Rob Brydon

I perceived the smile on Rob’s face as he walked in the room where the shoot was to take place, as a welcoming and ‘pleased to see you’ smile. We’ve worked together on 4 different occasions now and we have always got on. The thing with being a photographer is that it’s easy to get on before publication, but if the sitter doesn’t like what’s in print then the dynamics may change on the second shoot and trust may be lost. It is therefore I always look for tell tell signs as we meet for a second, third, fourth or fifth time. I got the distinct feeling that I was safe. Rob would not turn and walk out from disappointment of the previous shoot results. In fact, it only took a few minutes before he complimented me on the images from the previous shoot.

When we met Rob had one last performance of his 2 month run of the farce Painkillers. I expected a run down and exhausted Rob, but he was in top form. Filled with energy and quick witted comments. It was in fact the best I have seen him. More confident and more relaxed. Rob has performed in some of Britain’s best sitcoms in the last 10 years, he has presented panel shows, done voice overs, live shows and theatre. This is a man who can truly tackle all aspects of the world of entertainment and be much loved for his contributions. I look forward to the next time we stand face to face, to see what he will think of this set of images. Or do I?

Rose Wylie

The beautifully eccentric Rose Wylie has only recently passed 80 years old. Many may ask “Who is she?” and up to a few years ago most would not have heard of her at all. Rose is now a world renowned painter and her work is getting international praise and recognition. We all hear about people who never get to experience their own success and in the case of Rose, she is definitely experiencing it now and let’s hope that she gets to enjoy it for many years to come. Rose lives in a small terrace house in a tiny village in Kent. The hallways and rooms are filled with pictures, posters and other treasures. Her studio, (also in the same house,) is filled with paint splats, paint buckets, paint rags and brushes and even shoes that bare the evidence of years of painting were scattered in a corner in the room. This place feels like a true artist’s house and my curiosity went beyond just wanting to see every room to wanting to be there with Rose and experience her day to day interaction with her space and work. Not only does her work feel genuine and real but her house and studio reflect this very much.

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes is one of Britain’s best actors. Schindler’s List, The English Patient, The Constant Gardener, Harry Potter and now ‘M’ in the current James Bond series. These are just some of his award winning achievements on the big screen. His training is more Shakespearean and he has had just as many notable achievements on stage as on screen.

I will refer to Ralph Fiennes as Fiennes, because he has an aura that demands the respect of being called by his surname. Not due to unfriendliness, ‘au contraire’, he was in fact very friendly and nice, purely out of respect and curtesy to a man who deserves it.

My shoot with Fiennes was a short one, at a theatre rehearsal space in South London. He was rehearsing an Ibsen play at the Young Vic. He told me he had paid Oslo a visit to get the gist of where Ibsen might come from. I told him that I was about to head to a cabin, remote, no water and no electricity - and his face lit up. Yes, this was the kind of place I would highly recommend that he’d go to really get the idea of the traditional Norwegian mood. The darkness that Ibsen can portray comes form dark winters, remote and solitude places and closed in society with little external input. The seriousness of Ralph’s acting would complement this perfectly. His captivating eyes, stern and notable presence and the beard to top things off he will be able to will carry off any Ibsen play. For those of you who are curious and want to get ‘educa’ed!’, go check out “The Master Builder” at the Young Vic.

John Akomfrah

John Akomfrah was once described by the Guardian as someone who “has secured a reputation as one of the UK’s most pioneering film-makers [whose] poetic works have grappled with race, identity and post-colonial attitudes for over three decades.” Now that’s a quote I’d have framed in on my toilet wall. (Toilets and toilet walls are after all where all awards and diplomas hang.) Akomfrah was one of the founders of the Black Audio Film Collective. A group dedicated to issues around Black identity in Britain. Akomfrah later co-founded Black Dog Films and has been the governor for British Film Institute and Film London. His work has won awards and he has been instrumental in giving black identity a voice in Britain through film and art. His work can now be seen at the Lisson Gallery in London.

