NOEL Clarke talksabout his new film, 4.3.2.1, why the likes of Go and Pulp Fiction inspired him and what it was like to work with his idol Kevin Smith.

He also talks about why his ambition and attitude are sometimes mistaken for arrogance and some of his hopes for the future…

Q. You’ve talked about Amores Peros and Pulp Fiction as two influences on 4.3.2.1. It also reminded me a lot of Doug Liman’s Go…
Noel Clarke: That’s exactly what it is. Go‘s one of my favourite films and I always wanted to write a British go. That was my whole intention. So, people saying to me that it reminded them of Go is me saying that’s exactly what I wanted.

Q. What do you love about Go?
Noel Clarke: I just love it. Go is life. You watch the film and, yeah it’s heightened, but it’s how people talk, it features jobs that people have. There’s the crazy naked guy… it’s just real stuff mixed up in this sort of… we’re just going to jump into their lives and leave and I love that. I also like Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia as well because they’re films that you just jump into these peoples lives… there’s no sense of, there’s the beginning, there’s the middle, there’s the end. You’re just in, you observe like a voyeur, and you’re out, and then you kind of think about it afterwards. I don’t like things that always have to be concluded. And so I just wanted to do that because nobody, and I mean nobody, is making films like that in the UK. I know how that sounds… some journalists think it’s arrogant. But it’s true. Nobody is making films like this here. And that’s what we wanted to do.

Q. How difficult was it to write? You have two different time zones, two different cities, four different characters, and everything interlinks… Apparently you wrote it in a month?
Noel Clarke: I did. I wrote it in a month but I planned it for a while. I plotted it out and stuff like that, so it wasn’t like I just went home and wrote it. I plotted it out so that when I was writing it I kind of knew where each girl was at each time and how it would work. Now, when I think about the film I kind of can’t believe that I did it [laughs] because one character has to be there at a certain time, and another has to be there at a certain time.

Regardless of what people think, it is quite complex to put together because she’s in New York, there’s a six hour time difference, and she’s in London. But at the time I was doing it, it didn’t seem that complicated when I was plotting it out on a word document. Now, though, I can’t believe it. I’m older and wiser now and I think: “My God, what have you done?”

Q. You wrote it after Kidulthood… has it changed much since then?
Noel Clarke: It hasn’t changed a whole hell of a lot but it definitely needed updating. Of course, when I wrote it there was no Twitter, there was no Facebook, mobile phones were still… there weren’t camera phones offering video. So, I did have to update it and polish it up a bit.

Q. How easy was it to find the four girls?
Noel Clarke: Very easy. Tamsin [Egerton] auditioned for Adulthood but was too young at the time. I really liked her, though, and then I saw her again and said: “I might have something for you…” I planned this for a long time. I did a Time Out thing about two years ago, in which I had to choose an up and comer. So, I chose Tamsin. She went on and did St Trinian’s 1 and 2, so she was always going to get the part of Cassandra. That was a straight offer. Shanika [Warren-Markland] was in Adulthood, and it was either going to be her or Red [Madrell]. But I just liked Shanika. Emma [Roberts] was a straight offer as well. And when we cast Shannon, we auditioned and met Ophelia [Lovibond] and the moment she came in it was her. She just blew us away in the audition. She’s a very good actress.

Q. What was it about Emma Roberts, in particular, that appealed? This is more edgy that anything she’s previously done…
Noel Clarke: Like you say, she wanted to do something edgy. Weirdly for me, it was the least edgy role. I saw her on the Nickledeon show… not early on, but during the later seasons I thought she was actually quite good. If this film had happened two years ago, it wouldn’t have been her. If it happened two years from now, it probably wouldn’t be her either. She was just right. She fit. She’s got a real sweetness about her, a real innocence, but she can still be cheeky and that’s the kind of character you need for Joanne. Because when you think about the four friends and how different they are, you can believe that Jo’s friendly with any of them. Sometimes it’s a stretch to believe in Shanika and Tamsin being friends. But you needed that girl who could be friends with any of those girls. She’s the everygirl, the normal girl – and Emma was just right, right now, for that part.

Q. Did you always intend to give yourself a role?
Noel Clarke: God no… when I wrote it I’d have been two young to play that part. I was kind of leaning more towards Manuel, Shanika’s brother in the film, because it was a bigger part that I’d done in Kidulthood and that was the part I wanted. I thought about Dylan, but he was too similar to Sam from Kidulthood and then, of course, no one wanted to make the film. But then I did Adulthood and suddenly I was a bit older. So, playing Manuel – having played the lead in Adulthood – seemed not only one-dimensional but pointless because I’d done it. Playing Dylan would also be pointless, so that didn’t leave any more parts to play.

