Garth Maunders talking to Ex Cathedra Movie.co.uk

How did you find out about Ex Cathedra? Browsing acting websites that i'm a member of I saw an intriguing and slightly complex layout of a story about a prophet called Corban for a film company up in York not far from Manchester where I was based. My brother had been getting on my case to "go out and make things happen for myself" rather than wait for my agent to get auditions for me. So i applied. I initially applied for the role of Corban as he seemed the one that was being promoted and advertised, but later when a full character list and plot line was sent to me (along with a questionaire including why I thought i was suitable which was very thorough and new to me) I changed my mind and thought Kevin would be a really challenging and interesting role with a great character ark to follow and develop.   What is your first memory of production? I guess it would be my very first audition...if that counts as production? I remember getting lost in YorkUniversity campus, arriving late to the audition and then the audition which consisted of me telling The Director "Liam" how i saw Kevin as integral to the plot and the most interesting character...even though he wasn't a Prophet or a drug dealer like the others. I think Liam must have realised i had a similar passion to himself as we really went into depth about it. He said that Kevin was the one character other actors hadn't considered as very interesting.   What was your favourite moment on set? Haha, too many good memories to pick a favourite. I was filming for most of the two months and i really bonded with the cast and crew. We had a lot of good times. Everyone spending the night on a cliff top overlooking the sea was special though. The amount of outtakes there are shows the fun we had working together.   What experience did you have before this project? To be honest, not much. I'd left drama school 18 months earlier and had done a couple of music videos, a few days on Emmerdale, a lot of short films and a feature film earlier in the year. I had also done two plays in Edinburgh fringe and a viral campaign but nothing that was so involved and over an extended period of time.   Who did you enjoy most working with the most out of the cast and crew? I was lucky enough to get on with everybody. Everyone was very focused on doing a good job and helping each other which made the whole experience a real pleasure for me. I'm still in contact with all the actors and most of the crew. I remember one night at Kate's mothers house (she was fantastic too) where I was filming on my own and the whole crew shredded me and mocked me constantly. That was great as it made me feel bonded with them and told me that we had built a connection and trusted each other. Also, a special shout goes out to Phil the Landlord as he really looked after us and made us feel at home.   What attracted you to the character, did you feel a connection to the character by the end of the shoot? Kevin...He's the nerd who can't do anything with confidence and yet has real dignity, honor and modesty. He wants to do the right thing by people. He tries to help others and is willing to sacrifice anything of himself for them. He's a good guy who gets walked over. His understated friendship with Bill and in the end Corban and Alexis shows us that once people get to know him they really like him. He has a way of opening people up to seeing the world in a better way by simply being himself.    Will anything from this project stay with you for future parts? That depends on the future parts and if i can use what i've done with Kevin. Ex Cathedra was a great learning curve for me and I learnt many things mainly because of my trust in Liam and the freedom he gave me to try things out. It made for a better more rounded character. He allowed me to have a lot of input in Kevin's scenes and really gave me the character to take home and develop as my own. Belief in yourself and having a good understanding with the director is vital if you want to do your best work.   Do you think low budget independent films can compare to Hollywood? They can compare and even be better in some ways, not all. For example with world wide release, marketing, promotion, pulling in named actors, budget for set, costumes and filming timescales they will always suffer. But in other ways such as trying new, fresh ideas and story lines that really grip you and make you think, along with unearthing new acting talent, not to mention Directors Producers DOP's etc, they can. Personally I would always watch a film that is created for the love of it and not simply churned out as a money making exercise.