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Video: Film star Warwick inspires PRC students
YAXLEY actor Warwick Davis provided inspiration for Peterborough Regional College students on Monday (10 January) as a guest lecturer.
The Harry Potter star visited the college to talk to students studying for BTEC in performing arts and production arts.
About 30 students enjoyed the talk, along with several staff members who sneaked in to see star in action.
Warwick, whose latest project Life’s Too Short was recently screened on BBC Two, was delighted to speak to the students.
He spoke about working in the industry and what it is like to have make-up applied for four hours before a day’s work.
He said: “I think it’s always good to go and talk to the students. It’s important for make-up students to see the other side and hear from actors.
“I consider it a team effort to create a character and it’s important to stress that to the make-up artists.
“I look like me and that’s all I’m good for without the make-up artists. Equally, it’s no good putting great make-up on an actor who isn’t willing to work with it.
“It’s also good to speak to performing students. You can do all the training but not get a sense of what it’s like in the industry.
“It is not the easiest job in the world to stick at when there’s not much going on but if you’ve got the passion and the drive it’s possible. I saw that passion in the college students.”
Warwick’s recent run of success included playing Professor Flitwick and Griphook the goblin in the Harry Potter films.
Each one required painstaking make-up applied before shooting began, up to four hours in the case of Professor Flitwick.
Warwick told the students that wearing the heavy silicon-based latex was unpleasant, making breathing, eating and drinking difficult, but it was a price worth paying for the character.
He also showed the students a film of the make-up being applied.
Former college teacher Jan Fisk visited the students recently to give guest lectures and she arranged the star’s date at the college.
Nicola Martin, curriculum manager for performing arts and art and design, was delighted with the event.
She said: “He was brilliant and the students absolutely loved it. He was really receptive to the questions they asked and gave loads of answers and a very useful insight into the industry.
“It was really inspiring for them to hear about the industry, particularly from someone who is proving so successful at the moment.
It was a real coup for us and we are hoping he might return to talk to our media students as well.”
Irons in the fire
WARWICK Davis said he had lots of exciting irons in the fire following his latest television show Life’s Too Short.
The BBC series, filmed with Ricky Gervais, proved to be a hit with audiences.
Warwick said: “I’m finding it is opening lots of doors so there are things that I have wanted to do which are now looking likely. But I can’t say much about them now.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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