Kerr Logan stars as Conall Molloy in the Acorn TV original series Dead Still, premiering 29 June exclusively on Acorn TV.
The audition process for the role of a former grave digger must have been an interesting one, were there any notable moments?
When I was sent the script, I thought it was totally bonkers! I hadn’t a clue about Victorian death photography and I made the mistake of Googling it. They actually dressed up a deceased family member in their finest outfit and made them look ‘alive’ for a photograph. Some of those images will never be erased from my mind. We have such sensibilities around death, but of course, in those days, it would have been the height of respect. An honour only the very wealthy could afford.
From memorial portraiture and grave-digging to the supernormal, the show is a concoction of mad topics. When you first got involved were you fascinated or freaked?
When I first got involved I was intrigued as to what the tone of the show was. Is it comedy? Is it drama? Is it a crime thriller? A love story? Is it taking itself seriously or is it poking fun at itself? And the truth is, it’s all of these things and more. It was a lot of fun working through the script during rehearsals, working out the performance style and how to marry all these things together. I believe it’s turned out to be something quite unique.
It must have been hard to keep a straight face at times. Were there any moments on set when you just couldn’t hold back the laughter at inappropriate times?
Yes! There were lots of moments during this shoot running around haunted houses when things got very silly. It’s very hard to act opposite a corpse who is giggling back at you.
If memorial portraiture made a comeback, would you be up for the job? Or even have yourself memorialised with one?
If you are asking me would I take your picture should the unthinkable happen, the answer is yes. If I was to be memorialised in one, I would need to be wearing a codpiece and knee high boots so that I frighten someone else during their Google search in years to come.
What’s next for you?
Arghhh! I have a couple of jobs lined up but as yet no word as to when they will happen because of lockdown here in the UK. Fingers crossed the film industry can get back on its feet soon. Maybe Dead Still 2 could happen, I would really love to enter that mad world again.
