Andrew Scott and Jessica Gunning on 'Pride', 10 Years Later
When Andrew Scott and Jessica Gunning met on the set of British comedy drama Pride in 2014, little did they know that a decade later they would both be celebrating Emmy nominations – Andrew for Ripley and Jessica for Baby Reindeer. Nor did they anticipate that they would remain such great friends. “The film really bonded us together,” grins Andrew, as he joins Esquire and Jessica to discuss the film’s 10 year anniversary. “I know both your sisters,” Jessica says, affectionately.
Friendship is at the heart of what Pride is all about. Written and directed by Matthew Warchus, it tells the uplifting and boisterous true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), an activist group founded in 1984 in London to raise money for the Welsh miners. The film shows how both LGSM and the miners overcome mutual prejudices through a common goal of solidarity, at a time of raging homophobia and class division. Andrew plays the real life Gethin Roberts, a gay man from Wales living in London who forms a part of LGSM. Jessica is Siân James: a housewife, volunteer, and later a trailblazing politician, who encouraged the miners and the activists to join forces. “What’s so wonderful,” Andrew says, as he looks back on Pride’s impact, “is that it’s not about gay people or their sexuality but about their humanity and what [this group] did.”
The film has genuine cult status. No Pride month goes by without a string of London screenings, where the sound in the cinema is a mix of belly laughs and sobs. “To watch the movie is to love the movie,” Andrew explains. And indeed, Pride’s reputation as a family friendly crowd pleaser has a real-life impact: “So many young people still come up to me and say it helped them come out to their parents,” says Jessica. “As soon as you show someone being humanised, it’s easier.”
Like the best ensemble movies, Pride is a broad church. There are moving performances from Brit stalwarts Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton (the famous “sandwich scene” both actors portray is a notorious tearjerker), but Pride also features an assorted biscuit tin of fresh-faced British acting talent: Freddie Fox, George Mackay, Russell Tovey, and… well, Jessica and Andrew, all had defining roles.
Even though it was starry, the film was shot on a low indie budget between London and Wales; there were no actors hiding in their fancy studio trailers, Andrew recalls. Nor, Jessica adds, was there a separation between the youngsters and the established actors. “That’s what I remember: everyone just talking all of the time.”
It’s no wonder that they both remain such great friends – filming Pride sounds like it was brilliant fun. They fall into laughter discussing anecdotes from behind the scenes, especially over a much loved segment where Dominic West flaunts his disco moves. But some of their fondest memories are from attending “fancy parties” while promoting the film. “We celebrated several times,” says Jessica. “We still are!” Andrew replies, with a sheepish grin.
With the success of Ripley and Baby Reindeer, there’s every reason to. Both actors’ performances are nominated at the upcoming Emmy’s: Andrew as Patricia Highsmith’s mysterious character Tom Ripley and Jessica as troubled stalker Martha in Richard Gadd’s black comedy. “There’s a kind of blankness to that character,” Andrew says, on portraying his version of Tom Ripley. “He’s an unreliable hero, and so part of it was to just embrace that chasm and that became sort of enjoyable to play.”
For Jessica, playing Martha in Baby Reindeer was the role of a lifetime. “Richard’s writing of Martha was so nuanced, I just connected with her,” she says, on first reading Gadd’s script. “Not to be too cheesy, but Andrew played a massive part in terms of how I approached the part. I remember we had a chat, and when I got the job, you were like, ‘go for it’... I remember your passion.”
It was the sort of role that she had been fighting for, Jessica explains, and this was her chance. But Andrew already knew the genius of Jessica Gunning. “She's been a sort of stalwart of our stage and screen for so many years, but now everybody knows how amazing and brilliant and beautiful she is,” he says, with a broad smile. Those Emmy nominations are just another part of a journey they’ve shared since meeting on the set of Pride a decade ago. “And the fact that we get to experience that together is just so magical, isn't it?”
You Might Also Like
