This Is Thomas Turgoose
BritFilms loves skinheads. Well, the lot from ‘This Is England’ anyway. With the constant praise from this here site and verdicts ringing with the likes of “Shane Meadows’ best work yet” it’s safe to say ‘This Is England’ is being rewarded all over, and rightfully so.
‘This Is England’ (without really intending to) shows an era of gangs, argued views and warring condition that mirrors that of now. Mark Herbert, producer of the film explained: “We were questioning if the film had any relevance, and at the same time there was news about the lad who was with his girlfriend when he was attacked and killed just for the colour of his skin. It was this that made us realise that no, this is completely relevant, it’s still happening. And many have made the connection with Iraq. Then it’s the Falklands, now it’s Iraq. It proves y’know that times really haven’t changed. We need to make this.”
With this solid message, Meadows has delivered another Midlands masterpiece that brings with it a grim and poignant storyline, wonderful nostalgic undertone and some brilliant performances from actors that could have easily been missed - three of which we’ve had the pleasure to meet.
Our first meeting with a member from the ‘This Is England’ pack was back in January when we’d first seen the film at a preview screening. Bloated from popcorn and coughing up free Maltesers, we sat up and took immediate attention when Mark Herbert, producer of the film, walked in. He also had with him the star of the film, Thomas ‘Tommo’ Turgoose, who played the rebellious Shaun Fields, the 12 yeard old that come to blows with the charismatic and psychotic, Combo (Stephen Graham).
No matter how much acclaim he may have received for the role, Tommo admits that he
wasn’t initially interested in the part, until, whilst hanging around at a youth club, he and his mates were told that “something’s going off next door, lads. There could be some money in it.”
Tommo explained “we had no idea what was going off, or what it was for, we only went there for a laugh. I walked in and there was this big tall man, Des (Des Hamilton, the casting director). He interviewed me and my mates and after, asked for a second interview which was in Nottingham, but I couldn’t get down there because my Mum was poorly, so Des drove me down, which is when I met Shane.”
So what was Tommo’s response when we asked him what this prime British filmmaker is really like? “Uh…uh…is he going to be reading this? (Laughs) No, Shane’s really funny; as soon as I met him I looked up to him. I was like that with everyone involved.” The Grimsby lad may have shown admiration to his co-stars and director, but the feeling was more then mutual.
Mark commended Tommo and made it clear that this young actor was perfect for the role: “There was an essence in the script that this was a character that could get away with not having a fight – just through being smart, by just being street wise and savvy, a bit like Shane was. And when we first met Tommo, there was a kind of smartness and streetwise, and, not cockiness, but just an attitude of: ‘you’re not going to take the piss out of me’. What made him stand out from the rest was that every kid that went to the audition was desperate for the role, where as Tommo wasn’t. It was like, ‘if I don’t get this I’m going to get something out of you at least’ and he did, he got a fiver!”
Mark then recalled the time that everyone knew that this was the one. “Tommo did a scene with Jo Hartley (a Meadows cast regular) where Shaun had gone into the bathroom only to find a strange man there that had spent the night with his Mum. Tommo did something that none of the other kids did, he was honest. He didn’t look his mother in the eye. What came through this was that Tommo wouldn’t do anything he wouldn’t do as himself, and because the relationship between Tommo, Shane and the cast built and built and built, it meant Tommo could take it on board, they all could develop.”
When thinking about his toughest parts in the film, Tommo’s choices were at both ends of the scales. One, was the first scene of getting out of bed, whilst the other was witnessing Combo unleashing his rage on one of Shaun’s closest friends (we’re not naming names). No surprise really that the one scene he was most comfortable with was the kissing scene: “That wasn’t very hard, I quite liked that one,” he told us.
With all these trials, everyone could see that Tommo was transforming into a cracking actor. This rebellious young school kid had become the backbone of the film, even if he didn’t really know it. But there were times when the pressure did start to kick in. "There was a time when I almost gave up and told Shane that I didn’t want to do it anymore, it was just too hard. But Shane and Mark talked to me and I changed my mind.”
Mark explains: “We kinda joked that there was another lad waiting in the wings from Manchester who was ready to get involved.” Tommo, looked rather shocked at this point: “Was there?”
“No” Mark laughs.
Unfortunately, the one person that didn’t see Tommo in the entire film was his mother, who tragically died of a terminal illness before the film was complete. “She died on December 29th, the editing wasn’t completely finished but she did see a clip that Shane had prepared, she was proud and in tears. I remember the night after she died, Jo Hartley told me that she’d be with me in Rome when I first saw the film.”
Tommo went out to Rome with his Dad where he first saw the film, and with it received a standing ovation for his tremendous performance, something his mother would certainly be proud of. But Turgoose admitted he didn’t even realise it was for him as he was too busy hugging people. Tommo explained “I saw everyone standing but I didn’t really think anything of it.”
Still at the same school studying for his GCSEs and now living with his father, Turgoose has kept his feet on the ground after a performance that will no doubt build this young (previously reluctant) man's career into further endeavours, and he deserves every one of them.
