Braveheart actor calls for more working-class representation in Scottish TV

Braveheart histrion Peter Mullan has called for much working-class practice successful the movie and TV industry.

Mullan, prima of dozens of films and TV shows including Braveheart and Trainspotting, told Radio Times that the UK and Scottish Governments indispensable put much into the industry.

Asked if British TV is making advancement successful presumption of working-class representation, Mullan, 65, primitively from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, said: “The output astatine the infinitesimal is poor, particularly Scottish working-class drama.”

He added: “I can’t deliberation of immoderate large ones that person been made successful the past decade, fto unsocial immoderate that were good.

As acold arsenic I tin tell, BBC Scotland is doing adjacent to thing astir Scottish history, the Scottish experience, Scottish lives

Peter Mullan, actor

“As acold arsenic I tin tell, BBC Scotland is doing adjacent to thing astir Scottish history, the Scottish experience, Scottish lives.

“The Scots haven’t got an equivalent of Happy Valley – and they should have.”

The histrion said determination is not capable happening down the scenes to assistance thrust progress, stating a civilization of nepotism is rife successful the industry, making it tougher for young radical from working-class backgrounds to commencement their careers.

He said: “We’re not making anyplace adjacent the advancement we should be. There has to beryllium the volition for it to happen.

“There’s not capable grooming programmes to get young working-class radical into movie and TV.

“It comes down to who you know, to nepotism. In astir industries there’s an constituent of that but successful movie (and TV) there’s more.”

Asked if the caller UK Labour Government tin lick the problem, and if they look consenting to put much successful the originative industries, helium replied: “I would anticipation so.

“I ballot SNP. Labour promised they would, truthful I anticipation my English comrades enactment unit connected the Government to beryllium existent to their word.

“We’ll beryllium putting unit connected the Scottish Government, too, to guarantee film, TV and particularly theatre isn’t chopped back.”

A spokesperson for BBC Scotland said: “BBC Scotland remains committed to moving with originative manufacture partners to bring stories rooted successful Scotland to audiences successful Scotland and crossed the UK.

“We person a beardown way grounds successful producing award-winning and fashionable dramas including Guilt, Mayflies, Granite Harbour, Dog Days and Float.

“We proceed to enactment with our colleagues successful BBC Drama and Comedy to enactment the summation successful output from Scotland that has been seen successful caller years.

“Drama titles see the critically acclaimed long-running bid Shetland (which has been connected our screens for implicit a decade), The Control Room, The Nest, Vigil, Nightsleeper and forthcoming titles Lockerbie and Lions; and from drama shows including Two Doors Down, Dinosaur and the forthcoming Only Child.”

A spokesperson for the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “The civilization caput believes that movie and TV indispensable bespeak the afloat diverseness of people, communities and experiences crossed the UK.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There has been large advancement successful the surface assemblage successful Scotland successful caller years, but determination indispensable beryllium more.

“Through our backing for Screen Scotland, we are investing to guarantee Scotland’s surface and accumulation industries person a skilled and divers workforce, which is the champion mode to make caller opportunities for Scottish endowment successful surface productions and the assemblage much generally.

“The civilization assemblage is integral to Scotland’s individuality arsenic a state and that’s wherefore we stay committed to investing astatine slightest £100 cardinal much annually successful the assemblage by 2028-29.

“Further details volition beryllium acceptable retired successful the Scottish Budget connected 4 December, but it remains our purpose to supply a further summation for the arts and civilization successful 2025-26, gathering connected the £15.8 cardinal summation successful this year’s budget.”

The afloat interrogation tin beryllium recovered successful the latest variation of Radio Times here.