Before The Lights

Ever wanted to know how to convincingly walk backwards for your role in a Christopher Nolan blockbuster? Of course you have. Then look no further than our conversation with Tenet, Yesterday and Don't Look Up actor Himesh Patel for that incredibly niche advice and so much more wisdom from a career which started as a teenager in EastEnders. We discuss his journey from soaps to Hollywood, his hopes t...

We take a detour from our usual world of film and TV to welcome a NASCAR legend (a term he's still getting used to) Jimmie Johnson to the show. Along the way we discuss how he kept a winning mindset to become one of the sport's all-time greats, life after full-time racing and how an elite American athlete ended up in a gym full of actors in London. He also talks us through his brief run-in with Ho...

This week we welcome British broadcasting legend (our words not his) Greg James to the show to discuss his relationship with health, wrecking balls and not taking life too seriously. Greg looks back at an early - and continuing - fascination with Micheal Palin which got him into running and how a new-found enjoyment of exercise has helped him in pretty much every aspect of his life. He also explor...

We've heard some pretty incredible stories on this podcast, but Henry Ashton's nightmare audition is an instant all-time classic. The My Lady Jane and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder actor joins Dave and George to discuss some of his career highlights to date and the moment he knew he wanted to dedicate his career to acting. He also talks about his introduction to Before The Lights as "a sexy Tudor"...

Model and activist Cora Corré joins us to discuss her career in fashion and the work she's doing to continue the legacy left by her grandmother Vivienne Westwood's Vivienne Foundation. Cora sits down with George and Dave to discus some of the challenges she faced in the early stages of her career in fashion, how she hadn't always planned to work with her family and introducing Vivienne Westwood to...

Jacob Ifan instantly made a mark on the BTL studio/ library with an incredible Welsh discovery on the bookshelf. Once he'd delivered a romantic opening monologue, conversation turned to his time on the set of SAS Rogue Heroes, being naked in the gym and his multiple international personas. In Jacob's own words this episode is "mad", but it's well worth sticking around to hear about his run-in/ sli...

There's only one member of the Before The Lights who would request we install GTA on the treadmills; ladies and gentleman Tuwaine Barrett. Having worked with Tuwaine for most of his career is was a pleasure to sit down and discuss his route into acting via The Brit School, some hard conversations with his family and his desire to be "anyone but me" at certain stages of his life. His journey has se...

We're back! Welcome to season four of Before The Lights. Where better to get things underway than with One Day and This Is Going To Hurt actor Ambika Mod, who instantly breaks down the mystique of actors being out of touch by admitting she Googled “PT for actors” to find the club because she was “tired all the time”… Something she’s managed to overcome since joining the club.  With the barrie...

This time George, Dave and Georgia are joined by double-Scottish Bafta winner Lauren Lyle. We don't normally make too much of a big deal out of the awards our guests have won but when they get nicknamed "the twins" and involve a story about Lauren's dad talking to basically every famous Scottish person in one night it's hard to ignore. Along the way, the team discuss everything from her key roles...

Yes, we can hear him Clem Fandango - this week's guest is Toast of London, What's Love Got to Do with It? and Rogue Agent actor Shazad Latif. He tells us throwing up moments before a huge scene with Liam Neeson, forcing table tennis scenes into films, and not getting the part on a TV show even though the character had the same name as him. There is also room for some semi-serious chat about how fi...

George and Dave cover some serious ground with The Winter King and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor Iain De Caestecker on this week's episode. From horse-riding lessons from a 10-year-old to learning to acclimatise to LA and being part of the Marvel Universie, Iain explains how keeping on top of his mental and physical health on and off set have been key to the success in his career. Follow us on Inst...

This time the team catch up with Harris Dickinson to talk all things wrestling, mental health and passive aggressive teachers as they delve into his career. From politely declining the chance to become a hotel manager, to ice baths on major film sets the Before The Lights team explore how his ambition to succeed has seen him develop a mental and physical routine to help keep his mind and body on t...

