Gary Carr

Gary Carr Starred as 'Mau' in Nation, based on a novel by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Mark Ravenhill, at the Olivier, National Theatre to 28 March 2010

Date of Birth
11 Dec 1986

Place of birth?
London

Did you go to training school, if so which one?
I attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) from 2005 to 2008.

As an actor, do you have a preference for stage, tv or film?
I'm passionate about them all. I love them all. I'm really passionate about music as well. I wish to be really successful in all of these areas.

Your first stage performance?
Was when I was 8, and I performed in the play 'The King And I' at Freemason's Hall in Covent Garden. I played a young prince.

Career highlight to date?
Would be Nation. This is only my second play. I played a character in the TV series Foyle's War and that was great, but I would have to say Nation, definitely.

What roles would you most like to play?
I'd like to play roles that require me to transform completely, that require strict focus and discipline. And I'd love them all to be completely different form the other, so that there is range and versatility.

What's the best advice you've ever received?
To remain humble, grounded. To remember where home is and to always be true to myself and my work.

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Its always embarrassing when you fall over. I've done that a few times. But I think the most embarrassing thing was when I was doing one of the dances in Nation, and on this particular day I had a runny nose, and as I span around, snot just went flying everywhere and I was so close to the audience. I felt sorry for them... and I was embarrassed. It was across my face as well. Aaah. Haha. Lovely.

What is the most annoying part about your job?
Ummm..... I'd say the hardest thing is the hours. As in, having to get up quite early after you've been rehearsing or performing quite late, but a part of me really likes that... so I don't know.

Briefly tell us how you became involved with Nation.
I auditioned twice with the director and once with Mark Ravenhill, the writer and then I was offered the role.

Briefly tell us about the character of Mau, that you play in Nation.
Mau is a boy at the start of the play, who is excited to be going home to see his family, after having been away for a month. He is to go home to have his 'becoming a man ceremony', but on his way back a huge tsunami destroys his nation. He comes home to find death and destruction and even challenges the character death, Locaha, face to face. Throughout the play and after having met Daphne, he starts to question everything; his place on earth, if his God, Imo, even exists etc. He has serious doubts about a lot but also becomes very curious about his nation and his identity, his history etc and is aggressive in pursuing the answers. Once he does, we see the growth and maturity in him. We see him become a man and take charge of his Nation by actively becoming the chief.

If you had not become a performer, what might you have done instead?
I might have done work in philanthropy. I'm very passionate about aid work, charity work, helping others. I still want to do that actually. I would have done aid work, all over the world. Actually I'm doing that next year.

Favourite after-show haunts
Go home, drink a huge cup of green tea, have my dinner and chill with my brother, sister and my cousins Jav and Jav. We just watch stuff or joke about and make each other laugh. We're all really close.

Who are your favourite actors/actresses/Singers?
Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, James Dean, Vivien Leigh, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Anne Miller, Cyd Charisse, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Al Pacino, Don Cheadle, Vincent Cassel, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Day-Lewis, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Marley, Angela Basset, Sanaa Lathan, Terence Howard, , Leonardo Di Caprio, Prince, Burt Bacharach, Laurence Fishburne, Penelope Cruz and there are so many more people I admire.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would you say to them?
It's either Marlon Brando or Michael Jackson. I'd say to them can we be best friends.... Pleeeeeaaassee!

What was the last book you read?
I'm reading Heath Ledgers biography at the moment. The last book I read was Paul Newman's biography. I really enjoy biographies. I once read a fiction thriller novel called 'In the Memory of the Forest' By Charles T. Powers and it's amazing. It's his only book though, but if he could write more, I'd read it right away.

What was the last film you saw, and name some of your favourite movies?
The last film I saw was, Star Trek the most recent version. I thought it was great. Excited to see the sequel. My favourite films; Streetcar Named Desire, Giant, Hotel Rwanda, La Haine, The beat that my heart skipped, Breathless, Serpico, Donnie Darko, The 400 blows, City of god, Scarface, Lion King, Jungle Book, Toy Story, Last Tango in Paris, Bad Education. Like Water for Chocolate, Kolya... There are loads more.

Favourite TV Programmes?
Frasier, Grey's Anatomy, Planet Earth. That's all I can think of.

Favourite holiday destinations?
I haven't been to many places, but I think Paris and Amsterdam are brilliant. I went all over Egypt with my best friends and that was like a great dream. My family are from Trinidad and Tobago and they are paradise islands, so I'll go there again soon.

Do you have any hobbies?
Reading, making music, going to the cinema and theatre, playing Tekken 6 on Xbox or ps3 (That's the only game I have time for anymore)

Do you have any superstitions?
No

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you?
A bottle of water, my iPod and a book.

What are your future plans?
To be a part of and to create great, amazing pieces of work and to be an extremely successful performer and philanthropist.