I Wonder

[ali15son]

Martin Shaw has opened up about the difficult relationship he had with his"arrogant" professionals co-star Lewis Collins during their time on the show. Shaw and Collins played CI5 agents Ray Doyle and William Bodie on the British crime-action drama, which ran for five series on ITV between 1977 and 1981.

The pair played close work colleagues and their onscreen chemistry helped propel the show to it's success. However, Shaw has now revealed that he disliked Collins so much that he tried to prevent him from being cast on the programme and detailed the "truly horrible" experience of subsequently working with him.

"The trouble all started when i was a villain in The New Avengers in 1977 and he was my sidekick," Shaw told The Telegraph, "Lewis behaved so badly on that set. He had a small part but he was so arrogant. It was beyond that, it was bizarre."

He gave alledged examples of Collins's behaviour including boasting about his physical prowess and how his scripted fights would turn out differently if the actors were forced to fight in real life. "It was truly, truly horrible and there was a sense of blessed relief when it was over," Shaw said.

The experience led to him trying to block the actor from being cast in The Professionals after he won the role of Doyle.

Shaw assumed his good friend and fellow Operation Daybreak (1975) actor Anthony Andrews would be a "shoo-in" for the other lead after being considered. But the production company wanted a more "abrasive relationship".

Shaw explained "i'd already said to the casting director, i can't work with Lewis because we don't get on" but they cast him anyway.

Shaw said he tried to clear the air when production began.

I went up to him on the first day of shooting and said :" You know i didn't want you to do this but lets get on with it and have fun". And he told me to F*** off and he never forgave me for the next four years."

The pair were eventually able to smooth over their differences, with Shaw remarking"10 years after the show finished i met Lewis and everything was healed between us"

The Independent Newspaper (online)

Comments

[cloudless-9193.livejournal.com]

Very unprofessional of Shaw if this is true.

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

I know you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper but i hope that things were sorted much sooner as they did appear close in most photos. It's a shame if it wasn't.

Thankyou.

[f-m-parkinson.livejournal.com]

Having read various comments, speculations and contradictions over the years on this subject, I take things with a large pinch of salt. There is often more nuance in interviews than ever gets reported precisely or accurately. This was an article originally written for, I believe, The Daily Telegraph newspaper, presumably from a talk with Martin Shaw. I don't know if what is written is the full account of what he said, or in what context. I'm not saying that the comments are inaccurate but I am presented only with what the journalist decided to make of the interview, unlike a live interview on television.

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

So it's only about the beginning of their career and nothing new.
I haven't read the article with the headline: Lewis behaved so badly - thought he talked negative about his companion during the whole filming of the professionals.
He didn't and the posts implied a completely wrong picture.
Thank you for quoting this interview here.

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Like you i would like Martin to speak on camera and confirm what he says is true, i have read a number of interviews this week, all saying the same thing (which originally came from The telegraph) . I would have hoped things were sorted much sooner and i would also hope Lewis wasn't as Marting (assumably) describes.I wonder why things like this get brought up time and time again.

Thankyou..

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Apparently so, this interview with Martin came from speaking with one of the British Newspapers recently and i don't believe everything i read until Martin came on camera and says what he said is true. I'm sure there was friction between the pair at first but i would hope this got sorted much soonet. Obviously Martin has given an interview recently but without Lewis to defend himself then we can only presume this is the press exaggerating as usual.

Thankyou.

As I'm sure you know...

[fiorenza-a.livejournal.com]

Elsewhere Mr S has said what he remembered about the show was the laughter.

He has also been quoted as saying that he didn't rate Mr C at first because he assumed a popstar-turned-actor wouldn't be any good - but was proved wrong and said so to Mr C pretty quickly after they started filming together.

It's pretty unprofessional (I know: pun!) to trash another actor's reputation when they can't answer back and poor form if he did it - but it would be out of character with his other pronouncements which have been either fairly non-committal or diplomatic.

I think I prefer to reserve judgement.

RE: As I'm sure you know...

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

I agree, there seems to be conflicting statements coming from either the press or Martin himself especially when Lewis isn't around to state otherwise. I know not to believe everything that you read in the newspaper and i would hope that Martin didn't say what has been written. I would love to believe that their differences were sorted early on in the series especially when you see the two of them being photographed together.

Thankyou for looking.

Re: As I'm sure you know...

[fiorenza-a.livejournal.com]

They were chalk and cheese off screen as well as on, so I suspect there was always a degree of friction. I expect they reached an accommodation where they were friendly rather than friends. Not everyone can get on the way Robert Vaughn and David McCallum did during the Man from U.N.C.L.E.

But no one gets on with all their work colleagues - adults just make it work for the sake of the job. Acting isn't any different.

It's not only poor form for the reasons everyone has said - but counterproductive. There are loads of loyal LC fans - as the outpouring at his untimely death bore witness. Plus to be trash-talking like this paints Mr S in a very poor light - why would he want to court the reputational damage nigh on half a century after the event when he has built a reputation as Mr Cosy-Sunday-Night-Drama?

If he wasn't currently delivering in A Man For All Seasons, I would suspect the onset of dementia.

RE: Re: As I'm sure you know...

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Exactly, like you say they were chalk and cheese off screen as well as on set and i can only imagine that this recent interview must have brought up some discussion about their partnership. I am one of those loyal LC fans and i wouldn't trash him when he isn't around to defend what is being printed (i wouldn't ever see any negatives in him anyway) and i love the thought of Mr-cosy-sunday-night- drama, it suits MS .

Thankyou.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

If all of this is true, then we have not given Shaw and Collins enough credit for how great they are as actors. If there was that much hate between them, the show wouldn't have worked. I don't doubt there were conflicts, but not as described in the article.
[just my opinion... :-) ]

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

I agree, on screen the chemistry really worked and off screen, i would only hope that their differences were sorted out early on . This interview with Martin recently has probably given the press more opportunities to twist it even more.

Thankyou.

[watteaux.livejournal.com]

Firstly I am pleased I can read and discuss this article here on your journal 🖤

So accepting this is a heavily edited source designed for views, and we are not directly hearing from MS; what got me was the lack of forgiveness for himself and lack of empathy for LC after all this time. He still wants to be the victim. Interesting he didn’t name Brian Clemens about the hiring of the two leads. From what I can see, he resents the legacy and he struggles or doesn’t want to concede that it gave many people joy and inspiration for nearly fifty years. Really interesting and thank you 🖤

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

It's a strange one because on one hand Martin has obviously given the interview and this conversation must have come from somewhere. I can't understand why he (if he has said it) can't seem to let this altercation with Lewis go. Like you say , the pairing gave so many people huge enjoyment and it's such a shame that Lewis isn't here to defend himself.

Thankyou for your comment.

[watteaux.livejournal.com]

Oh, I got into Facebook :D

https://www.facebook.com/classictvmoments/posts/pfbid02xU5Z99QoXujmSpx5R4rVZdSAA7j2qmNF6Dg9V3PdmwG9QA2x2PqxtALh4s5Uxak7l

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Sorry i am not on facebook so i can't see it.

[watteaux.livejournal.com]

Oh no!
Once you get past the “ MS was mean, no LC was mean”, the people put up stories about meeting them or a friend of a friend meet them, etc., which was cute

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Aaahhh right. I'm glad i'm not on fb then.