RUSSELL TOVEY - No.957

History Score: 3 all !

Tom_In_Oz_: 3 of the History Boys score @RussellTovey on front of RadioTimes, Dom Cooper announces BAFTA noms & James @JKCorden hosts The Brits

JKCorden: @Tom_In_Oz_ All great! x

Above: Picture courtesy of Marcus Whitney.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

russelltovey: RT @Tom_In_Oz_: @russelltovey This week Being Human scores front cover picture on the Radio Times http://www.radiotimes.com/content/magazine/

boydhilton: Nice Radio Times cover @russelltovey !

russelltovey: @boydhilton Woo-Hoo x

Tom_In_Oz_: @russelltovey @boydhilton extra woo to the hoo if ya ask me!!

JKCorden: @russelltovey @boydhilton You look seriously hot on that cover.

Tom_In_Oz_: @JKCorden @russelltovey @boydhilton HOW HOT JAMES?

JKCorden: @Tom_In_Oz_ @russelltovey @boydhilton 92 degrees

russelltovey: @JKCorden @boydhilton A hot pig x

Tom_In_Oz_: @JKCorden James he’s on FIRE he’s gone past just SMOKIN' @russelltovey @boydhilton

boydhilton: @russelltovey @jkcorden hottest Radio Times cover evah.

Tom_In_Oz_: @russelltovey it was @t4rdis who's one of the Tovey blog contributors he spotted it first...he is ex-BBC and a mighty good person at that!

mrchrissullivan: @russelltovey @jkcorden @boydhilton hot pig in checked shirt - kinda like a blanket - hmmmm....

boydhilton: @mrchrissullivan @russelltovey @jkcorden it's a hot shirt

mrchrissullivan: @boydhilton @russelltovey @jkcorden well - look hot in it - bit sweaty! X

russelltovey: @boydhilton @jkcorden You are so totally hot... x

JKCorden: @mrchrissullivan @boydhilton @russelltovey Hang on... Is this... THE Chris? Y'no, Chris Chris?

russelltovey: @JKCorden @mrchrissullivan @boydhilton G Chris? yeah x

mrchrissullivan: @JKCorden gay Chris- oh yes!!! Xx

JKCorden: @mrchrissullivan AMAZING

mrchrissullivan: @JKCorden no you're amazing Mr - looking forward to the Brits - tell me you're not gonna pull a Ricky!

Tom_In_Oz_: @boydhilton @mrchrissullivan @russelltovey @jkcorden Just so it is clear for the blog followers we are getting a room later right??

MrStevieWebb: @russelltovey @JKCorden @boydhilton @mrchrissullivan OMG can u call eachother!! You're raping my twitter feed!!!!

Tom_In_Oz_: @MrStevieWebb @russelltovey @JKCorden @boydhilton @mrchrissullivan I have booked the room for them already!

Above: Front cover of Radio Times.

Above: Cover of TV and Satellite Week courtesy of @Dorina335.

Above: Review by Boyd Hilton for Heat Magazine.

Copy of Radio Times Interview

Being Human's Russell Tovey - George the werewolf

What can we look forward to in series three?
Less vampires, more werewolves. You experience the werewolf world more, which is brilliant. Robson Green plays a werewolf. What's nice is that when people come in to play werewolves, they ask me how; I'm a role model for wannabe wolves.

What do you advise them?
To scream a lot. When I first did it, I was thrown in at the deep end. I'd watched An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf and all the classics, but George is such a unique character there was no one I could base him on. He just wants to be normal and he's not.

How long does it take to "transform"?
A whole day. I arrive at four in the morning and go home at ten at night. Lenora and Aidan got off lightly - all he has to do is put in a couple of teeth and smear on fake blood that tastes of mouthwash. Sinead [who plays Nina] and I are put through the mill.

Are Nina and George getting along in this series?
She's accepted the fact that he cursed her and isn't blaming him anymore. There was a lot of distance between them in the second series and he experimented with other women, but now they're back together and very happy.

Do you mind that Aidan plays a sexy vampire, whereas George is a bit of a geek?
George is the secret crush. The one you wouldn't admit. I've always seen myself as a character actor who can play the alternative, quirky romantic lead - the Simon Pegg role - but I can't imagine being a poster on someone's bedroom wall.

The show has moved from Bristol to Wales. Why?
I think maybe there was a BBC production issue. They want to take a lot of drama to Wales and it's the heart of BBC sci-fi, so it made especial sense for Being Human. Not that we were in the Doctor Who studios; we were shooting in an old bus depot on Barry Island. But we stayed in Cardiff Bay, which was beautiful - like the St Tropez of Wales. Cardiff feels like a second home to me now as I was there for Doctor Who and Gavin and Stacey and now Being Human.

You're best known for sitcoms. Do you prefer comedy?
I don't see myself as a comic actor. I like the tragedy of life and there's a tragic aspect to a lot of comedy. All my characters possess some pain or angst, so you have the jokes and the fact that they might start crying. George covers the entire spectrum of feeling. In the space of a single line, his emotions can go anywhere.

Did you ever imagine there would be a third series?
It's amazing because it very nearly didn't happen. A series wasn't commissioned from the pilot until fans started a petition and suddenly there were thousands of names and Facebook sites demanding one. And here we are - three series and maybe a fourth happening.

Why do you think it's such a hit?
Whatever you do sci-fi has an audience, even if it's the worst thing ever. But Being Human is about people trying to be human, not supernatural - and that's the thing that viewers really get. It's funny, dark and there's so much going on that it satisfies all tastes. That's why my parents love it and my parents' friends all love it, and why it got the highest AI [audience appreciation index] of any BBC show ever.

It feels very different from True Blood, Twilight and other supernatural dramas.
Completely. It's full of sarcasm, irony and cups of tea, so it's British show through and through.

Are you surprised how well it's gone down in America?
They like Britishness. When we took The History Boys out there, which is terribly British, it won six Tony Awards. The Americans absolutely lapped it up. You feel like they're not going to get it but there's a huge audience of anglophiles over there who love our culture and our way of expressing emotions.

What do you think about the American remake?
A lot of people thought we'd be miffed about it, but I think it's great because it will bring a lot more people to our show. It's like when the American The Office was made; people will want to make the comparison. Mind you, it would have been annoying if they'd gone ahead and made their version without showing ours first, as they would have got all the credit.

People also assume I'm upset that I wasn't offered a role in it. I mean, it would have been a lovely opportunity…

So America beckons?
I'd love to go to America. Wouldn't every actor? I've just signed with an American agent so we'll see what happens. I've an American profile thanks to Being Human - it's just one with fangs and fur.

You've always been open about your homosexuality. Has it ever stopped you getting a role?
Only unbeknown to me. I might not have got a job because of it and I don't know how it's going to be when I go over to America… But I don't care; it's simply not an issue for me. I would hate not being able to let people see the real me.