Being Human

seriesBeingHuman

In 2012 Andrew Gower appeared as vampire solicitor Nick Cutler in season 4 of supernatural comedy drama Being Human on BBC Three.

In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, we join Annie (Lenora Crichlow), her housemate George (Russell Tovey) and their new friend Tom (Michael Socha). They’re reeling from the loss of their best friend Mitchell (Aidan Turner), Tom’s father-figure McNair (Robson Green) and the tragic departure of George’s girlfriend, Nina (Sinead Keenan).

But with a newborn baby to look after, it’s never been more difficult to live life under-the-radar as a ghost and two werewolves. There are also the vampires to deal with: lurking in every corner of society, waiting for the Old Ones to arrive and take over the world with brutal force. Can they fight them off? And at what cost?

One thing becomes clear – the vampires believe that the child of two werewolves is important in their own mythology. Can this little baby really be the saviour of humanity? And what exactly are Cutler’s ‘alternative’ plans for world domination?

(Source: BBC Media Centre, adapted)

Cutler’s “human” persona is that of a solicitor, his role before he was turned into a vampire. He still uses this persona to cover up the murderous activities of the vampires. Throughout season 4 he is desperate to be a “history maker”, killing anyone who stands in his way and exploiting others for his own gain. However, he still seems to retain some humanity and it is this that made him such a fascinating character to watch.

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On 27 July 2011 Cultfix.co.uk announced Cutler as the “new vampire in town”. In their review of episode 4×07 “History Maker”, the one that revealed Cutler’s backstory, they had the following to say about everyone’s favourite vampire solicitor.

If you’ve not been a fan of Cutler, this episode may just turn you around when you learn his tragic history. It also gives Andrew Gower a chance to add another dimension to the character, rather than the sarcastic, know-it-all he’s been playing all series.

EW.com talked with Andrew about 4×06 “Puppy Love” and his character Cutler in this interview from 1 April 2012. They also interviewed showrunner Toby Whithouse on 8 April 2012.

Does Cutler have any humanity left in him?

From the moment that he sees his wife killed, that’s it. It’s been interesting to look at the reactions to him on online. I’m very pleased to see that Cutler has a lot of fans. There are also quite a lot of people who are hoping that there is a bit of decency left in him and that he will redeem himself. That’s something Andrew [Gower] imbued in the character, because it wasn’t on the page. That people are having questions about him is a testament to his performance, because in my mind, the best way of telling if Cutler is lying is if his lips are moving.

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Damien Molony (Hal Yorke) was interviewed by Spotlight about his nomination for the prize in 2011 and his career since then. There were a couple of questions about Andrew and their work together on Being Human:

Did Andrew Gower [2010 Spotlight Prize winner] try to give you any tips?

We didn’t actually shoot anything together until episode seven so we didn’t really talk about it that much. He used to give me encouragement and I would try and do the same because I think he is absolutely amazing, a brilliant actor. He goes into so much depth with his preparation. I learnt a lot from just watching him rather than him teaching me.

Read the full interview here.

Watch this bonus scene that shows the first meeting between Nick Cutler and Hal Yorke in episode 4×07 “Making History”:

DigitalSpy.Com commented in their review of the episode:

Both Andrew Gower and Damian Molony excel – the former plays both the timid early Cutler and the deranged present-day model with great skill, while the latter does a great job in reminding us that Hal was not always the stuffy but cuddly figure we’ve come to know and love (“F**king kill her!”).

Mark Gatiss (Mr Snow) was interviewed by EW.com about the season 4 finale of Being Human “War Child”:

Can you explain why he’s rubbing Cutler’s face in the preview?
Because I wanted to. I said to Andrew [Gower], “I just got an idea. I should run my hand down your face and stick my finger into your mouth. Is that alright?” And he said, “Yeah, whatever you like.” So I did it. What I like about it is it’s so invasive. First of all, he has those filthy fingernails. I thought, he regards this man as less than the dirt on his shoes and he should just show it. It’s also slightly pervy. I enjoyed that.

You can watch the scene here. BBC Three also released the clip from the same episode.

Episode synopses: