Michael Sheard, John McMahon & Melanie Hiscock on Going Live 11th March 1989 interviewed by Sarah Greene Apologies for the picture quality in the middle of the clip.
Michael Sheard was a very unique character actor of his generation. It's amazing to see the roles he took on such as Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Doctor Who, Grange Hill, Space 1999 and many more. He didn't do much acting in his later years, he spend most of his time attending conventions and meeting fans. It just goes to show he had huge love and respect to those who loved his work. Rest in Peace Michael, a man with so much talent!
He was a brilliant actor, one of the very best character actors this country has ever produced. As you say, a long list of credentials in movies, television and theatre.
I've been doing a Grange Hill marathon on youtube for some time, so it's lovely to see this. I probably wouldn't have realised this at the time (I was only six when this aired) but my word Sarah Greene is really earning her (probably minimal) presenting fee here. Virtually every question asked has to be repeated and/or rephrased by her to the actors, and she does so without making it seem like she is taking away the callers moment of asking it in the first place. Also the bit near the end asking John (Gonch) what he'd like to do if he didn't end up with a career in acting, she literally has to rephrase and refine the question about 6 times to get a halfway useful answer from John, and even then he just reverts back to saying he really just wants to be an actor! Sarah must have felt like she was pulling teeth during that exchange.
The very first time l saw The Chase with the Beast on it, l thought to myself, "that's the guy from Grange Hill." But it isn't. Mark Labbett is The Beast from The Chase, whereas Joshua Fenton played Francis "Mauler" McCaul in Grange Hill. They really look alike, don't they!
He was being honest. Acting is an unpredictable business and he might have found himself typecast as Gonch. The guy who played Ziggy had the same prob when his run in GH finished. He would go to auditions and didn’t get parts because of being in GH. Michael Sheard had no problem, with an extensive career in Hollywood movies, television and stage.
The very first time l saw The Chase with the Beast on it, l thought to myself, "that's the guy from Grange Hill." But it isn't. Mark Labbett is The Beast from The Chase, whereas Joshua Fenton played Francis "Mauler" McCaul in Grange Hill. They really look alike, don't they!
