The Lazarus Project star Paapa Essiedu on his ‘rambunctious opposition’ to typecasting – even when it’s to his detriment
Paapa Essiedu, star of The Lazarus Project, says he’s taken a proactive approach to avoiding typecasting, even if it means turning down great roles in the process.
The 33-year-old actor has a complex part to portray playing George, a rule-breaking secret agent who needs to be both the everyman and action hero of the high concept show – as well as being able to get his head around time travel.
Caroline Quentin as project leader Wes. Pic: The Lazarus Project/Sky Max
The second series of the BAFTA-winning sci-fi picks up with the world stuck in a time loop in which the world ends every three weeks.
Essiedu’s co-star, Caroline Quentin, who plays Elisabeth ‘Wes’ Wesley, the leader of The Lazarus Project admits: “I struggle to remember what I did yesterday in real life. So, trying to find my way through the backwards and forwards of the script was very challenging for me.”
Also challenging were the show’s filming conditions – with series one shot in the middle of the first COVID lockdown, and the second during a brutally cold winter.
Paapa Essiedu is the star of The Lazarus Project, now in its second series on Sky Max
Essiedu says he had to train for the role, which sees him take on numerous adversaries, fighting and shooting his way to saving humanity.
“It was a long shoot, very intensive… It requires a lot of mental resilience, emotional resilience, and physical resilience”.
Admitting to being somewhat accident prone, he didn’t survive the shoot injury-free.
“I could get injured like sat on this chair right now, you know? It really is a joke. My physio thinks I’m very talented in that particular sphere. So, yeah, I had a couple of injuries and a few fight scenes and whatever, but you keep calm and carry on.”
There are fight scenes aplenty to contend with. Pic: The Lazarus Project/Sky Max
So, in a show where the characters frequently live the same three weeks over and over again, do Essiedu and Quentin ever feel as actors they’re asked to play the same roles on repeat?
Essiedu, who’s played parts including Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; George Boleyn the brother-in-law to Henry VIII and a demon called Gaap in the guise of a disco star, says he’s taken a strong stance to avoid getting stuck in a career loop.
“I think for me I’ve had to be like quite conscious in things I say yes and no to in order to stop that from happening. Because you do a thing and people see it and they’re like, ‘OK more of that, more of that, more of that’.
“I’m quite rambunctious in my opposition to that, you know, and sometimes to the detriment of really great parts. I think if you’re lucky enough to get the opportunities that allow you to stretch your range or to show different sides of your capabilities, then you’ve got to be conscious to chase those opportunities.”
Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts
Quentin, 63, who is perhaps best known for the role of long-suffering girlfriend Dorothy in 90s hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly has also had to battle with lazy casting.
“I’ve always struggled with that, you know, because I’ve done a lot of comedy and sometimes you just want to go, ‘I don’t just do that’. This is nice, it gives me an opportunity to do stuff that isn’t like that…
“If you’re good at something you don’t want to be bad at something, so people don’t ask you to do it again. But on the other hand, if you’re good at it, you don’t want people keep asking you do the same thing over and over again.”
So, what would they have done if their life paths had taken a different turn, and they hadn’t been actors?
For Essiedu, it would have been a complete jump away from the arts into the sciences: “I very nearly became a doctor. I had a place at medical school, and I often think about what my life would be like if I was doing that.
“I obviously love working with people and that’s one of the reasons I love being an actor because you get to meet many different types of people.”
Quentin would have stayed a little closer to home, becoming “either a potter or a painter or an illustrator or something in that world”.
Series two of The Lazarus Project is streaming now on Sky Max and NOW TV.
Wayne Osmond, one of the original members of The Osmonds, has died aged 73.
The singer, who rose to fame alongside his siblings including Donny, Jimmy and Marie Osmond, died on New Year’s Day with his wife and five children by his side after suffering a stroke, family members said in posts on social media.
“His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world,” a family statement said.
“He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”
Donny Osmond, 67, paid tribute to his “dear brother” and said he was grateful to have seen him in hospital before his death.
“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me,” he said. “He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone.”
The Osmonds in 2008 (L-R): Merrill, Jimmy, Donny, Alan, Marie, Jay and Wayne. Pic: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Born in Ogden, Utah, Wayne Osmond was the fourth of nine siblings. The two oldest Osmond brothers, Virl and Tom, were both born with hearing problems.
