Geordie joy

TWO decades ago George Harris spent two-and-a-half months appearing on stage in Newcastle. And during that time he fell in love with its people. "Geordies are really the salt of the earth," says the Grenada-born actor, back this weekend in a second series of BBC1's 55 Degrees North. "They had a lot of spunk and sense of humour. They didn't have any hidden agenda. They took everything straight."

When he was offered a regular role in the Newcastle-set police series, he began wondering if the people and the place had changed. He was delighted to find they hadn't.

"I got off the train and was walking toward the city centre in the middle of winter and coming towards me were these very young, pretty girls," he recalls.

"I noticed one of them had her shoes in her hand and was walking barefoot. She explained she'd broken the heel of her shoe. And when she said that I thought, 'the people are still the same'."

In the BBC1 series, Harris plays Errol Hill - uncle of DS Nicky Cole (Don Gilet), who's moved from London to Newcastle, and grandfather figure to Matty (Jaeden Burke). In the new series, he befriends a young petty criminal Mikey, aka Rat Boy (played by newcomer Sam Williams, from Sunderland) and runs boxing classes.

Harris sees Errol as a composite of many of his own heroes, including his own father and people like Laurence Olivier, Mohammed Ali and Bishop Trevor Huddlestone. "They're people I've admired over the years. I know it's far removed from this humble guy, Errol, but these are qualities I have picked up from people who are on the platform. He's the type of man I looked up to when I was a kid," he explains.

Young George began acting as a child. Exploring the forests and hills in Grenada, he pretended to be screen heroes like Errol Flynn, Marlon Brando and Burt Lancaster. He studied music and appeared in musical theatre, including productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.

More and more, he ventured into straight acting. He met Olivier at Granada TV's offices in London. "He was a mighty figure in my mind, the equivalent of huge films Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments," he says.

"He turned out to be very nice and kind and asked me about myself. I went for an interview and spent five hours with him."

Harris was rewarded with a small role in a TV version of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, with Olivier playing Big Daddy opposite Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner.

"He spent time with me and encouraged me. He talked about the nature of the business and the tricks of the trade. When I look back the contribution this guy made was better than going to any drama school," he says.

He's worked with great film directors, including Steven Spielberg on Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Ridley Scott on Black Hawk Down. Most recently, Sydney Pollack directed him in The Interpreter starring Nicole Kidman.

Harris was quite taken with the Australian Oscar-winning actress. She is, in his eyes, a goddess and such creatures must be worshipped. "Goddesses come in many forms and when she comes in the form of beauty, I always acknowledge her," he says.

"I love women. I feel very comfortable in their presence and the highest icon you can get is a beautiful woman."

He's less keen watching his own work on screen. "The whole point is the alchemy that occurs when you do it. That's what the joy is," he says.

Someone watching him is more to his liking. "I was at the airport recently going through security and this guy said to me, 'You're in 55 Degrees North, aren't you?. Man, you look so much younger in real life'. And that gave me a real kick," he says.

"When I was a little boy on the beach all I wanted to be was an actor. Here I am all these years later still doing it - and it's a gas."

SUNDERLAND schoolboy Sam Williams didn't know what he was letting himself in for when he signed up to join the cast of 55 Degrees North. He hadn't seen the first series about the London cop transferred to the North-East.

Drama teacher Lesley McDonough didn't even send him along to audition when the producers began casting for the role of Mikey, a young petty criminal nicknamed Rat Boy.

"I thought of Sam immediately when they described the character but thought he was too old," she says. "I sent some other boys along but they weren't suitable and finally Sam auditioned."

The 13-year-old pupils at Hylton Redhouse School went through three auditions as the 12 main hopefuls were reduced to six and then three before he was offered the role.

He's been attending weekly Activate drama school for the past 18 months after his primary school teacher suggested to his mum, Christine, that he should try acting classes. Sam found filming difficult at first. "As time went on, I grew more confident and there were people and the other actors to help me all the time," he says.

He didn't mind taking part in boxing sessions for the series, although he was less happy having to dance for one scene.

Filming on and off for five months meant he missed regular school from time to time. "The school was good because they gave me work to do, and there was a tutor on set for us," says Sam.

He says his schoolmates didn't believe him at first, until he started taking time off for filming. He'd like to continue acting but doesn't know if he wants to do it for a living. "I've never really thought about a future career," he adds.

* 55 Degrees North returns to BBC1 on Sunday at 8pm

Published: 19/05/2005