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ROLLACOASTER MAGAZINE: EMERGING TALENT: FASHION & MUSIC.
Guy Remmers found his calling during a stroll through his school corridors. Not by the subjects filling his timetable or some words of wisdom from a teacher—but rather, the faint buzz of a workhouse during an Oliver Twistrehearsal. At that moment, he abandoned his (short-lived) childhood career goal of becoming a postman and set eyes on delivering performances – as opposed to postcards – to audiences worldwide.
Luckily for Remmers, his entry into the acting world wasn't too far ahead of him, with an open audition at The Bristol Old Vic landing him a starring role in a play at the ripe age of 16—a move that would see him make his debut at The Royal National Theatre. And where Remmers went, the cameras followed. Soon, the budding actor found himself lensed in modelling campaigns, covering or nestled within print publications and shot in his favourite designers—all because of a serendipitous scouting. Yet, as the best stories often go, it wasn’t all flashing lights, job offers and career-defining phone calls.
After a decade of dream chasing and determination, Remmers finally swaps digital cameras for scripts and sets, booking his first television project in the form of debutante season dating with Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers. Marking a bounty for the bond he maintains for his craft, the eight-episode drama sees Remmers cast as the Duke of Tintagel, Theo; a role which he could identify with in more ways than one. It’s playful, it’s devious, it’s all-American antics. It’s not quite Oliver Twist, but, when it comes to Remmers, we’ll certainly be asking for more.
ELLA WEST: Guy! You’ve had quite the journey this year, what has been your biggest highlight thus far?
GUY REMMERS: Hi, thank you for having me! Yes, it’s been amazing but I think the highlight would have to be riding a horse on the beach in Scotland while filming. That was a pinch myself moment.
EW: Outside of your career, what’s your biggest passion?
GR: Tennis and table tennis. My dad is a great tennis player and I started playing with him when I was very young and then for a club. I have had a few injuries over the years which led me to playing lots of table tennis as it’s much more manageable when you are hurt and I just absolutely love it. I could play it all day.
EW: Looking back at when you were younger…What did you want to be when you grew up?
GR: I have an early memory of wanting to be a postman. I have no idea why but I think they always seemed so jolly bobbing around to all the houses delivering mail. That dream was short-lived and I never fulfilled it.
EW: Do you think you were born with the acting bug, or was it something that developed over time?
GR: I think I was definitely born with the performing bug, I used to dress up and do mini concerts in front of my parents and loved making them laugh. It evolved into the acting bug when I was in secondary school and I remember walking past a rehearsal of Olivier Twist and thinking ‘Woah what's that? I’d like to do that.’
EW: You were born and raised in Bristol, did you find you were creatively stimulated by your environment as a child?
GR: Most definitely, Bristol is an incredibly creative place. There is a sense of freedom there and it has an amazing environment to be expressive and explore lots of different things. I joined the Bristol Old Vic Young Company when I was around 16 which was very instrumental in getting me to where I am today.
EW: What inspired you to enter the world of modelling? What entices you to the profession?
GR: Modelling was never something I thought about or even imagined I could do. I was very fortunate enough to be scouted out of the blue and thrown into that world and I’ve always loved fashion so it was very cool to see the industry from an inside perspective. My favourite part was always getting to wear looks from my favourite designers; Prada, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Dries Van Noten, Comme Des Garcon to name a few.
EW: What’s more nerve-wracking? Modelling or acting in front of the camera?
GR: Acting, for sure. I think being in the wings before a play when you can hear the audience entering and finding their seats is the most nerve-wracking feeling. I also go to an acting workshop where you do a scene in front of a room full of incredibly talented actors and everybody gives you notes, which is incredibly nerve-inducing. It’s absolutely amazing though, shout out ‘GoHub Workshop’.
EW: With your career focused on a camera being on you at all times, do you ever feel pressure around your image? Where do you find confidence?
GR: Yes, I think subconsciously that pressure is something that is difficult to escape completely. Experience is the best source of confidence and the more I’m on stage or behind the camera the more at home I feel. I think feeling comfortable creates the best environment for confidence to shine through.
EW: Tell us about your entry into the acting world…Was it an easy ride?
