Guest star: James
Fleet plays Findlay Morrison (episodes 1 & 2)
Filming in Glasgow meant a trip down memory lane for James who spent
three years learning his craft at The Royal Scottish Academy Of Music
And Drama in the mid-Seventies.
In fact, he admits his return to Glasgow was such a nostalgia-fest
it took him a couple of days before he could concentrate on the job
in hand.
"It was good to be back but the first few days were quite weird for
me and I had to pull myself together after a while and just kind of
get over it," sighs James, with a shrug.
"I ended up walking around Glasgow in a bit of a daze remembering
emotional scenes and places from years and years ago.
"I could practically recite exact conversations with ex-girlfriends
I'd waved goodbye to at the station and friends I've lost touch with.
"It's been very strange filming in the place where I spent my
formative years - but luckily this time I wasn't skint and I wasn't
wearing flares."
Once he'd managed to pull himself back to the present day James threw
himself into his role as popular businessman Findlay Morrison.
With a successful chain of health food stores, a beautiful home and
a loving family, Morrison seems to have it all.
Unfortunately, he also seems to have a poltergeist living under his
roof.
"When we first see Findlay things couldn't be better - he's a very
happy family man with three wonderful children and a wonderful wife.
"But then he begins to realise that something isn't right in their
home. Things start moving on their own, they can hear voices laughing
manically and generally it's downhill from there," he explains.
"Although still sceptical, Findlay is open to the idea of poltergeists
- he's not completely disregarding it as a possibility.
"However his wife, Carol, is totally switched off to the very
thought. Personally, I'm with her on that one. I don't believe in the
paranormal at all although I do believe there are probably things that
we don't fully know about. So I'm backing science and rationality all
the way."
Morrison calls in Monaghan to investigate but as the team try to find
answers, the once happy Morrison clan begin to self destruct.
And filming Sea Of Souls meant James was in his spooky element.
"I've never had to play opposite a poltergeist before but I loved it.
I found myself having to do lots of rushing into rooms and twitching
and looking scared. It was brilliant fun and much better than doing
comedy. Comedy's boring - give me poltergeists any day.
"The children that played my kids were to die for and Lesley Vickerage,
who played my wife, was nearly as excited about it all as me.
"I love the idea of running down dark tunnels at night with torches
looking for ghosts," enthuses James.
In March James will be appearing in a Vicar Of Dibley Comic Relief
Special. However he can currently be seen on the big screen in the film
version of Phantom Of The Opera.
But fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber's score need not worry - James does
not sing.
"I don't get to even hum a tune," laughs James. "I asked the director
Joel Schumacher if we could put 'James Fleet Does Not Sing' on the poster?
I thought it might entice a few more people into the cinema."
Although born in Wolverhampton, James, who is best known for his roles
in The Vicar Of Dibley and Four Weddings And A Funeral, was brought
up in Aberdeenshire.
With a Scottish mother and an English father he says he's always felt
a bit of a hybrid: "I get very torn when I have to watch England playing
Scotland at football. I'm never quite sure who I want to win.
"I live in England now and I've got lots of ex-pat Scottish friends
here in London. They work very hard at being Scottish, stepping into
a kilt at the slightest opportunity, but I haven't got the legs for
it. They're a bit pale."
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