Walton actor Shaun Fagan was sacked from his job at Santander on the same day he landed his first paid acting role, after nine years working at the bank. The 35-year-old, who now stars in hit shows such as Boiling Point and This City Is Ours, spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview about his non-traditional route into the industry.
From Everyman Youth Theatre to the screen
Shaun's love for movies was ignited as a kid watching classics like Once Upon a Time in America and The Godfather with his grandad. But he never thought about actually appearing in film and television until it came to choosing his options in Sixth Form.
He said: "Drama was an option and, in my head, I thought it would be a sit off to get out of doing something more academic. [At the time] If I was more laid back, I'd be akip." Learning about the classic play The Shadow of a Gunman awakened a passion inside Shaun that he wanted to take further and he signed up for the Everyman Youth Theatre.
Like so many Scouse actors, Shaun was inspired by Stephen Graham and he performed as Combo from This Is England in his audition for the group. He laughed: "I basically just grafted Ste's character so I'm proper intense. I kicked a chair and remember the director asking me, 'Can I do something more light-hearted for the next one'."
Sharing the screen with his hero
Putting his heart into the role paid off and the Everyman proved to be an in into the profession. The culmination of his efforts came a decade later when he was sharing the screen with his hero, when the two starred together in the TV adaptation of Boiling Point. He said: "I did a table read on day one and Stephen Graham was sat across from me.
"My mind was going off on one because I was thinking, 'I might never get this opportunity again' so I'm going to have fun with it. I remember he just looked across the table and winked at me in the end." He added: "It was surreal. I'm always in my head so I'm always waiting for a tap on my shoulder and someone to say, 'We got it wrong.' At the minute no one has said it so I'm just carrying on really, until someone tells me otherwise. But I try and not treat it like an X Factor dream."
It was Stephen, his wife Hannah Walters and Boiling Point director, Phil Barantini, that gave Shaun his chance and he will forever be grateful for their trust. He said: "They could have picked up the phone and got anyone who they wanted but it's a testament to them that they like giving opportunities out. They fought my corner to give it to me so I will always be massively grateful to them."
From 2000 job applications to a breakthrough
Shaun had built up a connection with Adolescence director Phil when they worked together on Malpractice, which was his first TV role. In the script, it was an unnamed part with just three lines, but show lead Niamh Algar asked Shaun if he fancied improvising, which was music to his ears. He said; "I love just to see what happens so it become a slightly bigger scene. They liked what I did and then wrote me into another episode."
Shaun was 30 when the role came along and was worried at various points throughout his 20s that his opportunity may have passed him by. After completing the Everyman youth group, the actor landed a role in a film but the project fell through due to lack of funding, which hit him hard. He said: "I took it proper personal and I was feeling I was getting too old for this now. [Acting] was still something I loved but it wasn't something I was as hungry about pursuing."
Shaun got a job at Santander and soon rediscovered his passion for performing, as he was taking any jobs that were available as he drilled down on getting his break. The disappointment of his first film falling through changed his mentality as he vowed to never dwell too much on rejection. He said: "[Before my first TV role] I'd looked at my submissions. I think I'd been put up for 2000 jobs. I'd had 650 recalls and I think I'd got about 3. But because I'd had that earlier knockback I knew there was nothing to lose. That experience knocked me for a few years so I thought what's the point. Either do what you want to do or don't."
Scouse New Wave and what comes next
Shaun doesn't believe in coincidence but his first acting job on an advert came on the day he was sacked from Santander after nine years. He said: "It's the only time [I've ever been sacked] but my heart wasn't in it. I could have had a career in the bank, but the day I got sacked was the day I got my first advert and my first proper paid job. So I feel like stuff just does work out."
But Shaun thinks the experience of working in a more traditional job has given him the people skills and perspective that is valued by people like Stephen Graham and Phil Barantini. He said: "The way I conduct myself in work is the way I try to conduct myself everywhere. I just try and be myself and I can't be a***d putting an artifice on."
Things have kept falling into place since that first breakthrough on Malpractice as Shaun is now part of a thriving scene in the city that's being referred to as the Scouse New Wave. He said: "Just seeing people from Liverpool doing well is boss. Not just telly, whether it's music, fashion or art, it was never seen as possible years ago to get a job in these creative industries. It's now a lot more accessible which it should be."
This City Is Ours is perhaps the most visible example of this burgeoning creative scene and Shaun is proud to be a part of it as a detective Barney Styles. He said: "It's still mad because the part I went for was initially for a 50/60 year old. I remember doing the audition and thinking, 'I'm not getting this.' I'm just going to have fun with it. I wanted to not do it as a stereotypical telly detective. Barney Styles is a bit a weird. He's not trying to strongarm anyone or be the loudest in the room. Whenever you're on something, you never know how it's going to be received, but to see the reaction it's had around the country and around the world. Your head half falls off."
Shaun is looking forward to the response to season two when it arrives on screens next Sunday (October 25) and is excited for what comes next as his story serves as an example to never stop chasing your dreams. It was the advice from his good friend Bobby about waiting in the barbers that he kept returning to during the low moments of his journey when he seriously thought about quitting. But it was only recently when the Beatles star, who is playing Neil Aspinall in the upcoming biopics, revealed he'd taken the words from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Shaun laughed: "I've had this in my head for years because it took the pressure off myself. It wasn't that long ago when he said, 'I robbed that off Denzel Washington y'know'."
While it may not have been original advice, that doesn't take away any of its truth as Shaun is relieved he kept persisting and is looking forward to the next chapter now that he has broken down barriers to become an actor. He said: "It stuck in my head to just keep on going because there's no harm in it. I'm just happy that I get to do this and it's sound. It definitely beats answering calls for Santander." This City Is Ours season two arrives on BBC and iPlayer on October 25. Shaun is also soon to appear in an episode of Silent Witness and A Town Called Nova Scotia with Billy Nighy.
