Shazad Latif – Departure

By starrymag | October 29, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I filmed a rom-com in Glasgow and the highlands called Falling for Figaro, which premiered at TIFF in December and January. It was with Danielle McDonald who was amazing in Patti Cake$, Hugh Skinner who is incredible and Joanna Lumley the legend. It’s about a woman who gives up her finance job to study opera in the highlands. I play the boyfriend from the finance world who she ditches.

I just finished filming The Pursuit of Love with Lily James, Emily Beecham and Andrew Scott, adapted and directed by the wonderful Emily Mortimer. I played the stable boring husband, a young Oxford don in the 1930’s.

I’ll be playing opposite Lily James in a film written by Jemima Khan and directed by Shekhar Kapur in December.

Q) How was your character Ali on “Departure” originally described to you?

A) Ali was the boyfriend of the girl who goes missing, played by Rebecca Liddiard. It was interesting as he wasn’t in it much, but every scene he had was full of emotion. It was pure grief and anxiety. Thinking the love of his life was gone, missing, dead.

Q) Going into “Departure,” were you looking forward to sharing a scene(s) with someone in particular?

A) I wanted to share some screen time with Christopher Plummer, but didn’t get the chance to. He is a legend. Archie Panjabi is a legend, too. She was great to work with – everyone was.

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film?

A) Most of my scenes were in the hospital by my girlfriend’s side, hoping she’ll pull through. These were powerful scenes, quiet but intense. There is a silence and sadness to these scenes that leaves you with melancholy when you film them. The hospital lights are nasty.

Q) With this being such an intense series, how did you shake off a long day of filming this series?

A) Probably go home, shower and eat something tasty. Then sleep.

Q) What do you think it is about “Departure” that will make it a fast fan favorite action-thriller?

A) Plummer, Panjabi going at it. The fans will love it. Also people who are obsessed with planes will like it.

Q) You often do a lot of dramatic roles. What is it about this genre that continues to draw you to it?

A) Life is drama. I’m drawn to everything, not just one thing.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll be receiving from US audiences?

A) There are some good things in regards to social media – social awareness, justice, giving a voice to people who have not been heard, but for me I’m not a fan of its role in our everyday lives, it’s a bit soul destroying, messing up our heads, too stimulating. Definitely not good for the youngsters. I was told to get it as it would benefit my career, but I just don’t use it that often and I have an old phone so can only do it when I’m at home on me iPad  so don’t think it is benefiting me the way it should be haha.

Q) We absolutely loved you on “Star Trek: Discovery.” How difficult was it for you to learn Klingon? 

A) I, luckily, didn’t have to learn that much as I became human early on. Kenneth Mitchell and Mary Chieffo got the short straw on that one.

Q) Voq and Ash were so incredibly different from one another. What kind of challenges did you face portraying this dichotomy?

A) You had to build two separate characters and find the small things that linked them.

Q) What did you personally take away from your time on the series?

A) That uniforms are uncomfortable and we should all wear comfortable clothes for the rest of our time on this planet.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

A) For fans of the work I do, I love you and hope I continue to make good choices and try to make some good movies and television for you to watch.