As I read through this piece, I found myself deeply moved by the profound insights and reflections shared by these seasoned actors. Their experiences and perspectives, shaped by decades in the industry and life itself, resonated with me on a personal level.
This article first appeared in TopMob magazine.
Regardless of the term used – generational divide, clash between Boomers and Millennials, or cultural conflicts – the perceived struggle between the brunch-loving youth and mortgage-free elders has been implicated in a variety of issues, ranging from the outcome of Brexit to the housing predicament.
Now imagine what would happen if the boomers became zombies overnight.
Robert Lindsay smiles broadly, “They discard their offspring,” he says jovially. “Young ones can be bothersome. They’re nourishing and rich in protein!” He bursts into laughter.
Lindsay draws upon personal experiences as he’s among the main actors in the horror-comedy series titled “Generation Z,” which airs on Channel 4 and is helmed by the renowned director, Ben Wheatley.
In the fictional town of Dambury, a military truck accidentally spills an experimental bio-weapon, leading to a plague that transforms the elderly into monstrous beings while leaving the youth untouched at first. However, this temporary immunity doesn’t last long as the elderly become both hungry and enraged, while the young are initially puzzled, then annoyed, and eventually fall victim to the same fate.
The actors range from different age groups. Lindsay is joined by veterans like Anita Dobson and Sue Johnston, while Johnny Vegas and Rebecca Humphries head the Generation X group. There are also several up-and-coming talents such as Lewis Gribben and Viola Prettejohn emerging in this production.
Dobson and Johnston, who portray zombies in the production, appear to be taken aback by their roles. As Dobson looks back, he mentions that he had recently completed an episode of Inside No. 9, a shift from his usual work. When Dobson first discussed the project with Ben, he expressed concerns about its dark nature. However, it was when Ben replied, “Anita, if we don’t find joy in it, if we can’t make them laugh, we can’t do it,” that won Dobson over.
Dobson chuckles as he expresses that they weren’t particularly enthusiasts of the genre. “Gory scenes aren’t something I usually seek out,” he explains. “It feels like stepping into a new realm. I never knew about FearFest before, and even now I’m not entirely sure what it entails. But Comic-Con will welcome this with open arms. So, we’ll participate in the events and signings, and there will be people there with detached heads!” He seems quite enthusiastic about the upcoming experience.
In the movie, Johnston’s character, a fierce pensioner who initially succumbs to the enigmatic gas and later leads a group of infected individuals in search of supplies and avoiding capture, frequently appears with striking makeup or prosthetics on the screen.
On his initial day, Lindsay strolled into the makeup room, where he found Sarah frantically attempting to call someone, yet her iPhone’s facial recognition failed to recognize her.
Oh dear,” she chuckles while shaking her head, “I was really getting annoyed with my phone. Just then, Robert walked in, and I was in a bit of a mess. We’ve been friends for a long time, but we’ve never collaborated before, and our first encounter on set wasn’t exactly ideal.
As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but recall the peculiar moment when Lindsay’s character received his prosthetic stomach from Channel 4 – quite an unexpected package that left my family and me in a tizzy, thinking it was an Amazon delivery on a regular day!
He knew the contents, so he allowed them to open it, and unexpectedly, a torso with cuts, blood, and pipes emerged, prompting laughter. “This year, I’ve been asked to auction some items to support Hampstead Theatre,” he continued, “since they lost their Arts Council grant. So, my stomach will be among the items up for sale.
For those who know Lindsay primarily from his role as the patriarch in My Family, it’s enjoyable to watch him take on a character that’s a paranoid activist and conspiracy theorist, hinting at his past performance in the sitcom Citizen Smith where he played Wolfie, the head of the Tooting Popular Front, a role with undertones of his basement radical.
Lindsay agreed, “Ben Wheatley was quite fond of Citizen Smith.” She added that one of the first things he shared with her was an image of Wolfie, suggesting this character was on his mind. In the story, I play a character who provides recreational medical substances to the youth – essentially, I’m a drug dealer. This character is also a former scientist and activist with a complex past. The part appealed to me greatly, especially since my sons are big fans of Ben Wheatley.
