For Jack Lowden, one of the most exciting aspects of his latest project The Gold – a brilliantly outrageous BBC series from Neil Forsyth inspired by the infamous 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery – has been the possibility to dip into the culture and blingy aesthetics of the polarizing decade. “My sense of style is nowhere near as outgoing as that, so it was just wonderful to give into the severe amounts of gold and massive hair,” says the British actor. In our digital cover story, we spoke to Jack about Forsyth’s darkly funny take on Britain’s biggest gold heist, listening to the show’s soundtrack on a loop and his love for vintage BBC comedies.
Full look Dior Men
Your new series The Gold is based on the famous case of the Brink’s-Mat robbery from 1983. Did you know about this heist prior to hearing about the project?
I didn’t know about it at all – when the scripts were sent over to me, that was the first time I heard of it. The true story is so ridiculous, incredible and hard to believe, but really, the scripts and the way it was written were so brilliant and new, that it was [all] sort of secondary to me. Every character was just wonderful and was given their moment. Neil [Forsyth, the creator], first and foremost, writes very entertaining things and knows what the audience wants. So even with something like our show, which goes at times into incredibly dark places, Neil sometimes takes the piss out of the characters and completely circumnavigates it and frames it in a way that’s a lot more clever than just telling the story straight and letting people make their minds up. He can undermine characters very easily by making them look a certain way which I just found really interesting.
Left Shirt Prada, knit Fendi
Right Coat, shirt, pants Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, bracelet Sweetlimejuice
How do you think this approach that Neil is taking can change the way that we perceive this story?
I think the way he approached the story is quite seductive because that period was very seductive. It was the 1980s, they opened the markets up and it was all about self-improvement and not being happy with where you were – which can be a good and bad thing, depending on how you look at it. At the core of the story is the seductiveness of money, greed and gold. And so, the show and its characters are purposely seductive at the beginning. But then, the horrendous consequences of pursuing greed like that are laid bare. And I think that Neil’s sense of humour creates an interesting way of telling this story – he completely pulls the rug from under the feet of the characters.
Left Shirt Prada, knit Fendi
Right Coat, pants, shoes, belt Versace, shirt Prada
You’re playing Kenneth Noye, one of the criminals involved in the heist. How do you approach portraying someone that can possibly watch the show and see his story on screen? What was important to you while creating his depiction?
First and foremost, my concern straight away was just to play the character that Neil had written, as the show is ‘inspired by’ and not a documentary. But of course, we were very careful, just because you have to be very sensitive with this story as well – so many people were affected by it and it did have really serious consequences for many. And hopefully, we’ve done a good job showing that.
Full look Dries Van Noten
What was the most exciting part for you about getting to step into the 1980s era?
I mean, one of the main reasons I wanted to do the show was because of the period. I think that people from our generation often have a conscious or unconscious obsession with the culture from that time just because we grew up in the 1990s, which were so different as a decade. Fashion-wise, it was a hell of a lot of fun! Everything was just a bit bigger and brasher and more ridiculous.
Full lool Louis Vuitton
What are some cultural things from the 1980s that you are very much obsessed with?
It’s really the music! The soundtrack to the show is so brilliant – New Order, Joy Division – and I’m still listening to it almost every day. Also, when it comes to fashion, the gaucheness of it! My sense of style is nowhere near as outgoing as that, so it was just wonderful to give into the severe amounts of gold and massive hair [for the show].
Left Coat, shirt, pants Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, bracelet Sweetlimejuice, shoes Versace
Right Shirt Prada, knit Fendi, pants Versace
Are there any shows that you remember watching from around that period as a kid that had a big impact on you?
Yes, basically every BBC comedy from both the 1970s and 1980s – Only Fools and Horses, Open All Hours, Porridge, Fawlty Towers… That’s what I did as a kid, I would just watch those. They became a comfort thing for me – when I was really young, I would have to watch an episode from one of them every night. If I went abroad on a family holiday, I would take my case with all the BBC comedy DVDs. It was like a safety blanket. Only Fools and Horses had an especially massive impact on me. And I can sense it in any job that I do now - I’m always trying to find a funny angle and that’s because of these shows.
Left Coat, pants, belt Versace, shirt Prada
Right Full look Prada
Is doing comedy something you’d like to pursue more in the future?
Yeah but I have a dreadful problem – whenever I know that something is remotely funny, I laugh and I can’t get through anything. And it’s sort of pathetic! If I know that what I’m doing or saying is funny, I laugh the hardest. So I want to do more comedy, but I think that I’d also really struggle because I would just laugh the whole time.
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Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photography by Callum Su
Fashion by Steven Huang
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Set design by Annie Alvin
Grooming by Nadia Altinbas
Stylist’s assistants Nathan Fox & Tamryn Charteris
Photographer’s assistants Olivia Scott & Rio Zangoura
Grooming assistant Misty Mosharrafa
