Wasted: Danny Kirrane reveals what it was like working alongside Sean Bean on the new Channel Four series

The actor tells The Independent how he bonded with Bean over his Yorkshire roots

The series follows the down-right ludicrous and always hilarious adventures which the reprobates get up to (Wasted / Channel Four)

Wasted will feel nostalgic to anyone who grew up in the 90s or anyone who has ever sat around in the countryside twiddling their thumbs. The new Channel Four comedy, which centres around four friends who pass their time getting drunk and getting up to no good in a West Country village, starts tonight.

Wasted also features Sean Bean who plays himself in full medieval costume. It is written by triple BAFTA award-winning pair James Lamont and Jon Foster.

The Independent caught up with Danny Kirrane who plays the lead role of Morpheus. The actor, who has appeared on everything from Skins to New Blood, is also set to appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film.

For the record, Morpheus is a serial fantasist who runs a bong shop with his neurotic sister Sarah, played by Rose Reynolds. Bean plays the role of his spirit guide and helps him tackle the tumultuous path from teenagedom to adulthood.

Do you feel like Wasted has the potential to do well?

Yes I think so. It’s very different to anything I’ve seen before. There’s quite an energy to it and visually it’s very different. All the characters are quite likeable and you feel for them all in different ways. Especially Morpheus: he’s quite endearing because we’ve all been a virgin at some point and we’ve all been in love with someone when you don’t know how to say it or they don’t love you back. I think everybody’s had a bit of that in their life so I think you feel for him because of that.

I think the characters are fun and in your face. With all this Brexit talk going on, they’re uplifting. It’s escapism.

Will it be particularly nostalgic for children who have grown up in the countryside in the 90s?

Definitely. There are obviously a lot of 90s references in there. The two writers, James and John, grew up in the West Country in the 90s and you can definitely get that through the script.

There’s also that weird thing in the West Country, having worked there before, where they are on a different plane and people talk about lay lines and spirits and pagans. I think all that feeds into the show.

Did you enjoy playing your role?

Yes it was fantastic. It was such a joy. When I was sent the scripts through and read them, I was laughing my head off. I said to my agent ‘I’ve really got to do this'. It's such an interesting part. He’s a great character. He’s juicy.

What was it like working with Sean Bean?

It was wicked. He was so brilliant and hilarious. Just in the flesh doing those lines playing himself, kind of taking the piss out of himself. We were laughing a lot. He’s just so chilled and because I’m from Yorkshire originally, I feel like I’ve known him years.

I remember my mum watching Sharpe. She still calls him Sharpe. She’s like ‘what was it like with Sharpe? Can I meet Sharpe?’ and I’m like ‘No he’s not called Sharpe and you’re not meeting him’. I felt like I knew him and his voice sounds like my dad.


 (Wasted / Channel Four)
 (Channel Four)

The series has been described as the stupid things you get up to when there's nothing much to do - would you say that's accurate?

Yes, if you’ve got your three mates with you and you’ve got nothing to do you get into these sticky situations. In one episode they go to a sex party and that’s mental - I’d never go to a sex party but I suppose if I didn’t have anything to do for a month I might go to a sex party.

How did you find working with Johnny Depp in the forthcoming Pirates of the Caribbean film?

I played one of his pirates in his crew, a pirate called Bollard, whose quite a hard pirate, quite strong. The film was just like being a kid. It was like being six years old because you’re running around with a sword and a gun and fighting like mad ghost pirates.

He [Depp] was really friendly. I got on with him really well and because he’s done that role for four films now he was amazing. He helped everyone else in the scenes and lifted them. It felt like I was learning a lot watching him because he’s so brilliant at improvising.

Wasted airs on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.