Dobson and Johnston, who are well-known for their long runs on beloved shows like EastEnders and The Royle Family, remain puzzled about why a horror director, whose recent film was the hit Meg 2: The Trench, approached them. According to Dobson, it could be that Reece Shearsmith recommended her following her portrayal of a violent gangster in an Inside No. 9 episode, which TopMob described as the “goriest yet.
When I read it,” Johnston admits, “I was puzzled, thinking ‘I don’t quite follow this.’ But then, upon leaving makeup, I realized the truth – we needed to spend another three hours on prosthetics.” This realization left them all in fits of laughter.
But the best horror is always a metaphor for something, and Generation Z has serious undertones. Wheatley deals with pandemics and lockdowns, and most of all, the way society treats the elderly. In the case of Dobson and Johnston’s characters, they’ve been abandoned by their families when the infection arrives – and part of their motive is revenge.
Johnston smiles slyly, finding it reassuring to leave the care facility; in his view, it’s a place where people are left once they’re no longer needed.
I can’t help but feel a growing sense of disappointment if I end up in an assisted living facility – it feels like a fate I may soon face. There’s this unsettling notion that we should discard the old, that we no longer hold value. It’s the tangible aspects of aging that truly grate on me. Yet, the idea of renewal is powerful and enticing.
Dobson’s persona embraces her infected state when the officials show up. She smiles, “I’ve grown fond of who I am now.” She’s fully committed to maintaining this condition. Unfortunately, sustaining it requires consuming people, but she seems resigned to that fact.
After that, she becomes quite thoughtful. “The truth is, growing older can be terrifying. It certainly is. You’re aware that it’s inevitible for everyone, but it doesn’t truly resonate with you until you notice it in your reflection, feel it in your joints, and then suddenly realize, ‘Ah, here it comes.’
“Upon waking in the morning, I often find myself thinking, ‘No new problems have arisen; I’m ready to face the day.’ Make the most of each moment. Maintain a positive outlook. If you don’t make laughter an integral part of your life, it can become dull and frightening.
Working alongside the younger cast members highlighted an element of disconnect for him. Primarily, Lindsay’s character is an activist who dedicates much of his time to interacting with children. He confides that he often felt quite detached, even in the makeup trailer. “I found myself feeling quite secluded,” he admits. “They were constantly laughing about things that I didn’t comprehend. The music they played, I despised. And I couldn’t make out any of their conversation; they spoke quietly and mumbled all the time.
Dobson concurs, expressing that he had never felt the divide between generations more keenly than when he became part of Generation Z. He has many youthful companions and frequently socializes with them over meals and drinks. However, on set, he often felt older than his years. One of the younger individuals was playing some music, and Dobson began enjoying it, only to be met with a puzzled look as if he had lost his mind.
However, all the senior celebrities firmly declare that they’ve never entertained the thought of turning back time through cosmetic procedures.
Yesterday, I chatted with an agent who frequently receives comments from casting directors that they prefer actors without any cosmetic enhancements, Dobson remarked with a small smile. If they were portraying characters similar to ours, they might say, “Oh, no, I’ve just had Botox treatments everywhere, my chin and nose have been altered, and I don’t really want to hide it.
Lindsay exclaims, “Anita!” She’s just returned from Los Angeles. In the ’80s, she used to work there, and she recently reconnected with some long-lost friends. Amazingly, she didn’t even recognize any of them. It left her absolutely astounded.
Johnston lets out a sigh, saying, “It’s truly unfortunate, isn’t it? I’m incredibly proud of the three of us. We’ve adapted, earned our wrinkles, and to be honest, we’re growing old in a way that’s far from graceful.
The latest issue of TopMob is out now – subscribe here.
Read More
- LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
- JASMY PREDICTION. JASMY cryptocurrency
- UXLINK PREDICTION. UXLINK cryptocurrency
- SQR PREDICTION. SQR cryptocurrency
- DOGS PREDICTION. DOGS cryptocurrency
- METIS PREDICTION. METIS cryptocurrency
- DOP PREDICTION. DOP cryptocurrency
- QUINT PREDICTION. QUINT cryptocurrency
- KNINE PREDICTION. KNINE cryptocurrency
- STG PREDICTION. STG cryptocurrency
2024-10-21 18:34