JULIAN OVENDEN 'YOU'VE ONLY GOT ONE LIFE'

THE ENGLISH ACTOR AND MUSICIAN SAYS HE LOVES THE VARIETY OF HIS WORK

- Naomi Toy

His father was Queen Elizabeth II’s chaplain, he’s shared mince pies at Christmas with the royal family, drank G&Ts with the late Queen Mother, starred in hit West End musicals and landed lead roles in some of the biggest TV shows and movies. Yes, it’s fair to say, Julian Ovenden, 47, leads an extraordinarily rich life. “No two days are ever the same,” he tells WHO of his varied career.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I get bored quickly,” he laughs. “It keeps you young, it keeps you fresh, it keeps you challenged, it keeps you poor.”

Recently, he joined the cast of Trigger Point, a British drama series about a bomb disposal team – Metropolitan Police explosive officers (or Expos as they’re known) – in which he plays new boss Commander John Francis, alongside star Vicky McClure. WHO caught up with him at home in the UK over Zoom.

Did you have to do any training for this role?

Not really because I’m not one of the bomb guys, so I didn’t have to do any of that. But my next door neighbour is from a police family so I chatted with her about what that means, what that entails, the relationships between different ranks, what it means to be a commander. There’s a rigour and an ego and a discipline involved [for my character]. But, no, I didn’t go out and shadow a team – even if that were possible. 

Have you met any of the actual team of Expos?