I met up with a ‘slightly under the weather’ Akomfrah at Black Dog Films’ offices in Hackney where he was finalising his latest work for exhibition. His most recent work is ‘the sublime seas’. “Fusing archival material, readings from classical sources and newly shot footage, Akomfrah’s piece focuses on the disorder and cruelty of the whaling industry and juxtaposes it with scenes of many generations of migrants making epic crossings of the ocean for a better life. Shot on the island of Skye, the Faroe Islands and the Northern regions of Norway.” That’s a lot of time hanging out up North - no wonder he had a cold when I met him….(sorry!)

Alicia Vikander

I don’t know which is most impressive; to be a successful Oscar nominated actress or to learn how to speak Danish. Yes, Danish!!! (I am Norwegian and my language is supposed to be similar, yet my face still looks like George Bush at a Science meeting when I hear Danish.) Alicia is the supporting actress in the hugely successful film ‘The Danish Girl’. She was relaxed, energetic and fun to work with, not fazed by the imminent success. She is definitely one to look out for and will with no doubt be a house hold name, if she is not already. There is definitely a Scandinavian wave sweeping over Britain and now the big screen has got its Scandinavian queen.

Daniel Radcliffe

I have never seen the Harry Potter series. In fact, it is one of the pleasures I look forward to experiencing together with my sons. However, Daniel Radcliffe is still someone whom I distinctively associate with as being Harry Potter. It must be a very difficult image to shake off when pursuing other work, especially due to it’s popularity all over the world. A double edged sword of sorts. However, I do feel that Daniel has managed to shake the boyhood image and become a respected actor in himself. Maybe it was necessary for him to grow a beard and shake the glasses in order to be considered for more adult and versatile rolls but the look suits him and gives him that handsome, mature look.

Being a child celebrity also tends to do something to a person. They often grow up with a different perspective of life and it becomes evident in their behaviour as adults. However Daniel is as grounded as they come. He is polite, modest and fun to be with. He likes a good laugh and does not want a lot of fuss made around him. Just as well as the location I had recommended for the shoot, (selected from images online provided by a location house company,) suffered from serious neglect and bad odour. The fridge door was opened at one point and a carpet of vintage dairy products laid over the house. I feel the consequences may have scarred the team for life, yet not a word of complaint from Daniel.

Daniel is now on screen as Igor in Victor Frankenstein, playing along side James McAvoy.

Will Ferrell

The moment I got the call about this job, (shooting Will Ferrell) I counted my lucky stars. A moment later I was told I had 5 minutes! My mind was baffled: I have so much I want to do! I have so much I want to talk about! How am I going to make Will my new BFF in just 5 minutes?

The shoot was well planned. I had a lineup of ideas that I was going to hammer through. The Christmas props were essential as the shoot was to be the cover of Observer Magazine’s christmas issue. I had 6 different christmas lights, one backdrop and a hotel room all set up. When Will walked in he was specific about the ideas he didn’t like much so the process of elimination was easy. We pulled a line of christmas lights through his ears and round his head. A strip down and a few tight close ups to focus on what Will is so good at, subtle expressions. A quick hand shake and that was it. The man did not give a lot, but he didn’t have to, what he gave was plenty!

Bill Bailey

With Bill Bailey, what you see is what you get. He is funny, has an expressive face, eyes that can at times look like they pop out of his head, musically talented and has a bunker in case someone should want to drop a bomb on Hammersmith. (Don’t all you paranoid Hammersmithians go flocking to Bill now to be his friend, I think the bunker will only hold about 3 people at the most.) Bill’s live shows have always been impressive in the way they are constructed, immensely funny, intellectual and wacky, so it was good to see that these characteristics are all represented in Bill as a person. His acts are in fact not really acts, but a projection of himself which is immensely reassuring. In fact, if I had to choose one item and one person to spend dooms day with in a small bunker then Bill and a keyboard would be good contenders. A touch of the ‘Cabin fever’ with Bill could actually work.

Derren Brown

Magic is not what it once was. The David Copperfields, David Blaine or even Harry Houdini are far gone and fail to impress much in the modern world. There is still a nostalgic demand for this type of magic but todays tricksters of the mind seems somehow more advanced. It’s as if the current magicians have, as if by magic, removed themselves from the title of a magician and blended into a magicianal-illusionist-mentalist-trickster-hypnotist. Well, at least that is the case for one of today’s most respected MIMTHs (a catchy abbreviation I just made up) - Derren Brown. Oh - and he’s a painter and photographer too. I find Derren’s work intriguing. The MIMTH he does is of such a scale that it is incomprehensible and it makes you inquisitive. It’s not just a trick but a full act with a thread from the beginning to the end of a 1 to 2 hour long show.

