Peterborough actor Luke Pasqualino hits our TV screens on Sunday January 19 in his fantastic new role as D’Artagnan in The Musketeers, and we can’t wait to see him in action!
ESP reporter Lorenzo Monteforte caught up with his former school friend to get the lowdown on his latest role…
Luke and I have been friends since we were children, but after leaving primary school and going our separate ways it was always difficult to hang out. Since getting his big break in Skins, Luke’s been travelling around the world filming and this was the first time in five years that I had the chance to really catch up on his adventures.
“It has had its ups and downs,” Luke told me as he looked back over the last few years. “I got my agent when I just turned 16 and got my first job at 18. It’s been quite a busy period but the worst part of this job is not doing it because I get bored just sitting around!”
This 23-year-old former Walton school pupil was always pretty hyperactive as a kid so it was no surprise his family enrolled him at a drama workshop at Lady Lodge Arts Centre in Orton to channel his energy, and that’s where it all started. He got the acting bug and once he left school he cracked on with as many auditions as possible before eventually making it in Skins. Since then he’s appeared in The Borgias with Jeremy Irons, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, films including The Apparition, Love Bite and Snowpiercer (coming soon) as well as making TV appearances on shows including Miranda.
Now Luke’s set to become a household name appearing in BBC One’s new version of The Musketeers. So as his career takes off even further I wonder what the highlights have been so far.
“I think recently working with Peter Capaldi the new Doctor Who, who was on The Musketeers with me,” says Luke. “He’s taught me a lot. I took time to observe him and analyse how he takes the lines from the page and brings them to life. Doing the film Snowpiercer was absolutely brilliant because I got to work with so many amazing actors like John Hurt, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell and Octavia Spencer.”
Although acting’s perceived as a glamorous profession Luke says he certainly put in the hours with a gruelling schedule during the making of The Musketeers.
“Days are long and early starts. Normally a 13 hour day will consist of two hours getting ready, breakfast, line run, makeup etc and normally we get given a schedule in advance before filming starts stating which scenes will be filmed on which day so there’s plenty of time to prepare.”
I’m sure his new role will show his versatility but for many people Luke will forever be Freddie from Skins and he says he remains in contact with many of the cast from the show that gave him his big break.
“I have indeed. I still speak to them all but I see Kaya Scodelario a lot more than the others. We don’t get the opportunities to meet up as much as we would like because we are all working now.”
Luke’s been involved in many productions of different genres including sci-fi, history and comedy. Knowing him as a child, I always saw him as a comedian but which is his preference?
“I do enjoy the comedy very much. If I could, I’d like to do more comedy but I also enjoy the drama. If I could mix the two together like Musketeers, it’s an ideal job for me.”
When asked what’s been his favourite project so far, he’s torn – “The one that has been most memorable would have to be between Skins and The Musketeers. Skins was the most memorable because it was my first big thing and taught me a lot about myself.”
The Musketeers is a thrilling 10-part BBC Drama series, which is a fresh take on the classic characters created by Alexandre Dumas in his much-loved novel set in 17th-century Paris, where law and order is more an idea than reality.
“I play D’Artagnan who’s a very hot headed guy,” explains Luke. “He doesn’t become a Musketeer until later on in the series. When you first meet him he’s riding through Paris with his father and then something happens to his father which makes him try to avenge what has happened. He then meets the other Musketeers and almost comes to blows with them. They see something in D’Artagnan which they like, so they bring him on board and try to nurture him into becoming a Musketeer.”
So what does the future hold for our famous film star?
“We are hopefully looking into a second series of The Musketeers. If that goes again we will be filming in early April, start prepping mid-March and back into bootcamp for more sword-fighting and horse riding.”
Catch Luke in action on BBC One on Sunday January 19 at 9pm.
Photos: BBC/Steve Neaves/Larry Horricks
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