were so lovely and supportive. I also had my favourite on set snacks…breadsticks, always waiting for me too!
What was it like working alongside Cush Jumbo as Mo Meyer and the rest of the cast, and how did you find the experience on set?
It was great working with Cush and so educational, how to be a lead and set the tone for the work environment, a further understanding of collaboration and how to use your voice and offer opinions, how to play. It was very valuable and I definitely grew in confidence as a result. We are both Brit School alumni and, as a member of the school board, Cush already knew of me, so when we met we had lots in common already. I have to mention the waffle van she got for everyone on the last day of set, that was delicious! I really enjoyed getting to know the whole cast and crew. I’m still in contact with a few like Wendy Glenn and Amaree Ali, who played Robbie Meyer.
Was there anything you enjoyed most about playing the lead character in Girl in the Video and how did you prepare for the role?
Something really fun about being the lead in Girl in the Video was seeing how excited everyone was for me and how encouraging. There were always such good vibes despite the nature of the film, which made it an overall great experience. I also got gifts from the production team so I felt very appreciated and well looked after. As for preparing to play Krissy, besides learning the lines and practicing the accent, I had a Krissy playlist and wrote out specific lyrics from those songs that evoked the right emotions for me for particular scenes which was a new process for me. I watched other kidnap shows/clips and a section of Shindler’s list Neil Rawles (the director) recommended. I reached out to other cast members to help build a relationship beforehand, writing out everything I knew about her and what she knows at certain points. We had a rehearsal before we started shooting and I was given notes on what we talked about including story beats etc. which were all super helpful.
How was it playing Renee (Babysitter) in Gossip To Die For, which was released on Tubi earlier this year?
The crew and the cast I met were so nice, even the ones I didn’t share a scene with but had the pleasure of meeting, I also remember thinking how impressive Hunter Del Valle Marfo was… and, of course, Susan Ateh too! I also helped her with line runs over Zoom for the duration of the shoot when she needed to. I really admire how she delved into being the lead. There were more Americans on set this time than in previous jobs so it was also interesting to see some of the similarities and differences of both on set cultures.
You guest-star as Daniella Saunders in Series 24 of Midsomer Murders, what was the show like to work on and how was it filming your episode?
So cool! They really are a family on Midsomer Murders and are so very welcoming, encouraging and caring. I had a great time throughout this project and had a blast exploring the area with my castmates too. On my episode, I got to work with people I grew up watching (i.e. Mina Anwar) so it really was a full-circle moment. It was well cast by Louise Cross, because the chemistry amongst the cast was electric. I particularly remember improvising an argument with my on-screen mum Josette Simon and how much fun we had. We were so in tune with one another, everyone thought it was real and we laughed so much after they yelled CUT. I’m also still in contact with Tom Moya, who played my on-screen boyfriend.
How would you describe your character Ayesha Brown in Casualty and what was it like being a guest on the show in 2022?
I would describe her as a lover girl for sure, haha, bit of a romantic who definitely stands on business. She’s mature but also a little naive too. She was so fun to play because there was so much going on internally (no pun intended if you’ve seen the episode, aha) and the episode touched on some important topics such as colourism. Being a guest on the show was great, I loved the cast and crew (saw some familiar faces from Hollington Drive as I was back in Wales) who were all so welcoming and encouraging. I’m still in touch with lovely Susan Lawson-Reynolds, Moses Alexander and Eric Styles (on-screen mum, on-screen boyfriend and the director). I even got Susan on board a short film I was production manager on, a year after filming.
I did my first ever stunts on this shoot too with Curtis Rivers, who I also worked with for the kidnapping scenes in Girl in the Video. It’s a small world! I also worked with DOP Tom Hines on The Chelsea Detective before too. So yes, a great experience, although stressful sometimes because I was doing my final project for school at the same time.
What was it like reading the scripts and meeting the regular casts of both Midsomer Murders and Casualty for the first time?
They’re both rites of passage for British actors and even though I never watched the shows I have family members who are fans so it was still very much a part of my childhood in a way, so it did feel pretty familiar and I was nervous for sure but that quickly went away.
You also filmed for an episode of The Chelsea Detective as Flo Cowie, how was this?
