This month we have interviewed Trevor Williamson, who lives in Leigh. He is better known as William Travis, one of the stars of Granada T.V.’s ‘Where the Heart Is’.

William Travis : I went to school here of all places, but it was called Butts CE. Primary in those days. Afterwards I went to Bedford High School and then on to Salford College of Technology.

Alyson : Do you remember any of your teachers ?

William Travis : Mrs Shanks was here at the time but she was in class 7 then. I remember lots of the teachers. Mr Small was one of them. Mr Ward was the headmaster then. Just after I left he died.

James : Did you always want to become an actor when you were at school?

William Travis : Yes. I used to scare my Mum to death by pretending I was dead ! I loved pretending.

Alyson : When did you begin your acting career ?

William Travis : I first started acting in 1991, but it took me a few years to establish myself.

James : Was ‘Where the Heart Is’ your first big part on T.V. ?

William Travis : Yes it was, but it never started off as a big part. It started with just two lines in the very first episode.

Alyson : How long does it take to make an episode of ‘Where the Heart Is’ ?

William Travis : We split the filming into blocks. We record two episodes each month. It takes two weeks to record one episode.

James : When you go for a drink in the pub on television do you drink real beer ?

William Travis : No not at all ! We do not drink any alcohol during filming. They make us drink ‘Kaliber’, which is a non – alcoholic lager.

Alyson : Where is ‘Where the Heart Is’ actually filmed ?

James : Last year you went to France to film a series with John Thaw. What was it like working with the famous ‘Inspector Morse’ ?

William Travis : It was fantastic. We had three and a half months in the sun.

Alyson : Did you enjoy filming in France ?

William Travis : It was brilliant. My family came for three and a half weeks.

James : Is there another series of ‘Where the Heart Is’ being filmed ?

William Travis : There is indeed. We are filming at the moment. It will be out around about April – but don’t quote me on that!

Alyson : What do you like doing when you are not acting ? 
What are your hobbies ?

William Travis : I like playing squash and golf. I love my computer. I’m always on it.

James : What’s your favourite TV programme ?

William Travis : BlackAdder, Fawlty Towers and Monty Python. And I love ‘The Simpsons’ !

Alyson : Would you recommend acting as a good career ?

William Travis : Yes and no. Acting is full of good things – but there are and bad times too. It’s a profession that is difficult to get into, so you really have to want to do it and to be prepared for a lot of rejection.

James : If someone did want to become an actor or actress how would they begin?

Alyson : Which football team do you support ?

William Travis : I support Manchester City. I’m blue right through. I like Leigh R.M.I as well and I watch Leigh Rugby Club.

James : Do you enjoy being an actor?

William Travis : I enjoy it when it’s challenging work. You can’t really survive as an actor without working on television but working in live theatre is far better.

Alyson : What qualifications do you need to become an actor?

William Travis : You don’t really need any. You just need to enjoy it. Your qualifications revolve around understanding what makes people tick.

James : Thank you very much for being interviewed.

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