But I like acting and I wanted to be in it, so I thought I’ll play Tee because he doesn’t really have an age limit. He couldn’t be too young. But that was never written for me. The jokes about my character were always about my character, contrary to what some journalists have been picking up on.

Q. How has life changed for you since Adulthood and since winning the Orange Rising Star Award? Has it got easier to pitch ideas and get films made?
Noel Clarke: Not really! I think it’s still a struggle, personally. It’s certainly more of a struggle than people perceive it to be because it’s hard to get films made in this country. The difference is now that I have a lot of international people and representation, who are looking at what I have to offer.

But it’s still tough. I can’t just decide on something and expect the money. I think people still… specifically because of the first two films [Kidulthood and Adulthood] are really looking at what I’m doing in depth because they want to make sure that it’s either exactly the same as those. But if it’s not it’s even tougher because they worry whether my audience will follow it. But I’m like: “For f**k’s sake, man, what do you mean?” If it’s good, people will go and see it.

Q. But it’s to be applauded that you want to make films on the scale of American films… you don’t want to make small British films, you want to make films that could play just as well in Hollywood…
Noel Clarke: I don’t mind them being small. I just want to make things that will hopefully travel, because I think we can make movies here: not just films, but movies.

Q. People seem to be following your lead… Strike Back on Sky1 had the kind of production values that could compete with 24… People are starting to realise we can compete.
Noel Clarke: We can. Effects are getting cheaper, they’re getting easier to do. So, you can compete. We’ve learnt that you can compete. I understand why nobody wanted to make 4.3.2.1 six years ago, or even after Kidulthood, because they didn’t get it. They couldn’t see it. But now people see it. They realise we should be making Go, we should be making Pulp Fiction, we should be doing that stuff. I’m not saying I’m as good as any of those guys – Liman, Tarantino… I’m not even hinting at being anywhere near their level. But what I want to do is things that other people aren’t doing.

Q. That makes you a fearless filmmaker in a lot of ways, as well as an inspiration. Is that something you’re aware of?
Noel Clarke: I think for young people and people that get it, it comes across as inspirational and fearless. To people that are old school, or really don’t get it, it comes across as arrogance. I can sit here and say to you that it’s not; and that would be your decision to make in the story that you write. What I think I do have is… I came into it through the side door and I love it. I’m a film fan and I want to work. I don’t buy into opinion. If people review the films and say: “We love this! 5 stars!” That’s great. But if people hate it and describe it as an outrage… I heard a woman huffing in the screening earlier.

But I really don’t care because what I want to do is make things that I think people want to watch. I’m a film fan, so I think I’m in touch with other film fans and that they might want to watch stuff. The other reason I really don’t care is because no matter what you do in life, no matter what you wear, or what you say, people are going to like it or they’re not. And that is all. Everything, down to the socks I chose today – people are going to like them or they’re not and there’s nothing you can do about that.

So, consequently have your opinion and I don’t care. I just going to [carry on] doing what I do, pay my bills and look after my wife, my son and my mum. I’m not really interested in what people have to say because they’re allowed their opinion. That’s why we live in this country where people can have freedom of speech. So, if you hated it – great. Thanks for watching. But a lot of people take that as arrogance. But it’s not… because what can I do? I think it’s more about their arrogance or insecurity at me not getting annoyed about their words hurting me.

Q. A lot of directors have said that you can never go into a project trying to please everyone. You have to please yourself first and foremost…
Noel Clarke: Absolutely right. But a lot of people do. They read reviews and they’re devastated. All you have to be concerned about is that your film does business so you can go on and make the next one. And you also have to have a plan in case it doesn’t, so that you know how you’re going to make the next one work as well.

Q. Which do you prefer: writing, acting or directing?
Noel Clarke: [Pauses] Probably acting and directing. A love writing, I really do, but it’s my least favourite of the three because I have too many ideas. I have 10 films that I want to make, but I know that I can never make them. I can’t physically write them all. I could source them out to other people but I can’t physically direct them all. So, writing has become my least favourite because I’ll be halfway through one and then think: “This will be a great idea.” But I’m being paid to write this one. I wish I could either have 10 of me, or have a company where I have 10 directors and I can delegate projects.

