Adolescence star Ashley Walters has come clean about bringing an otherwise perfect take to a halt while shooting the popular Netflix drama.
The former Top Boy and Missing You actor plays detective Luke Bascombe in Adolescence, every episode of which was famously filmed in one continuous take.
Because of this, when anything went wrong during the shoot, the cast and crew would have to reset and start the episode afresh.
Earlier this week, executive producer Hannah Walters – who is also the wife of Adolescence co-writer and star Stephen Graham – let slip that Ashley was the cause of one such incidents, after he got tongue-tied while filming episode two.
Asked about this during an appearance on Capital Xtra Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Ashley confirmed that Hannah’s account was correct.
“In episode two, I chase a kid at the end, and I used his name when calling my son, instead of my son’s character’s name right at the end,” he admitted.
“And Philip Barantini, the director, he came up to me after, because I was in bits, bro. You know when, like, you’ve dropped the ball? It’s like you’re dropping a ball for everyone, do you know what I mean?
“It’s like a football team, bro. You’re playing together. And I was in bits, bro. Nearly in tears. Because it was such a good take, and he tried to make me feel better by like, ‘No, but maybe, you know, the character is so discombobulated…’ I was like, ‘Phil, let’s just go again. Let’s go again’.”
Since the show began streaming last week, Netflix has already lifted the lid on how the crew pulled off that incredible one-shot technique, and revealed what happened when things went awry.
Cinematographer Matthew Lewis has also shared some more of the blunders that led to takes being abandoned.
Adolescence is available to stream now on Netflix.