The dark side of actor Owen Teale

May 2 2008 by Karen Price, Western Mail

One of our favourite actors, Owen Teale, has returned to Wales to play Macbeth. Karen Price discovers that while he might be a gentleman on the surface, he loves nothing more than playing the bad guy

OWEN Teale is mulling over the last decade of his career. “I’ve played a lot of baddies,” he admits. That is probably a polite way of putting it. For the Welsh actor, who in real life is one of the nicest men you could meet, is – how shall I put it – something of a psycho in front of the cameras.

“I’ve done some very dark stuff,” he agrees. “In one film called Marian Again I kept a woman in a box. It was a really scary story. And in an episode of Torchwood I played a cannibal.

“And I’ve just played a cop, who’s not exactly a good cop, in a thriller called It’s Alive.

“But I think it’s a good thing – there’s something more satisfying about it as you get some great lines.”

Teale can pinpoint the moment he was probably immortalised as the bad guy – when he played Macbeth to critical acclaim at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold in 1999.

Now the actor, who grew up in Cornelly, near Port Talbot, has returned to the venue to reprise the Shakespearean blood fest.

The play, which opened last night, begins with a supernatural prophecy from the three witches that forecasts Macbeth’s rise to the Scottish throne – and leads him to risk everything to fulfil his destiny.

At the heart of the drama is Lady Macbeth, played by Vivien Parry, whose relentless passion overrules her husband’s troubled conscience and urges murder.

Teale says he’s enjoying playing the tyrant far more second time around.

“You would think that the first time you do something would be the most thrilling,” says the 46-year-old.

“But I think that maybe the last time I did it I thought I was going to live forever. When you’re in your 40s you look at life slightly differently – I’m not going to live forever.

“With such a role, there’s an internal journey you go on within the story so you are bound to be affected by it. I allow myself to be put in that position (Macbeth) and consider what it was like to be him. I think I’m more able to do that this time – there’s less acting and more truth.

“It’s hard to consider what it would be like to be driven by such ambition that you would be prepared to kill someone. But you can equate it to something more realistic as you get older – would you be prepared to professionally ‘kill’ someone, such as by putting them down, in order to take that role. But the minute you have done it, you know you have put a curse on yourself.

“That internal journey is more thrilling now than it was before.”

This time around, Macbeth, directed by Terry Hands, is being staged in the main auditorium and Teale says the set is very atmospheric.

There are more shadows on the outside and bright light in the centre (of the stage). Marrying the acting and technical ability within the language is brilliant.”

Since winning a coveted Tony award in 1997 for his role in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, on Broadway, Teale has been much in demand. His TV credits include Ballykissangel, Belonging and Ted and Alice, and stage roles include the lead in Chekov’s Ivanov at the National Theatre.

While Teale’s fans love to see him as the baddie, it means his two young daughters – Eliza, 10, and six-year-old Grace – don’t get to see much of their father’s work.

“I would like to do some nice stuff they could watch but there are DVDs of my early work which they can see of me being a Catherine Cookson hero.”

While Teale is enjoying his return to Wales, he admits that being away from the family is difficult.

“It’s hurt me a bit this time but they are coming up to see me during the Bank Holiday so we shall spend some time together and do some lovely things.”

His wife, Sylvestra Le Touzel, is also an actress and she can be seen in the new Mike Leigh film, Happy-Go-Lucky. Teale also has a son from a previous relationship, 22-year-old Ion, who is studying conceptual art.

“If you think Shakespeare is hard to understand you should try getting your head around that,” laughs Teale.

He says he would not mind if his daughters followed their parents into acting.

“They are very different but both very gifted. I would be there for them and support them if they wanted to act but I would in no way push them into it. I try to instil in them a good work ethic – I’m not really one for being a celebrity.”

Although he’s still enjoying acting, Teale is turning his hand to writing – he is penning a short film for the It’s My Shout scheme run by ITV Wales.

It will be directed by Caradog James and young actors from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama will be involved.

“It’s set on Barry Island in a fairground. It’s a serious story about a young boy who needs to get out of the situation he’s in. He gets befriended by these guys and ends up dressing up as a bear. I did it myself – I ran away from home in 1979 and dressed up as Barry the Bear. It’s common knowledge,” Teale laughs.

So Teale really did once have a soft side after all.

Macbeth is at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold until May 24. Call the box office on 0845 330 3565