Q. Is that an end game?
Noel Clarke: I don’t know, man. [Laughs]. I’d love it if so.

Q. How was directing in New York?
Noel Clarke: Great. I’ve always wanted to work out there and I set the film there all those years ago, in my naivety, thinking it would be fun. But it came about, so it was great to be able to film in Times Square. Someone said to me: “You couldn’t have picked anywhere else in New York?” But it had to be there… why would I pick the suburbs? With trees and houses that could look like anywhere? It had to be Times Square and from a British point of view. For once, it’s a British point of view with a girl saying: “I’m in that place that looks like Piccaddilly!” I just wanted to do movies the opposite way around. New York was essential and I loved it.

Q. How did you go about getting Kevin Smith to cameo? Were you a fan?
Noel Clarke: I’m a massive fan of Kevin Smith! He directly… blame him for everything! Blame him for Kidulthood, for Adulthood, for 4.3.2.1. He was directly responsible for inspiring me with Clerks. And Tarantino with Pulp Fiction and, of course, Doug Liman with Go. But Kevin Smith… the first time I saw <>i>Clerks… I didn’t know you could make films where you can talk how people really spoke. These guys were talking about who was shagging whose mum, etc, and movies like Star Wars. I could not believe it.

My media teacher… it was his first job out of uni and he was younger than I am now, but he gave us Pulp Fiction and told us to watch it and I couldn’t believe it was out of sequence. We all know it now… we take it for granted. But at the time it was phenomenal and I could not believe that a film could be out of sequence. I remember asking if he was allowed and the teacher said: “Yeah, you can do what you want.” The moment he said that, the whole thing just unlocked in my head. I always wanted to act but then I wanted to make films as well. It was then I knew I could do it. So, Kevin Smith was a massive, massive influence. I love all his films.

Q. Had you met him previously?
Noel Clarke: He was aware of me… I’m always saying I’m a fan. I met him at Comic-Con because I was doing Torchwood and Doctor Who and he was doing Reaper. Then, I said I was going to do Adulthood and he said “go for it”. I met him back-stage and he was really cool. So, when this came about I saw he was going to be in London on his book tour and got the agents to do their thing. A few weeks later, I got an email from Kevin Smith saying: “I’m in!”

Q. So, what was it like for Noel Clarke, the film fan, to have written some lines for your hero?
Noel Clarke: Amazing [smiles]. I don’t really get excited about much but this was one of the coolest experiences of my life. If it wasn’t for Clerks and seeing films like that, I’d never have had my head unlocked to write the films I’ve written. So, to have him in a film that I wrote because of him was just phenomenal. And I wrote that part for him, all those years back.

Q. How do you choose your film roles? And how do you decide which you’ll act in, which you’ll direct and so on?
Noel Clarke: I just want to do things that are different. Last year, I got interviewed for Doghouse and a journalist said: “Your career is very schizophrenic.” I don’t know if she meant that as a good thing or a bad thing, but I take it as a good thing. I think it’s hindered me in the past because people never knew what I did. Whenever there was a thug role, it always went to someone else; or if it was a posh boy role, they’d look for someone else. I was always second fiddle to that.

But now it benefits me, because I can be that stand-up comedian in a very Anglo-film and no one will go: “Oh look, the black guy!” It’s just the actor. I can be a Roman soldier in Roman times in something like Centurion. I can be in Heartless and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll… I can do all of those things. So, whether she meant it as a compliment or not, I took it as one because I don’t want anything I do to be the same as the last one I’ve done. It’s important to me to be able to prove to myself that I can hopefully act. I’m never going to be De Niro. I haven’t got the hair, I can only do a certain amount of accents and I’ve never been given the opportunity to put on 30lbs. But as long as I can do something different with each role and try and change myself as much as I can, then I will.

Q. Is Huge completed now?
Noel Clarke: Yeah, it’s going to be at Edinburgh, in competition, so we might get a couple of gongs. You never know. It’s a small film, but it’s something I’m very proud of and, again, I’m doing something different. I don’t think people will expect to see me in that role, but that’s what I like.

Q. What’s next after Huge?
Noel Clarke: Not really. As usual, whenever I’ve come off a film I’ve directed there’s usually a little gap because I haven’t been able to audition. But we have plans for a couple of things, so hopefully we’ll shoot something by the end of the year. We’ve also got some surprises in store. With some of the actors we have involved, especially, it’ll be like: “How did you get that person?” [Smiles] But we won’t talk about it until it happens…

Read our review of 4.3.2.1

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