Threesome’s Amy Huberman talks famous mates and on-set shenanigans with sofeminine
After a spontaneous night of sex Alice becomes pregnant and the trio decide to have a baby with hysterical - but heart-warming - results...
Sofeminine grabbed the opportunity to chat with Irish actress Amy Huberman about the runaway success of the show, the shenanigans involved in shooting the second series and her upcoming part in pal Chris O’Dowd’s show Moone Boy.
Hi Amy! What attracted you to the role of Alice in Threesome?
Alice is a whole lot of fun. She’s mischievous and not afraid to break the rules now and again, so it’s a great part to play.
Do you identify with her?
Oh, definitely. Alice has a lot of elements I think ring true with my own personality in terms of how she deals with the strange events that happen on the show - it’s funny how Threesome really reflects the awkwardness of everyday life!
Saying that, I am yet to experience the unique situation she, Richie and Mitch share in Threesome.
Show creator Tom MacRae and your co-stars Stephen Wright and Emun Elliott are all the same age. Is it just like working with a bunch of mates?
Oh yeah, definitely, we all get on really well, we’re a really tight-knit group.
I wouldn’t say that we are exactly set-up the same as Alice, Mitch and Richie - there’s no hanky panky!
But we’re cracking jokes all the time and we did have a laugh filming the series.
This season there was a lot of shooting off-set so we got to take the shenanigans further afield too!
Do you have any Threesome behind-the-scenes gossip?!
Haha! I actually can’t think of any, or if I can and it’s gossip then I’ll be keeping it secret!
Has shooting the second series been very different from the first?
The filming has been different in that we’ve done a lot of shooting on location.
Obviously in the first series it was all set within the flat, so it was great to be able to stretch our legs further afield.
This series goes to all sorts of venues around London - in episode four Alice makes war with a security guard played by Bill Bailey and gets chased around Westfield shopping centre - which was hilarious to film!
In terms of the second series itself, we have been able to experiment more with the characters too.
Alice, Mitch and Richie have matured a bit in this series, and we’re all very comfortable within our roles so we can improvise with the dialogue a bit; especially as we’re all so familiar with each other now.
Is it challenging to film with a real-life baby?
Not really - the little girl who plays Lily is very good, she’s so well-behaved!
People just look at her and turn to goo, so on the rare occasion that she does cry unscripted, no-one really minds.
She’s very patient with us really!
How well do you think your character deals with parenthood?
Despite being a bit of a party girl in the first series, Alice has matured a bit and takes motherhood all in her stride - although still finding herself in a few sticky situations...
Obviously the pregnancy was a shock for her, Richie and Mitch but they have dealt with it admirably in their own unique way.
They all take it in turns to look after Lily, so Alice isn’t left holding the baby - in true Threesome style she still gets to have fun.
You’ve had some big name cameos this series haven’t you? Who was the most fun to film with?
Yes definitely, the big names are a reflection of how the series has matured and I think seen by a wider audience now - the talent are just lining up to jump on board!
Obviously filming alongside Robert Webb and Joe Thomas was fantastic. And Pauline McLynn is so talented - she is a real pleasure to be around on set.
Bill Bailey was just brilliant though. He’s such a comedic legend and it was great playing his nemesis...
Threesome is Comedy Central's first original UK scripted comedy - do you think there should be more effort to nurture and showcase home-grown talent rather than just relying on US comedy imports?
Absolutely, it is so important for television production companies in Britain to be supporting original comedies and ensuring they get to our screens.
British comedies have been popular across the world for a very long time and are a really great way to showcase home grown talent like Tom MacRae, Threesome’s BAFTA-nominated writer.
Have you always wanted to do comedy? Do you find it easier or harder than more dramatic roles?
I’ve had lots of dramatic roles in the past, so it would be nice to return to that every now and again.
I think I naturally gravitate towards comedic roles and in terms of auditions, that does seem to be the sorts of characters that I get paired with, but I wouldn’t rule out a period drama or two.
It would be interesting to do more costume pieces - who doesn’t love a bit of dress-up?
So you finally got rid of the pregnancy suit this year, but a little bird told us you're now expecting one in real life! Do you think being on the show has affected how you will approach motherhood?
I don’t think so really. We’re very far removed from reality on that show, especially as it’s a comedy so everything is heightened for comedic effect.
They make it look like great fun so it should be easy enough, right?!!
You’re also going to appear in the second series of Sky One’s Moone Boy with Chris O'Dowd - how did that come about?
I’ve known Chris for years, we’ve been friends since our days at University College Dublin and he came to me with a part he had in mind and I jumped at the chance.
He’s an incredibly talented actor and writer and I was proud to be a part of his show.
As well as acting, you’re also a published author - tell us a little about your novels.
My second novel, I Wished for You, has just been released. It tells the story of Grace, who has a series of meltdowns after her boyfriend proposes. It’s a tongue-in-cheek look at modern life and love.
I started the other one Hello, Heartbreak over ten years ago and I have gotten more confident now, more comfortable with my writing voice and learned a lot.
How do you fit in the time to write and act?
With difficulty! No, really it’s not a struggle at all.
The thing with filming is that it’s only ever a short, intensive stint, so I can fit in writing in those lulls in-between.
Writing is more of a passion than a chore anyway, so as long as there’s enough hours in the day it’s never a problem to pen down some thoughts!
You're married to rugby player Brian O'Driscoll - do your busy careers make it difficult to spend quality time together?
We’re both very busy, with my recent filming in Los Angeles and London plus Brian touring, but we manage fine really.
We’re both spending some time at home in Ireland now anyway.
Amy stars in Series 2 of Threesome, which airs on Comedy Central UK (Sky 112 & Virgin 132), Mondays at 9.30pm.