So I was slightly nervous when I turned up on the shoot. I mean, if Derren wanted the shoot to move in a different direction then he would surely be able to do so. I would have to stare deep into his eyes (through a lens at least). The chance that I would walk away with all blank frames could easily have happened. I suppose he would only need to look into the lens for more than 10 seconds and I would be deep in some trance and in the palm of his hands. Maybe I was? What did actually happen on this shoot? Does anyone really know apart from Derren? I think I was there anyway and I think I took the images so I will remain the copyright owner… for now.

Andrew Scott

James Bond is out in the cinemas and in it we have the Irish man Andrew Scott. Andrew is best known for TV films, and has won a BAFTA but of late he’s been making it big on the big screen. One of his first big appearances on the big screen was a roll in Saving Private Ryan, but he’s now playing supporting actor in such films as the new James Bond film Spectre and Victor Frankenstein. All set to become big block busters.

There was something about Andrew when he walked into the location house we had for the day. He had that confidence, charm and the ‘camera loved him’ (to make use of a well used photography expression). There is no doubt in my mind that we will see a lot more of Andrew. Not only do many of the new films he is due to be released in star him as the lead actor (not the aforementioned,) but he’s a good actor and his face and character suit a good villain as well as a more fun and gentle caring man. Watch this guy but run fast if he sits next to you on a plane - he’s about to explode!!!

Penelope Cruz

“Hi Pal, are you free to do a shoot with Penelope Cruz tomorrow?”

“What!?”

“Are you free to shoot Penelope Cruz tomorrow?”

“You’re joking right?!”

“No, we have a shoot lined up at L’Agent Provocateur tomorrow.”

“You’re taking the piss?!”

“No!”

“She’s my favourite actress, and you want me to shoot her at L’Agent Provocateur?”

…

That was pretty much how the conversation went as I got the commission to shoot Penelope Cruz. It is of course never as good as it sounds as the shoot was only 20 minutes and shooting her at L’Agent Provocateur really only meant that we have very little space to work in. Never the less, I was about to meet my all time favourite actress, (apart from maybe Audrey Hepburn, but I hear she’s a little cold now a days.) It was a shoot that could have been so much more, with a more spacious venue and a little more time perhaps. But still I feel I managed to capture a Penelope Cruz that has not been overly stylised, a Penelope that holds the beauty as a person as well as a model and actress. I am of course very objective! They say ‘never meet your idols’ - and although the word idol is one I should use with more care, I did find that meeting Penelope was something I walked away from smiling. But don’t get me wrong, these ‘idols’ belong to a fantasy, and I have to admit, coming home to my wife later that day made me smile that little bit more.

Bruce Dickinson

Ask a boy what he wants to be when he grows up and most will answer either a pilot or a rock musician (if not Police and fireman). So it is hard not to be jealous when you meet Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden (one of the world’s most successful heavy metal bands in history with over 90 million album sales worldwide) and who also owns Cardiff Aviation Ltd, an aircraft maintenance company that also trains pilots and contracts out flights for different assignments or to other airlines. He has flown the band on tour, one tour which was filmed where he flew the band between continents on flight 666 (the name of the tour and documentary film was “Iron Maiden: Flight 666”). Yes - it sure does seem like Bruce Dickinson has lived the dream of most boys.

The band have just released a new album which was delayed due to Bruce having been diagnosed with mouth cancer, at the back of his tongue. He underwent seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and was given the all clear in May 2015.

I met an upbeat, lively and fun Bruce at Cardiff airport. (We were supposed to fly out to Cardiff in a small plane, and Bruce was going to be the pilot, but due to weather I had a 4 hour drive each way instead.) He showed us around his hanger and three flight simulators, spread between Cardiff airport and the military airport next door. An impressive setup and Bruce was full of enthusiasm. I am not sure if this is the enthusiasm that comes with fame, success and the ability to follow your dream, or if it is the enthusiasm of a man who has recovered from one of the most scary diagnosis you can have and is now breathing fresh air with new optimism again. I suspect it’s a little of both.

