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Sunday News (September 6, 1998)
Water Rats hunk shuns star status COLIN Friels is a hard man to interview. He seems poised between not wanting to talk at all, and being bemused that anyone would want to listen. But he does offer this wisdom: "I did hear a Chinese proverb once - to seek fame is like a pig seeking self-slaughter. I think there's a fair bit of truth in that." Friels, who plays Detective Frank Holloway in the top-rating series Water Rats, is an enigmatic man. Charismatic and cool, friendly but aloof. When it comes to his TV alter ego, Friels chuckles and admits they're mates. "I like him a lot," he says. "I've enjoyed him, to be completely honest about the process of evolving that character. "It's quite liberating - you have to open yourself up a lot, so you're quite vulnerable." Friels believes there is a certain stigma attached to being an actor, particularly in the 90s when "acting" is so fashionable. "Really, acting has got nothing to do with being a star," he says. "You don't need to be an actor to be a film or a TV star. But you're not going to get away with it in other ways, if you have a demanding text or a judicious audience." Friels is self-deprecating about his work as a film actor, surprising from an actor considered by his peers to be one of the best. "I'm certainly more relaxed now," he says. "It's taken me until I did Water Rats, because I didn't understand a thing about film acting. "All my performances are woeful, woeful, shocking. I haven't a clue about film acting, I haven't a clue." Friels doesn't like character acting, nor does he see acting as a deep, internal process. "That's a great misconception," he says. "It's an outward thing, it's healthy. You project it outward. I think that's what breeds self-confidence too." Friels doesn't like publicity or being a public figure, although he understands they're part of the game. "I'm a local actor doing a local TV show, and I'm thrilled to bits people watch it," he says. "Do I want to be in a failure? I don't. I stand by it and I love the fact that television can get a large audience, but with that comes people recognising you in the street." Friels says he feels "humiliated and stupid" when he's stared at in the street. "I hate that, but it's part of it. I wish it wasn't, but it is. But I know how to stick my head down," he says. "Generally people are pretty nice, but occasionally you get the odd person who wants to punch you up." He admits he dreams of being anonymous. "I swear to God I love anonymity. To be completely anonymous is fantastic, because then you're free," he says. "Everyone loves attention in a sense but that's not the kind of attention I like. I've never tried to be an actor through promoting myself." |