STACK May 2016 Issue 139

32 / 101

D on't let his intense appearance
fool you. For someone who
frequently plays despicable
characters on screen, Burn Gorman is a
really nice guy in person.
“I’ve kind of gotten typecast as jerks
and arseholes, but you’ve got to take
the work when you can get it,” the
softly spoken actor says.
While his name might not be
immediately familiar, his face certainly
is. Fans of Doctor Who spin-off
Torchwood know him as Owen Harper,
the team’s arrogant medic, who
manages to die twice over the course
of two seasons.
“Owen was a complete jerk, let’s be
honest,” says Gorman. “Unfortunately
people often thought that I was like
the character. In the two series I
did do, we kind of chipped away at
him and saw the real guy. I have a
great fondness for the show and the
character.”
Game of Thrones fans will recognise
him as Karl Tanner, the snarling
steward of the Night’s Watch who
instigates the mutiny against the Lord
Commander at Craster’s Keep.
“I’m a big fan of the books, so I got
in contact with [the producers] and
said if there’s anything I can do, please
think of me. And a little part came
up – for another arsehole, I’m afraid,”
he laughs.
Although his character doesn’t
appear in the novels, Gorman made
a memorable contribution to the
series, not least his jaw-dropping
death scene.
“If you’re going to be killed on
Game of Thrones, as many people are,
to have a sword through your head
from Jon Snow is a good way to go,”
he notes.
A self-confessed sci-fi fan, Gorman
says that working with Guillermo del
Toro on Pacific Rim – in which he plays
introverted kaiju scientist Hermann
Gottlieb – is about as good as it gets.
“He’s so collaborative, yet has an
extremely strong vision of what he
wants and how he wants it to look,”
Gorman says of the visionary director,
and cites one particular example of del
Toro’s meticulous attention to detail.
“There were a few scenes in Pacific
Rim involving the destruction of Hong
Kong, and I remember going on set
and in the Hong Kong restaurants
there were these incredibly detailed
menus offering kaiju entrails, and how
they would be cooked and served.
Bear in mind nobody ever sees these
menus, they’re just there, but all the
detail that has gone into them is what
I love about him. He’s a genius.”
With sequel Pacific Rim: Maelstrom
currently in pre-production, is there a
chance we’ll see Gottlieb again?
“I haven’t heard anything at this
point,” says Gorman. “Obviously it
would be great to be involved, but if that
journey is over, then I shall look forward
to seeing it without me in it.”
visit DVD&BD FEATURE
32 MAY 2016
DVD
&
BD
If you’re going to be
killed on Game of
Thrones, as many
people are, to have a
sword through your
head from Jon Snow
is a good way to go
TV OR
FILM?
A prolific presence
on the small screen,
Burn Gorman says he
prefers the medium
of television for the
opportunities it affords
an actor.
“I’m always
grateful for the work
and for whatever
comes my way, but I
love being part of a
collaborative process
over six months,” he
says. “You’re not just
popping in for a couple
of days – you have
a chance to develop
the character and the
themes of the thing.
“The last couple of
years I’ve been doing
a show called TURN:
Washington’s Spies,
and it’s essentially
the true story of the
formation of the
exceedingly thorough
– in that they never
get caught – spy ring
which turned the tide
on the Revolutionary
War. As someone
who has an interest
in history, particularly
early American history,
I loved doing the job.”
Down Under for the Supanova pop culture expo, British actor and
self-confessed sci-fi fan Burn Gorman talks to Scott Hocking.
BURN FOR YOU
Pacific Rim
Torchwood