So when the day was over, after having hung around in big hangars, sat in jet engines and made paper airplanes we found our way to the pub, for a 30 min chill and a pint before all going our own ways. Which brings me to an other significant creation of Bruce - his collaboration with Robinsons to make their fastest and best selling beer ‘Trooper’. Not one they had on tap where we were but still an other arrow to the ‘Man’s man’ bow.

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer is the hottest comedy act on the circuit at the moment. Her 10 minute acceptance speech at the Glamour awards caused belly aches from laughter and even saw Jennifer Saunders in the background cracking up. She sure doesn’t pull any punches as far as graphic content is concerned and sees no need to hold anything back or polish the truth in any way.  She comes across as completely genuine, as if it’s her uncensored mind that rambles on without quite knowing that her mouth is vocalising her thoughts. 

My shoot was a part of a press junket in Soho Hotel. She had back to back interviews and shoots for 2 days, promoting her new film Trainwreck. And that was only the UK part of the junket. I was looking forward to an uncensored Amy, giving me poses that would probably not be fit for publication. Any other day I am sure that would have been the case, but as she was in the middle of a row of shoots and interviews I had the feeling that she had had enough of striking poses or retorting with hard hitting comments during interviews.  I did however feel that her poses were struck in the same way as much of her humour. Her moves were somewhat unconscious and automatic, as if it was a move she had thought of but she was not quite aware of doing.  A few face expressions before gravity got hold of her and she again found herself lying the floor, (something she became known for having done on the red carpet in front of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian). She continued by crawling out of the room which left the whole room silent, but not shocked. With Amy we just have to expect the unexpected.

Chvrches

A long trip up to Glasgow but all worth it to meet the Indie band Chvrches. Their last album was a great success and no doubt this will be a great follow up.

We were to meet at their studio, a small basement flat in an old victorian building, right in the middle of an eclectic industrial area of Glasgow. Not an easy place to squeeze in to do a studio like cover shoot, but we made it work after having moved a few items around. The second half of the shoot was a little easier as we had a few blocks of industrial buildings and some greenery to use as backdrop.

The band were themselves very low key and chilled. That they were happy to wander the streets with me and do the shoot in such a calm fashion was especially surprising as they had just received the masters from the new album a few minutes before my arrival. I am sure they would rather sit and soak in every note of the album instead of wandering the local streets with me and imposing on local businesses in order to get good backdrops.

Chvrches feels like one of those bands that will always have their feet firmly planted on the ground. Maybe that’s the Scottish thing or maybe it’s just that they are the types that don’t let their heads expand with fame and success. I have always had a soft spot for the Scottish and it’s for exactly this reason. If you see a Scott that’s got a big ego then you know his or her fellow country men/women will soon let them know otherwise. They have a nice way of keeping everyone on the same level.

John Goodman

It was with excitement and great pleasure that I got the chance to meet the legendary John Goodman. He stars in one of my all time favourite films, The Big Labowsky. he is one of the Coen Brother’s most frequently used actors and has become known for great monologues in almost every film he appears in. At a young age I saw him in comedies such as Roseanne and King Ralph but his rediscovery and close relationship with the Coen Brothers has given him a cult status.

John is now in London to appear on stage, a theatre production of American Buffalo. I caught him at the end of a full day of rehearsals and managed to squeeze the last bit of energy out of him before the day was over. In 30 minutes I managed to get a smile fit for Mr Flintstone, a fearful expression that puts him in a “position of Fuck You” (quote from The Gambler) and a flexible pose I never thought I’d see him come out of.

As the shoot was coming to an end, I saw that the long day rehearsing, the interview and the shoot had all taken its toll so I had to call it a day, just in case the beast was unleashed and I was told I had “stepped over the fucking line man!” (Big Lebowsky).

Thea Gilmore

There is no one nicer in the music industry than Thea. She is loved by many artists, a prolific song writer (with 15 albums in 17 years) and she’s only 35 years old. Her music is about creating quality and finds itself reflecting a lot of traditional roots. Her most recent album is a collaborative album where she has brought in talents such as Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, The Waterboys, Joan As Policewoman, John Cooper Clarke, King Creosote and I Am Kloot. This girl is like the musician’s musician, even Bruce Springsteen is supposedly a fan!