GR: It definitely has not been easy! I went to an open audition for a play at The Bristol Old Vic when I was 16 and was very lucky to land a role. That was my first paid acting job and it was the best time of my life - the feeling of being a part of an ensemble who had our complete trust in the director to go wherever we needed to go to tell the story with truth and power. That was the best feeling. The play transferred to the National Theatre and I was signed to an agent and started auditioning for big films and television projects. Ten years later, I’m lucky to have been a part of my first television project. But 10 years of setbacks, ‘nos’ and being very close but not quite getting there has not been easy. But my love for the craft has never changed and the feeling that play gave me when I was 16 has never left me.
EW: What’s the most embarrassing thing you have had to do for an audition?
GR: I think it would have to be an audition that required me to walk around a room being the colour red. That was a tough one.
EW: Huge congratulations on booking The Buccaneers! What drew you to the project in the first place?
GR: Thank you! I think it was a combination of feeling that I knew who my character was instinctively very early on and the amazing creative team behind it. Any project or piece of writing where I can instantly see the character living in that world is a project I want to be a part of. As I went through the audition process and met some of the other incredible cast I wanted nothing more than to be a part of it and be the person to tell his story.
EW: What can you tell us about your character, Theo? How were you able to connect with his character?
GR: Theo is the Duke of Tintagel and has been chased by duties his whole life until his world is rocked by an American girl. He despises his position and all the responsibilities that are expected of him but he loves to swim, paint and escape the glitz, glamour and boring pleasantries that surround him. He doesn’t always get things right but I truly believe he means well and that’s something I related to. His journey takes on lots of twists and turns which was very exciting to portray and I always felt like I knew him, almost like a friend. Which is a special thing to feel.
EW: How would you describe the series? Would you say it is the unhinged version of Bridgerton?
GR: I would describe it as a cocktail of love, lies and culture clashes. The story follows a group of American girls who travel over to England in the 1870s for the debutante season and it’s based on the unfinished novel of the same name by American novelist Edith Wharton. I think the contrast between the two cultures is such a watchable foundation to which everything else grows in all sorts of directions.
EW: Are you a fan of period dramas versus any other genre?
GR: My mum is a huge Downton Abbey fan so I would always enjoy watching that with her and any period piece that has themes and characters that I could relate to in some way. I was very much inspired by Matthew MacFadyen’s portrayal of Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice and I would rewatch his scenes over and over. Also Ben Whishaw’s performance in Bright Star is incredible. They are some period pieces I’m a big fan of.
EW: You recently worked with an all-female creative team – how was that?
GR: I was very lucky to work with an incredibly talented creative team who I really hope to work with again. Two of our directors Susanna White and Charlotte Regan both taught me a lot about the craft and it was inspiring to work alongside them. Katherine Jakeways, our writer, was the beating heart of the project and a joy to work with. Beth Willis and Andrea Calderwood, two of our producers, mentored me through my first big television project and were also amazing and that’s just naming a few of the creative team. So I feel very lucky to have worked alongside them all.
EW: What’s been biggest lesson you have learned on a set?
GR: There are many but one that stands out is that some days on set you are only acting for a very short time period. Your whole day is leading up to a moment which is potentially only a couple of minutes for a scene. A bit like a 100m sprinter, you have to be ready when that time comes to deliver in a burst and then it's gone.
EW: Is it easy to balance two passions/careers at once?
GR: I only truly have one passion with my career which is to act and tell stories.
EW: How do you disconnect from work?
GR: Activities I enjoy are a really good way to disconnect without feeling like I’m not doing anything. I love table tennis, swimming, calisthenics and going to the sauna is a new one I love. I’m very lucky to have lots of friends from Bristol in London and have made lots of great mates from living here for many years so I spend a lot of my free time catching up and hanging out with them.
EW: What’s next for you? Where do you see your career taking you next?
GR: I think the most important thing now is for actors to see our SAG colleagues get a fair deal with the AMPTP. When that happens, I’m very much looking forward to sinking my teeth into a story that I am excited to tell.
Photography by Brennan Bucannan
Styling by Gregory Russill
Words by Ella West
Groomer Charlie Cullen
Special Thanks to D10 Studios