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Rebel With a Cause – Oliver Lee

Posted Wednesday 8th July 2009by Nige Burton

Nige Burton talks to Hollyoaks: In the City star Oliver Lee about gay roles, script writing and film making.

It’s a bit of a privilege, really, being what’s fashionably known as a ‘celebrity interviewer’. You get to meet so many people throughout the entertainment industry and gain a bit of an insight into their lives, and a glimpse at what makes them tick. Sometimes it can be bitterly disappointing, and people you’ve admired for years turn out to be a little too self-obsessed, or a shade too full of their own importance. Mostly, it’s a pleasurable experience, with your interviewee being perfectly pleasant and, in some cases, quite charming. But every now and then you meet a real gem of a person; an individual who has enough respect, self-awareness and humility to really shine. Such was the case with Oliver Lee.

We’d hastily arranged the meeting a couple of days in advance, and I arrived at a trendy Deansgate restaurant in the heart of Manchester with my photographer, John, and waited for young Oliver. He was impressively punctual and, after a ten minute photo briefing, John scurried off on a location scout and Oli and I got down to some serious chatting.

The first thing you notice about this strikingly handsome young man is his uncanny likeness to the legendary James Dean. “It’s a bit deliberate,” grins Oliver, “I’m a great fan of Dean’s work – I think his acting performances stand up even today. It’s like the rest of the films and their performances have dated a little, but there’s just this incredible energy from James Dean as the central figure. He was way ahead of his time.”

Something which can also be said of Lee’s own acting ability, notably in his tricky role as Josh, the gay sixteen year old schoolboy who has a relationship with his teacher, Adam (Philip Olivier), in the hit channel 4 series Hollyoaks: In the City. The pathos and sensitivity he invested the character with make for a gripping performance, and one which creates enough tension to make it slightly uncomfortable to watch at times.

It was a role he won because of his outstanding portrayal of another gay teenager when he took the role of Jamie in Jonathan Harvey’s renowned play, Beautiful Thing. “It was amazing,” says Oliver. “We invited Jonathan to come and see the show, and it was completely nerve-wracking when he actually turned up.

“He enjoyed my performance so much, he wanted me to consider a role in Coronation Street, a show on which he’s one of the main writers.”

Fate, however, took a hand, and the Hollyoaks project presented itself at the same time. “After some deliberation, I decided to take the role of Josh instead,” says Oliver. “Whether that was the right decision now the Hollyoaks storyline has come to an end remains to be seen. It was a bit strange at first, being out of the frantic environment of shooting a soap, and it’s also a little daunting after you’ve been used to the regular work and income.

“But I’m quietly confident of my ability to manage my career, and it’s also great to have some freedom and choice back. It’s enabled me to concentrate on some of my own projects, including raising the capital to make my own film, which should now hopefully start shooting in January next year.”

So has playing two fairly prominent gay characters had any negative effect on Oliver’s career? “I don’t think so,” he says. “It shouldn’t matter what the sexuality of a character is – I mean, whether you’re gay or straight, falling in love feels the same, and it’s these thoughts and feelings that I’ve tried to bring to the roles.

“I was a little stunned when, at my first performance as Jamie in Beautiful Thing, I was met with jeers and homophobic jibes from one member of the audience. Thankfully, this is rare, and he obviously couldn’t see that a straight actor could successfully take on a gay role.”

2009 generally should be an exciting time for this young actor, as another film in which he stars, Away Days, will be released in March. “It’s fantastic to get the opportunity to work on projects you’re really passionate about,” he says with an enthusiastic smile. “That’s something that working full time in a soap doesn’t allow for.”

Oliver was born in Manchester in 1986, and attended Whitfield Preparatory School from the age of three, which is where his love of theatre began – “added to the fact that my maternal grandmother, Marian Martin, was a successful actress in rep” – before he moved on to the Fred Longworth High School at eleven, where the support of his drama teachers encouraged and nurtured his talents, cementing his desire to “do this thing professionally” as his chosen career.

He has overcome severe dyslexia, oftentimes struggling to read a script at an audition. “If it’s a particularly bad day, it can be almost impossible,” he says, “but I’ve always tried to battle through – I don’t want special treatment, or the sympathy vote, just for people to recognise that dyslexia is a real, debilitating condition which affects many thousands of people out there.”

This makes his latest venture the most impressive challenge to date: “I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do – writing a script. I’m determined to do this myself, despite the dyslexia, and it’s going great!”

Which just goes to show that, with theatre and TV roles already well under his belt, there really is no stopping this truly talented young man.

Visit www.oliverlee.net

Images © John Stirzaker