It was so fun being Flo from the first self-tape to the last take on set, especially working with director Darcia Martin and Libby Mai, whom I instantly connected and became friends with. I still get lunch with both, when we are all free. It was quite intimidating at first because it included heavy topics, death of a parent and substance abuse but also because this was only my second TV role ever but also slightly my first too as it was filmed a week after I wrapped on Hollington Drive so it was a crazy cool time. And of course, I was very excited to work with Adrian Scarborough… love Gavin & Stacey, haha!
For your first regular role, you played Georgina in ITV thriller series Hollington Drive, what are some of your favourite memories from your time on set?
Ooooo I’ve kept a book of some memories, pictures and things I got from the show, I left with a lot of free goodies and have tried to keep updating it as I continue in my career but, without looking in the book… I remember games with the adults in between setups particularly with Rhashan Stone and Ken Nwosu, where someone hides something or changes something in front of us while the others have their eyes closed and you have to guess what it is, with no clues but hot, hotter or cold to guide you. Probably not doing it justice right there but it was so much fun! Also, the water fight day, the house and the lake was just beautiful, I love Wales; playing with Fraser Holmes and Amelie Bea Smith was always great fun. Oh, and filming in a car was pretty exciting to me too.
What was Georgina like to play and how did you feel when the series was released in 2021 on ITV?
Georgina was self-assured, caring, protective and, at the time, to play her I stepped outside my comfort zone to portray her confidence and assertiveness, especially when she yelled and swore at Theresa. It was released on my 18th birthday, 29th September, and that was amazing, a great birthday gift. I was hosting a virtual open day with my headteacher after school then came home for the release and watched with my family with loads of snacks and Pimm’s and lemonade!
Can you tell us about some of the commercials you have filmed for, which have included Vodafone with Sam Ryder and Amazon Prime with Emma Raducanu?
The Vodafone one was huge and so much fun, the energy was always amazing with the director Vaughan Arnell, Donna Louise (who was my on-screen mum), and Sam was so lovely! It was exciting to see how we brought the crowd together and how the TV magic was created to make the live concert look real. I’m still in touch with the team from this project and have shadowed/been director’s assistant to Vaughan on another shoot too, he’s fantastic! Prom was fast approaching when I filmed the Amazon Prime commercial. It was funny because on the computer I was occasionally shopping for prom dresses with Emma or her stand-in Laura Porta Lopez!
How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do?
Acting is definitely something I’ve always wanted to do since I can remember. There was never a specific turning point or like realisation for me, the passion has always been there. I used to make my sister dress up with me to act out our favourite movies, it had to be perfect. There were props and costumes and I started spotting small continuity errors through this too. I would make sure to pause the TV and move whatever was different to match the screen again. I eventually started some weekend classes when I was younger and then LAMDA towards the end of secondary school too.
We understand you also write, direct and produce your own material, what can you say about this and do you have any future plans?
Yes, I do! I studied Film and Media Production at The BRIT School, and I am currently at the Ghetto Film School (GFS). I’ve written my own TV pilot, a sitcom, so I’m working on getting that out there at the minute. It’s an absolute passion project that has been in the pipeline for a long time now. It’s Desmond’s meets The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Gracie (working title) follows an ambitious teen whose attention is divided when she finds herself under a packed multi-generational roof.
So, if you know anyone that can help with that, send them my way, especially producers! I’ve directed projects ranging from audio dramas, music videos to short films and I’m gaining further knowledge by shadowing experienced directors on a multitude of exciting projects.
What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?
I have a bad habit of repeating my favourite shows again and again and again, that would be Gilmore Girls for one, I love Gilmore Girls! There are many more but that one is the one that I probably refer to on a daily basis, haha. I’d say my favourite films are You Again, He’s Just Not That Into You, Think Like A Man, again, there are way more and I have a very broad taste in shows and films. When I was little it was anything Mara Wilson!
How do you like to spend your free time?
Lots of random arts and crafts bits and bobs for downtime from pastels, crocheting and embroidery, lots of terrible unfinished pieces whilst I watch TV! I also love the sauna and steam room and swimming, trying new activities.
Do you have any acting projects coming up that you can tell us about and what are you hoping this year brings for you?
There are two that aren’t out anywhere yet, a small role in an exciting feature film and a commercial, which was an intense and great acting experience and was directed by an award-winning cinematographer who is a BAFTA-nominated director too. I hope I get to do a fancy period drama or fantasy/sci-fi next, that would be amazing, especially one where the cast are all around the same age so perhaps school-related in a sense, that would be incredibly fun and right up my street!
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