Carl Wharton, a British actor and director with over 40 years of experience, has made an indelible mark on the entertainment world through his versatility and dedication. From theatre to cinema, voice acting, and directing, Wharton has brought to life memorable roles that showcase his extraordinary emotional depth and physicality.
In this exclusive interview, Carl shares the highlights of his career, the projects that defined it, and the values that inspire him, offering an authentic perspective on the craft of acting. From his passion for theatre to his international experiences on the big screen and his dreams for the future, Wharton provides valuable lessons and advice for the next generation of artists.
A captivating journey through the challenges and successes of an actor who has turned his talent into a timeless vocation.
- Early Career and Inspiration
- Can you tell us how your passion for acting started? Was there a particular moment or experience that inspired you to pursue this career?
I can remember wanting to be an actor from the age of 11. In school we would have one drama lesson per week, which basically consisted of pupils just reading out loud from a play. Everyone would just speak in a monotone voice which made the lesson very boring. I can always remember that I wanted to use expression and even character voices, but I was too shy to try.
Once it was time to graduate from school there was a list of careers that the teachers would try to encourage you to go into, but sadly Acting was not on the list. I left school and eventually trained as a Joiner/Carpenter.
My heart still wanted to be an actor and at the age of 18, I decided to join the local amateur theatre groups to perform in dramas and musicals.
It solidified that my whole being was meant to be in the Arts, especially theatre. This was an innate feeling that has never gone away.
At the age of 20, I began to take private drama and elocution lessons, where I progressed through various drama examinations. A year later, I left my job and enrolled at the Liverpool Theatre School and College in drama and dance.
I stayed on an extra year, 4 years in total and gained as much knowledge as I possible could.
- Your career spans over 40 years in film, television, theater, and voiceover work. Looking back, what do you consider to be the turning point in your career?
I guess there have been many turning points. Making that decision to join the amateur dramatics, taking private lessons, leaving my job, enrolling into drama school.
One of the biggest turning points was moving from theatre to film acting.
When I graduated from drama school, I suddenly became a small fish in a big ocean. It was a shock to the system after 4 years of security of the performance levels hit whilst at drama school.
I quickly learnt that REJECTION in this business is something that you must deal with and to try not to take it personally. If you do take it personally, then eventually one will drown.
For the first 26 years of my professional career after graduation, I performed in Theatre, Musicals, Theatre in Education and even set up my own touring Company to gain my British Equity Union Membership.
My goal was to perform on stage as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, so my mind set for film was non-existent. Theatre for me was the true essence of being an actor. I perceived film as too easy at that time. If a mistake was made, they could just cut it and do several retakes, whereas with theatre, if a mistake occurred, then one had to overcome it there and then.
Over the early years, I did do the odd tv and film role, but I always thought that theatre would be where I remained.
Then in about 2011, I was in London attending an audition, when I received a telephone call from producer called Hannah North.
She explained that Inglenook Productions where producing a film called Self Same Sky, which was a modern adaption of Henry iv Part two and that they would like me to audition for the Father character Henry.
So suddenly, I am presented with a modern adaption of Shakespeare, but also with the opportunity to work with two talented, inspiring directors, William Forster and Michael Mannion.
On being cast for the role and having the time to discuss and delve into the character of Henry, I felt something new awaken inside me.
Reaching, emotional depths with this character was the biggest turning point in my career so far.
That day, I felt that I had arrived home, doing less was more. It felt like after 26 years in theatre this was the first time I truly connected with a character on every level. It was where I belonged.
That day, I decided to no longer do theatre, but to work in film and television and apart from a couple of theatre roles since, that has been my career progress up to the present.
- As an actor, what was the biggest challenge you faced at the beginning of your journey?
I mentioned above, suddenly feeling like a small fish in a big ocean was very daunting. To be faced with the insecurity of not finding work.
I was very stubborn when first graduating and I was not prepared to accept that I may need to find other work, when RESTING. I was not prepared to accept that being a jobbing actor was not a sin or a selling out of my soul.
