Gavin and Stacey star reveals REAL reason why he almost turned down iconic BBC role
A FAN-FAVOURITE Gavin and Stacey star has revealed they almost didn’t accept the iconic telly role.
They told how they had played a previous TV role which was “not a million miles away” from their Barry Island-based character.
Now Rob Brydon, 59, who has played Stacey’s loveable Uncle Bryn West since the first ever Gavin and Stacey episode, has suggested things could have been very different.
The Would I Lie To You? presenter told how his drew parallels between the quirky character – who is the brother of Stacey’s mum – to his career-defining role in show Marion and Geoff.
He told the Dish podcast: “The thing that changed my life, work wise, was a show called Marion and Geoff.
“I was a Welsh taxi driver called Keith Barret who told you about his wife now.
“He was a naive person like Bryn. He was a big-hearted person like Bryn, it’s not a million miles away-from Bryn.
“And at that stage in my life, about 2006, 2007, I was still thinking, oh, well, you know, I’ve got to be… I hadn’t started doing Would I Lie to You? So, I was thinking, I want to be this actor who, who could play any part, and if I do this part now it’s, I don’t know…
“I don’t know, I think I just had a day when I woke up and I went, no, I’m just going to do the things I like. And then Would I Lie to You? came along, I thought yeah, I want to do that.
“Also, I’d started to have my two boys after my first marriage. So, you don’t want to then be away for films and dramas.
“Ooh, it looks glamorous, but the reality is anything but. You are miles from home. You’re getting up at the crack of dawn. You don’t see your family.
“So, I wanted things that would keep me closer to home.”
Talking of the Gavin and Stacey plotline he added: “And I knew that the script was just superb.
“So off we went and thank god I did. If I hadn’t, could you imagine?
“It’d be Ben Miller, wouldn’t it? It’d be Ben – I always get mistaken for Ben.”
TEARY FAREWELL
The Swansea-born star recently admitted he was “moved to tears” after reading James Corden and Ruth Jones‘s script for the final-ever episode.
Gavin and Stacey's Best Moments
With the news that the show is set to make an exciting return to screens, let's take a look at some of the comedy programme's biggest and best moments...
- Smithy and Rudi’s American Boy rap – No one will ever forget when James Corden and Sheridan Smith rapped perfectly word for word the Kanye West and Estelle hit American Boy as they walked across the car park on the phone to Gavin.
- Pam’s Vegetarian faux pas – Despite loving a cheesburger, Pam found herself caught up in a web of unexpected lies when she claimed to be Vegetarian. She is forced to keep up the secret throughout the entire show and uses hubby Mick to help her scoff meat. She is later rumbled when Stacey catches her in the act as she scoffs ham in the kitchen. Stacey says to her: “Is that ham, Pam!?… “I’ve seen you, Pam. A scotch egg here, a bit of bacon there, putting those regular sausages into the Linda McCartney box”.
- THAT fishing trip – It remains one of the biggest mysteries in Gavin and Stacey history as to just exactly what did happen on the ill-fated fishing trip. Bryn appears to be hiding a secret as to an occurance between him and his nephew Jason which has left relations fractures. Ness’ on-off boyfriend, Dave, is the only other person to know the whole truth. Bryn did appear to allude to him and Jason lying together naked to keep warm as he said to Dave: “We’re going to have this out, once and for all, man to man, you may know what happened, David, but you don’t know why it happened! It was freezing cold, it was! And when you are that cold…”
- Islands in the Stream – No one can ever forget the classic Karaoke performance of Islands in the Stream. Nessa and Bryn performed the track in front of all their nearest and dearest. It saw the whole pub burst into some line-dancing as they enjoyed a boozy night out.
- The Xmas special proposal – In 2019, fans were left overjoyed when the show made a comeback but it ended on the ultimate cliffhanger. Nessa asked Smithy if she would marry him as she finally laid bare her feelings for him. Fans were gutted as the show then cut straight to the credits as they never found out just how Smithy answered. Will all be revealed in the brand new episode?
Although comeback rumours had circulated since 2019, the return of the beloved BBC sitcom was only officially confirmed in May by the co-creators.
The infamous sitcom was written by the comedy pairing and it became a smash hit after its debut in 2007.
One long-running joke in the series features Rob’s naive and endearing character refer to the infamous fishing trip.
Yet the episode, to be aired on Christmas Day on BBC One at 9pm, will be the final-ever.
The comedian went on to share a more personal moment, revealing that he was so moved by the script that he found himself breaking down.
“Do you know what? I was moved to tears, because it’s emotional,” he confessed.
James Corden himself also previously struggled to hold back tears as he recalled the feeling of finishing the final Gavin and Stacey script with Ruth.
He also revealed his major concern ahead of the much-loved show wrapping for good.
Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast providers.