In the first of three round table interviews, STARBURST caught up with Jojo Macari (Billy) and McKell David (Spike) from the new Netflix show The Irregulars…
STARBURST: In a less well-written show, your characters could possibly have become comic sidekicks but you have lots to do as part of the collective. How important was that?
Jojo Macari: I think the gang dynamic might be the most important thing. I know in casting it was super important to get it right between the characters and us as people. Ultimately, we’re upping sticks and moving to Liverpool for a year or so, so you have to get on. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more amazing group of people and I love all the guys so much. I think the dynamic is important as there’s something relatable in each of the characters. If someone was just relating to Jessie then I might see the sidekick think more but I feel we bring elements that no other characters do, as everyone does, and that’s really important.
McKell David: Yeah. Just to add on to that, what’s interesting about The Irregulars is that because we’ve taken them out of the 20th Century and slapped them in Victorian London it can be difficult to see. Billy and Spike are kids from Hackney or Peckham, from broken homes or deprived areas and are trying to stick together to get to the other side. I think Billy and Spike’s chemistry adds a different layer to the show.
What did you find to be the biggest challenges in playing your roles?
MD: I think, for me, every role is a new challenge that you welcome. It’s about challenging yourself to produce your best work. I look at actors as performance athletes as there aren’t many jobs where you have to stress your mind and your body quite as much.
JM: I was chatting to someone the other day who said that creativity is at its best when you’re slightly pushing yourself and I think that with every role that’s what you should be doing. Slightly further each time. So you’re never comfy; comfy is boring. In terms of Billy, he has a lot of emotional depth and trauma that isn’t necessarily on the surface and dealing with that is what makes the character Otherwise he’s just the muscle or the grumpy guy. But then also, when I read the script for the first time, it said ‘Billy enters. He’s ripped.’ And I thought, I’m not ripped. So then I thought let’s hit the gym [laughs]. That was a challenge. That was the first time I’ve had to do that.
You mentioned the stresses, so how easy do you find it to switch off after high adrenaline days?
MD: Everyone is different but for me you have to put yourself into places you don’t want to put yourself. And it makes you learn about yourself. Every role has done that for me. You have to see the differences between the character and yourself. Hanging out with the rest of the guys certainly helps.
JM: I totally agree. It’s all about the gang and that keeps you sane.
McKell, it seems like your character Spike is the voice of the audience at times, would you agree?
MD: Definitely. And that’s a credit to the writing. Spike is the straight thinker in the gang. He doesn’t really understand why they’re risking they’re lives early on for someone they don’t know. He’s more street smart than the other members, you know. He can see when someone is being manipulated and he gets very worried about that.
There is a lot going on in the show, a mix of genres and themes. If you were going to sum it up how would you describe The Irregulars?
JM: I think it’s a supernatural thriller, set in the Sherlock Holmes universe, which revolves around the dynamic of young people with a tough upbringing. And that is a very niche genre! [Laughs] I’m sticking with that!
The show feels timely. Were there themes you could relate to?
MD: Because we’re in this Victorian world, it’s easy to forget who the kids are but they’re orphans. It’s about these kids being true to who they are and not looked at as weird. I hope The Irregulars can make people look at things from a different angle.
JM: There are some heavy topics. We talk about grief and looking after yourself mentally. And that’s something that’s being talked about more than ever before for young people and it’s great that the show tackles this head on. And it never becomes overwhelming or too sad. Those subjects are dealt with in a good way which I think is cool.
The Irregulars is on Netflix now. Read another part of the round table interviews here and check out our review here.