It took me many years to come to terms with being a jobbing actor.
Now, if I have to do a Joinery job whilst I’m resting, I have learnt to use every experience as an opportunity to absorb situations that can be kept in my actor’s memory box for future use with personality traits of future characters and projects.
- Acting Style and Creative Process
- Your performances have been praised for their emotional depth and physicality. How do you prepare for a new role?
Each project and character come with their own parameters. These are things like, preparation time given before filming. How far in advance you receive the script etc, denotes on the various levels of backstory one can achieve.
Reading the script through several times would be the first option, although some projects don’t always supply a full script, so the information can be very sparse.
In situations like that, where perhaps ones character only appears in a short or few scenes, then one must learn to make choices.
These choices are decided upon, by scrutinizing the sections of script that you do have and drawing information about your characters personality from it. How are they reacting to other characters and situations, what are they saying and not saying.
It’s always wonderful when there is a full script, perhaps some backstory given from the writer or director and of course time to delve into a character’s persona.
For instance, as I previously mentioned portraying the character of Henry In Self Same Sky, was one of those opportunities.
With Henry’s emotional journey and arc, I would relate the level of emotion that he was experiencing in a particular situation in the story line, with a similar emotional memory that I had experienced in my life’s journey.
This is known as Emotional or Affective Memory. Through empathy, the actor lives the character rather than simply reciting it.
This method works for me, as the performance is based on real emotions from within and the outward response is natural.
Obviously, as mentioned above, there are varying levels that can be reached, depending on each project and information supplied.
- Do you have a specific method or process you follow to get into character?
I guess my preparation could be classed as falling into Stanislavski/ Method, although I have not studied either.
I use methods that work for me, that I have evolved into over the years of experience.
- How do you balance the emotional and physical demands of your roles?
Personally, I feel that the emotional demands are harder to shake off, although as with all emotion, it is naturally connected to the physical.
For Instance, I recently portrayed the antagonist Bandit Nistrol in The Last Redemption, filmed in Sicily. I was just recovering from having Covid and on my last day, needed to do several physical sword fighting scenes. Feeling as weak as a kitten with a dizzy head, I had no option but to reach deep inside myself on the call of action to perform with agility and gusto.
The scenes where and I was delighted when the director John Real announced that he was so pleased with the footage and performance.
At the announcement of every CUT, I felt like my body just wanted to drop to the floor in exhaustion, but as a professional, the show must go on.
So, in that case, it was how to use my own exhaustion and pain, to bring depth to Nistrol during those scenes. It was a case of balancing the physical weakness but being emotionally strong.
- Key Roles and Collaborations
- You played the role of Nistrol, the antagonist in The Last Redemption, alongside James Cosmo and Kevin Sorbo. How did you approach this character, and what was the most memorable part of this experience?
As I have worked with the director John Real and most of his production team before, it is always a comfortable experience, as they feel much like family.
Having the script in plenty of time was a treat, so I used the techniques I mentioned earlier for developing a back story.
Nistrol, could be portrayed simply as a bad guy, but as with all villain’s, they too have rationale of why they make choices, even if those choices may appear wrong to other characters.
To portray Nistrol, I needed to find that level of emotion within him, that came from a place of belief. The belief that his choices were correct for him.
The fact that The Last Redemption is a Medieval film is always a winner in my book.
Being back in Sicily, working again with John and Adriana, being cast in such a great role with such a great cast and of course having the opportunity to wear those costumes all stand out as a memorable experience.
- Your role as Jack Pendle in Wrath of the Crows is considered one of your standout performances. Can you share any behind-the-scenes moments or anecdotes from this production?
- You have collaborated with directors like Ivan Zuccon and John Real. How do you adapt your approach when working with different directors?
Portraying the grave digger/Executioner in Wrath of the Crows/Princess of Dark, was my second film in Italy and my first time to work with Director Ivan Zuccon.