Every now and again we uncover something pretty special about our guests. But nobody was ready for actor, writer and director Craig Roberts (Still Up, Just Jim, Submarine) to reveal his rapping alter-ego; Deadpan Man. That said, it quickly becomes apparent it was a lucky escape for everyone involved that he dropped his lofty ambitions being the Welsh Eminem and forged out a career in film and TV....

This time we're joined by our first ever Disney prince; Jonah Hauer-King aka Prince Eric in 2023's live-action version of The Little Mermaid. He chats to Dave, Josh and George about training to be graceful on boats, on land and at sea despite not being a great swimmer. They also delve into his other roles like The Tattooist of Auschwitz and William Tell to explore how adapting your body can be a c...

Considering this is podcast focusses a lot on fitness, it's surprising this happened sooner; our first professional athlete joins the show in the form baseball legend Chase Utley. The World Series winner and six-time All Star player discusses how he kept in physical and mental shape across his 16-season career with Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers and how he made the transition in...

This week the Before The Lights team are joined by Sex Education, Killing Eve and My Lady Jane actor Edward Bluemel for tales of mermen, excessive running and denim theft. He also tells the team about his girlfriend's plans for a 'horny Instagram rebrand' and how he keeps his body in check between work now that he's found a successful routine in the gym. Follow us on Instagram for updates on all a...

This week the team welcome Shadow and Bone actor Freddy Carter! He discusses a whole set of skills he picked up for the role including fighting with a cane and rolling through windows while suspended at 80ft in the air. But that kind of acting prowess doesn't come from nowhere so he also reveals how he developed his range - and thick skin - in drama school by playing a giraffe in front of seven-ye...

A Christmas treat on this week's episode with non-actor, non-director, all round food hero Nigel Slater. He's been training with Before The Lights for over a decade and in that time has managed to keep his love of food (and having puddings for breakfast) alive. Nigel discusses the importance of working with people you trust to keep a healthy mind and body, as well as his favourite KitKat flavours...

This week it’s a full Before The Lights cast conversation with Izzy Laughland (Foundation, Ghosts, Good Luck To You Leo Grande).  From her early start in Harry Potter and The Intebweeners, to her current work on Foundation via weightlifting and an incredible story about breakdancing she covers some serious ground with George, Dave, Josh and Georgia.  Follow us on Instagram for updates on...

The Before The Lights team welcome their first returning guest in the form of Jacob Anderson, who is "on an apology tour" to make up for his last appearance on the show. During this second chat on the show Jacob explains how he's become a changed man and can now see the benefits of exercise on and off screen and knows it is "good for me". He also discusses prepping for Interview With a Vampire, ac...

This time we welcome our first writer and director to the show; Sam H Freeman! The BAFTA nominee, who has worked on shows like Industry, tells us about taking the leap into his directing debut FEMME and how the process encouraged him look at his mental and physical health differently. Along the way he discusses how he aims to keep casts engaged on set and his effort to make his work, as well as th...

The Before The Lights team return with a name you'll know from Barbie, Sex Education, SAS Rogue Heroes; Connor Swindells. As well as his acting career, Connor dives into his boxing background and how the lessons he learned in the ring helped him end up on set with some of his biggest acting inspirations despite having no traditional training... and how he nearly shat himself after a particularly h...

Rivers of gold in Lord Of The Rings, continuous sound effects and a terrifying alter-ego called Gladys... strap in for a journey with this week's guest Benjamin Walker. After realising Ben can contractually say *nothing* about his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power George, Josh and Dave move on to the next logical subject; a mask of an old lady that he keeps in the loft. Beyond bein...

It’s rare that one of the team cries during the recording of an episode. But this week’s guest Sacha Dhawan (who you’ll know from Doctor Who, Iron First, The Great and so much more) has no issue setting off the water works as he delivers an embarrassing story which Dave calls “one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard”. Before we get there though, the guys hear about Sacha’s journey from working...

If you’re a fan of horse riding approach this episode with caution. If you’re not a fan of horse riding, there’s still a pretty wild story about riding horses on a film set.  This week Josh, Dave and George and catch up with Kingsman and Infinite (among lots of other things that she may or may not have forgotten the name of) actor Sophie Cookson.  As well as the usual heady mix of embarr...