The family were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wayne’s musical career started when he was just a boy, when he formed a barbershop quartet with three of his brothers, Alan, Merrill and Jay. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny and Jimmy and became household names in the 1970s, with hits including One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses, and Love Me For A Reason.
Sister Marie also rose to fame as a singer.
Read more:
Neil Young pulls out of Glastonbury
Ross Kemp returning to EastEnders
Merrill and Jay Osmond were among the family members sharing tributes, with Merrill, 71, also saying he visited Wayne before his death.
“I’ve never known a man that had more humility,” Merrill said. “A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met…
“My brother Wayne endured much. He gave it his all. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God.”
Jay, 69, said he had always “felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings” and that a “true legend” had left the world.
Wayne Osmond is survived by all of his siblings, as well as his wife Kathlyn and their children.
Entertainment
It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni sues New York Times for libel over Blake Lively harassment allegations
Actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued The New York Times newspaper for libel after it published allegations that he had sexually harassed and tried to smear the reputation of his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.
The lawsuit, which seeks at least $250m (£199m) in damages, was the latest in a legal battle that has engulfed the two stars. Lively has filed a separate federal lawsuit against Baldoni and others alleging harassment.
The Baldoni lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday by the director, 40, and by other defendants named in the Lively lawsuit.
It accuses The New York Times of accepting a “self-serving narrative” by the actress, 37, who claimed Baldoni, production company Wayfarer Studios and others attempted to damage her reputation after she and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour” by the actor and a producer on the set of the film.
According to Lively’s complaint, the plan included a proposal to plant theories on online message boards, engineer a social media campaign and place news stories that are critical of her.
But Baldoni’s libel lawsuit claims The Times article, which was called ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine, “disregard[s] an abundance of evidence” that contradicts Lively’s accusations.
Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of It Ends With Us. Pic: AP
The Times has defended its reporting and said it plans to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit.
In a statement, it said: “The role of an independent news organisation is to follow the facts where they lead.
“Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”
Baldoni was dropped by his agency, WME, immediately after Lively filed her complaint and The Times published its story. The agency represents both Lively and Reynolds.
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, previously called the accusations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Why is Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni?
He said on Wednesday that The Times had “aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalise Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public”.
Lively is not a defendant in the libel lawsuit against the paper.
Read more from Sky News:
Neil Young pulls out of Glastonbury
Stormzy banned from driving for nine months
In a statement, lawyers representing the actress said: “Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today.”
It Ends With Us, which is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, was shrouded by speculation over discord between the lead pair at the time of its release in August.
Baldoni took a backseat in promoting the film while Lively took centre stage along with Reynolds, who was on the press circuit for Deadpool & Wolverine at the same time.
Neil Young has announced he will not be performing at this year’s Glastonbury, saying he believes the BBC’s involvement in the popular festival means it is “now under corporate control”.
The 79-year-old musician wrote on his website that both he and his band, The Chrome Hearts, were pulling out because it was a “corporate turn-off”.
Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in summer, has worked closely with the BBC since 1997.
The BBC is the festival’s exclusive broadcast partner.
Canadian-born Young had yet to be announced as an act at this year’s event.
Posting on Neil Young Archives, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wrote: “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favourite outdoor gigs.
“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
Young performing at Glastonbury in 2009. Pic: PA
Young, who headlined the famous Pyramid Stage in 2009, thanked fans for supporting both him and his band the last time they were at the festival.
He added: “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.
“Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
Young, who is married to US actress Daryl Hannah, was booked to play Glastonbury in 1997 but pulled out after cutting his left index finger while making a ham sandwich.
Read more from Sky News:
Most anticipated films coming to cinemas in 2025
Ross Kemp returning to EastEnders
Following his headline performance in 2009, viewers were left disappointed when only a portion of his set was broadcast on the BBC.
In a statement at the time, the corporation said it had “spent the last couple of months” negotiating with Young’s management over what it could show on TV, radio and online.
The broadcaster added: “Neil Young’s career has been conducted on his own terms.
“Last night Neil’s management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance.
“They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist.
“They have decided to make one song available online over the weekend to give a flavour of his set. That’s Rockin’ In The Free World and that’s their decision.”
Glastonbury is one of the UK’s largest music festivals.
It is set to take place between 25 and 29 June, with Sir Rod Stewart booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot.
The BBC and Glastonbury Festival were contacted for comment.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway