Adrian Annis was born on February 4, 1973 in Camden Town, London, England and whilst best known for his work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 where he played a Death Eater, one look at his filmography shows you just how busy Adrian has been over the years since he began acting.
I was lucky enough to persuade Adrian to find some free time to answer some questions and wanted to share the answers with you here. We talk big films, smaller films, methods and much more.
From a lot of video short appearances…to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1.How did you end up being involved with the world of Hogwarts?
I got involved with the franchise via a call from my agent regarding a casting. I went along to see the casting director at her offices in Camden. It was not your conventional audition. I was asked to talk about a role I’d played that was evil and do it in character. So I spoke about my role in a short film called ‘Keeper’ where I was the drug addicted brother of a gang leader who killed their mother by accident and blamed it on his brothers rival. She smiled at the end and I had a good feeling. My agent called me very excited the next day saying I’d been offered the role. He hadn’t started the agency that long by then so he wanted it even more than me… I of course accepted. Then the whole process started… Contracts, costume calls, second ADs calling to arrange cars to pick me up… It was my first venture away from the independent world into the big franchise movie world. Total eye opener and with hindsight totally life changing.. I was broke at the time and having to borrow money off my mother for petrol to get to film sets. That phone call changed all that and I am forever grateful to Warner Brothers and the Harry Potter franchise.
Looking at your film listing, it has your first credit in 2004 for the short film ‘What Happened Today’ by Nick Usher, a road safety film. What are your memories of that film film?
It was a movie made by students that had won the tender from the Hertfordshire police force. It was to make a short film regarding kids playing near roads and the consequences. I played the dead girls father and it was all set in the Hospital, where we are waiting to hear how our daughter was. My wife and I were waiting to meet with the police officer and we see the driver who killed her. The film went all around the area and we all got to go to the council and get awards for our involvement. It was shot in one day and my wife had just finished a stint on ‘The Mousetrap’, which was the 1st play I went to in the west end when I was a kid. It was during a week when I was also filming another student production, where I was playing an Leader of a armed robbery gang, who all get killed in their hideaway by a monster. So very very different roles! That was probably one of my 1st times acting in front of the camera and that intense week really whetted my appetite to really go for it in this industry.
Is there a ‘procedure’ that you have developed that helps you get into the mindset of any given character. Be it a Death Eater, or an armed robber? Or is it an instinctual thing?
I’m very much an instinct and confidence actor… I’ll read a part and get an idea of what the role is… If it’s a role pretty close to myself or something I feel confident in doing. Then just keep going though it and testing out loads of ways of doing it. If not then I’ll research it until I get that confidence. After that I get it off the page as quickly as possible and then just play with it! Different speeds, emotions, motives etc. It all changes when you get to set anyway. I’ll change and adapt depending on the set, what the other actors bring, etc. That I think keeps the scene and the role fresher! Once I have the character down then I like to be relaxed on set. Right up to before we shoot. Then get into the character. Because of all the work I’ve done prior to getting on set, I have the character there and to hand, to access when I need to. Being relaxed helps me to open up. I’m not the intense method guy who has to remain in character the entire time. For me it creates a tension and it’s very tiring. But hey we all have our own ways into a role and a scene. Not one size or method fits all. You have to find your own approach.
Do you find that roles or characters ‘stay with you’ after filming is completed? If so. How do you ‘shrug them off’
Sometimes they do and it does depend on the length of time I played that character and also how intense that role was… In regards to shredding that skin. It usually happens when I start another production and work on a new role. They all stay there in some form though… Ready to access for other like roles or to look into to help you develop others… After a pretty intense or demanding scene I like to go to the other extreme and watch some dumb funny movie. Something that’ll make to laugh out loud over the most immature and childish things. Helps release that tension and keep me fresh for the next day or role!!
What films excite you? Do you have a favourite genre? Either to watch or be a part of?
I like to be inspired by the movies I watch.. Last film that I saw, that gave me that feeling was ‘Interstellar’. It goes and comes back to the story and the performances.. I wanna feel for the characters involved, be with them in their struggle. Just be there in the moment. I’m drawn to independent films for that reason. They are usually made with that being the priority. I grew up on watching foreign cinema from France, Spain, Norway, USA, Russia, etc. The original ‘Nikita’, ‘Tie me up, Tie me down’, ‘My Life as a Dog’, ‘Solaris’, All David Lynch films, ‘Old boy’. It’s watching films like the above that made me want to be an actor. Those are the types of films I look for when looking for castings.
With your mention of independent films, how do you feel the ‘market’ for indie films has changed (if it has) since you have been an actor?
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