December 23rd 2024.
Jake Simmance couldn't believe his luck when he received the call informing him that he had landed the role of Gary Barlow in Robbie Williams' biopic. It was a surreal moment for the 26-year-old, who had to keep his new role a secret while continuing his day job as a teacher to young children.
Jake gushes, "I love this story because it's just bonkers. It really is such a great reflection of what it's like to be an actor. I was working in this nursery, and I had just gone through the final round of recalls for the role two days before. I knew I would be finding out soon, and then my phone started ringing in my pocket."
Excitedly, he continues, "I just screamed and screamed and was swearing, actually quite a lot, which was completely irresponsible. Then I just had to go back downstairs to work and act like nothing had happened."
But in just eight days, Jake would be flying off to Melbourne, Australia to begin filming as a member of Take That. However, before that, he had to get through his last week of teaching.
He recalls a particularly memorable moment during that week, "I remember this little girl had set up a row of chairs to look like an aeroplane, and they had a pilot's cap. She put the pilot's cap on my head and asked, 'Mr. Jake, where are we going?' I replied, 'We're going to Australia.' It was just this really surreal moment where it was my little secret that no one knew, potentially, my life was about to change."
Becoming an actor had always been Jake's dream, but it was put on hold when the country went into lockdown just days before his final showcase for drama school. He had already made appearances in shows like Anatomy of a Scandal, Doctors, Father Brown, and Call The Midwife, but Better Man was his first major film role.
After landing the role, Jake admits to struggling with a self-deprecating mindset, thinking he was only chosen because he "looks like Gary." But a friend's words of encouragement helped him see things differently.
"My friend said, 'Even if you do look like the bloke, loads of people can look like the bloke, but only you could become him,'" he recalls.
Jake is determined to do justice to the role of Gary Barlow, but he admits to feeling terrified of the singer's fans. As the film highlights, Take That has a huge fanbase who are protective of their favorite member. But Jake and his co-stars were incredibly conscious of this and hoped to do the group justice.
"We all just desperately hope we've done those guys justice. I hope that all of Gary's superfans think I've done a good job," he says.
The dynamic between Gary and Robbie is well-documented, and there were earlier drafts of the script where Robbie was portrayed as the villain. But ultimately, Jake believes that Robbie is the "anti-hero" and that Gary's sometimes controlling and arrogant behavior pales in comparison to Robbie's.
Robbie even consulted with Gary before sending him the initial script, and with his approval, Jake felt at ease with his portrayal of the superstar. However, he hasn't spoken to Gary at all.
"I know Jonno has found it very helpful knowing Rob, but at the same time, you're an actor, and it is dramatized," Jake explains.
Being immersed in the world of Take That has given Jake a new appreciation for the group and their level of fame. He wasn't even alive in the 90s when Robbie left the group.
"They were 19 years old at the time and had the entire world in the palm of their hands, and they were trying to keep it together. They were children, and Rob was the youngest. They were dealing with this kid who didn't know how to handle fame, and they were all just trying their best to keep it together," Jake shares.
While the impact of Better Man on Jake's professional life remains to be seen, his personal life has been completely changed in the three years since that fateful call. He has found love and made lifelong friends with his co-stars.
"I've met - I hope - my life partner, and that is so much more than a movie. I've made best friends for life; us boys talk every single day and have done for three years," he gushes.
The cast bonded instantly, and Jake fondly recalls a time when he and Jonno made fools of themselves practicing on pogo sticks in the middle of Clapham Common.
"We'd stand there in the middle of the common practicing how to pogo stick in a straight line. We just laugh because people would be looking at us like; 'Lads, 1981 wants its hobby back,'" he shares.
Jake promises to share the "great videos" of the duo "giggling like children" on pogo sticks when the time is right.
The experience has been overwhelmingly positive for all the young actors, and Jake often finds himself rewatching moments from rehearsals and listening to Rock DJ endlessly.
"I will sit there grinning from ear to ear, giggling to myself like a mad man watching this little secret video that I've had for two years; I've just never grown bored of it. There are so many little moments in the background of Rock DJ, like Robbie kicking a football that hits someone in the face. He falls over and pulls down an elderly man's trousers, small things like that. Just little nuggets, and no, I'm not bored of it. I'm incredibly passionate about it," he says.
Jake adds, "So what if it goes downhill from here? I've got memories for the rest of my life. Let me caveat that by saying it's not gonna go downhill - it's only gonna go up."
Better Man will be released in UK cinemas on December 26 and in the US on December 25 before releasing widely on January 17, 2025. Jake concludes by saying, "I'm hoping this film will change my life forever."
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