Swansea-born actor Jonathon Houlston has described playing a young Luke Evans in ITV's new Sunday night drama The Party as "a dream come true." The actor, who appears as a young Martin in the series, said he couldn't believe it when he landed the role and was thrilled to pick Luke Evans' brain on set.
A role he almost missed
The Party marks Jonathon's biggest role to date. Speaking to Wales Online, the young actor said he was "excited and nervous" about the release of the show. He recalled the moment he found out he had got the part: "I did the first few auditions, and then I was told that in about three or four days I'll find out whether I got it or not. But then the next day, I had a phone call from my agent at stupid o'clock in the morning. It was way too early. I was with my girlfriend, and I answered the phone, and she looked at me and I looked at her."
"I went 'hello', and my agent went, 'Guess what? You've got it.' It was just like high fives to everybody, tears, and then panicking that I have to prepare for this massive series that's going to take a lot of my time. But it was so worth it."
Learning from Luke Evans
The actor shared what it was like to play a young Luke Evans, saying it was "like a dream come true." Jonathon continued: "Luke is so lovely, and we spoke early on quite a lot about Martin and about what would be similar about him when he's older, and then also what would be different. I think the main thing that we spoke about was his voice and how when he's younger, he has this thicker Welsh accent, but then when he's older, it might have muted a bit because he's gone to school and had those experiences."
"That was the main thing, but just getting to pick his brains about the industry and his career and challenges he's faced, it was just an amazing experience."
Filmed across Wales
The new series was filmed across Wales including locations in Cardiff, Port Talbot, Bridgend and Jonathon's hometown of Swansea. He said the best place to film was at home, as he was able to meet his mam on breaks from filming and go home during his time off.
The actor also spoke about representing Wales on screen, explaining that "it's a real honour." He said: "Getting to use my own accent was so lovely, because it's one less thing to worry about in a way. But also, I think there's an authenticity that comes with using your own voice, which is fantastic."
"To do it so early on in my career, I'm just so super privileged and honoured. I really want to do Wales proud. I want to do everyone at home proud, and everyone involved in the series as well. So, I'm excited for it to come out, and I think people are going to love it."
The Party is based on Elizabeth Day's critically acclaimed novel and features Luke Evans, from Aberbargoed, as journalist Martin Gilmour, whose life has been defined by his enduring friendship with the affluent and magnetic politician Ben Fitzmaurice, portrayed by fellow Welsh actor Tom Cullen. The series follows their lives from meeting as teenagers to their lives as adults with children of their own. You can watch The Party on ITV1 and ITV X from 9pm on Sunday, October 11.