We found ourself in a location house in North London, tucked in the back of some small industrial estate. I have admittedly photographed Thea before but that was just a 30 minute shoot in the centre of town. This time we had the luxury of time and a location with plenty of options. We were able to achieve lots of different results that are to be used on her album’s art work, Thea’s website and press for the up and coming tour. It is easy to see how Thea can produce so much music and not be on the top of the charts all the time. It’s reflected in her personality. She is not into music for its fame, she doesn’t create albums to sell millions of them, she doesn’t stand on stage or have a photo shoot done in order to have her ego boost. Thea is into music because she loves it, she creates albums because she loves it and she’s on stage to share what she has created with likeminded people. Surely this is what music is about, the tradition of music is to share and to involve, and as far as I can tell that is what Thea is all about too.

Jim Parsons

I knew little about Jim Parsons before I got the commission to shoot him. A fast Google-search informed me that he’s one of the main men in the big hit series ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Parsons has also become known for his many Broadway appearances in feature length films. His current film, for which this shoot was pegged to was ‘Home’, where he is the voice of ‘Oh’.

I met a slightly jet lagged Jim at Claridges who was in the middle of a big press day. My shoot was squeezed in between a twitter answer session and Blue Peter appearance. Jim has experienced great success with his work and is critically acclaimed but I cannot help but think that his greatest appearance to date is still to come. When I asked him what he’s got in the pipeline he answered ‘Broadway!’. When I asked ‘what on Broadway?’ he answered ‘A monologue play and I’m playing GOD’. This is truly a man with all the right answers…

John Cleese

The fact is that there are not many of my generation who would not hail John Cleese as a comedy hero. It therefore comes as a surprise to hear that John Cleese is by his own admittance is an introvert, someone who doesn’t like the stage, big audience and has problems with his own self image. It was exactly this that became the basis of the shoot with John as well. We were crammed into a small room at his book publishers, spread the props out on the floor and said ‘take your pick’… It became an exercise of expression exhaustion, inspired by prop overload. John is still one of my comedy heroes and his autobiography out now is bound to be a very good read and a Christmas best seller. Oh - and let’s not forget that now you can also get an app called ‘The Ministry of Silly Walks’… I think I may wait for the dead parrot app instead.

Paul Thomas Anderson

One of my current favourite directors is probably Paul Thomas Anderson. His films have a style, coolness and humour that is hard to combine with a strong story line. Paul however, manages it. The shoot with Paul was a 10 min job at Soho Hotel and he suffered from jet-lag (mixed with a little hangover from the night before). Not many people can carry off that look without one hour of hair and makeup but Paul did. It gave his slightly ruffled look an extra dimension which suited him well. The tired rub of his eye even looked good in a shot.

His new film ‘Inherent Vice’, looks to be a classic Paul Thomas Anderson film and I can’t wait to see it. Never before has anyone been given the permission to dramatise a Thomas Pynchon book before now and that in itself is a testament to Paul’s creative vision and execution.

Grayson Perry

It’s now the 6th time I have had the pleasure of working with Grayson Perry. And this time it was so good that I did it twice. This shoot with Grayson was looking at the issue of identity. He’s presenting the program for Channel 4 on the issue of Identity as well as curating the exhibition on the same theme currently on at the National Portrait Gallery. What better person to ask about identity than the Turner prize winner, also known for occasionally cross dressing. The series has come off to a great start and is well worth the watch.

The idea for the shoot was to shoot Grayson on two different days with comparable poses. One day dressed as Claire and the other as Grayson. The issue with this is of course to try to get the light to be the exact same and exact same but mirrored. It was never to be 100% accurate but I like the small differences as well as it makes it slightly more genuine and reveals that the images are not just ‘flipped’.

My previous shoots with Grayson (http://palhansen.com/index.php/whos-that-girl/) have all been different. I have to admit that when I first met Grayson I was not sure what I thought of him, but like the best music, the best food, the best art and the best friends I have - they warm to you more and more each time and eventually become one of my favourites.