The character had only a few words, but when he spoke, it was for a reason. His physicality and silence were his dominant features.
The set and lighting really helped me to ground this character, and it was fun to portray a character who really didn’t have any boundaries of decency or emotion.
As a lot of my work is international, I find myself having to adapt to not only each director’s style of working, but also to cultural and language differences.
Most of the projects that I have been involved in, tend to have a translator to pass on the directional notes, but sometimes things do get lost in translation and one has to be prepared and confident to raise questions or to ask for clarification.
I have found that having this self-assurance also creates reassurance in the Directors mind that you are the right choice for the role.
Everything must be done in a professional manner with a professional attitude.
- Versatility in Roles and Genres
- You have experience in multiple genres, from horror to medieval action films. Which genre do you feel most comfortable in, and which one challenges you the most?
- Do you have a dream role or a specific type of character you would like to play in the future?
- You’ve worked in international productions. How does acting in a foreign production differ from working on local sets?
The Medieval genre is always very satisfying to perform in, especially if the story has depth and is not just after reactions from an audience through action scenes.
The same can be said for horror. If there is a good story line, with fully developed characters, then it’s a rewarding experience because of the opportunity to create a backstory and character arc.
If the storyline is weak, with the emphasis placed on the more blood and gore the better, then this become more of a challenge to lose oneself in the production.
For the future, I would be grateful to be deeply involved in a Sci Fi production, either film or television. Recently there have been such epic Sci Fi type projects being produced worldwide and I’m ready to step into that genre.
My career has taken me into many international productions and I cherish my memories and experiences from them all.
Working in a different Country with strong customs and styles of production, can at first be a bit of a shell shock situation.
I guess the more one does, then more one learns to adapt to those directional and production styles, but one must still have the integrity to speak up with their questions, if not feeling at peace.
Certain projects close to home have proved far more difficult to balance than those in international realms, but I won’t delve any deeper into that.
- Voice Acting and Directing
- As a voice actor, how do you prepare for voiceover roles compared to on-screen acting?
- Have you ever found voiceover work more challenging than acting on set? If so, why?
- You’ve also worked as a director. How has directing influenced your approach to acting?
I guess creating a character for voice acting has similar steps at first. Delving into the script and the dialogue , allows one to take the building blocks, the foundation so to speak from where the character and their voice will evolve.
What’s the plot, what’s the arc of the characters in that plot, what’s their motivations and aims? Is the character human, animation, a creature, a narrator and so on.
Some voice projects may supply one with a sketch of how they visualise that character and also give direction for intonation, emotion etc.
In these cases, that information exceeds what may be given for a character in a film project, so it is always a bonus. However, there are lots of voice projects that allow one to self-direct and in this case, variations are always sent over to production, so that they have options to choose from.
Being on a set, one is always surrounded by cast and crew, but if doing voice work from a home studio, then one must be self-motivating and critical to present quality finished results.
Whether acting in theatre, film, television or voice over, one must take on so much more than just being an actor. You are taking on so many roles to run one’s own business.
One must learn how to promote one’s talents to producers, directors, casting directors and given them solid examples of one’s previous work.
For many years, before moving into film, I focused on theatre work. Writing, Producing, Directing and performing.
In retrospect, as a perfectionist, I would say that sometimes I was far too restrictive as a director then. I knew what I wanted, how I expected it to be done, or how I would do it and that closed mind set, often took the fun aspect out of the rehearsal time.
I have also been on the other side of that situation as an actor, working with a domineering director and struggled to develop my character fully due to it.
I guess they say, with age, comes wisdom.
I like to believe, that now I am more about the creativity aspect of a directional piece, which develops with the consultation and thoughts of director and actors together.
- Advice and Reflections
- What advice would you give to aspiring actors who want to build a long-lasting career like yours?
- After so many years in the industry, what continues to motivate and inspire you as an actor?
- If you could give your younger self one piece of advice at the start of your career, what would it be?
It would be wonderful to be able to give advice that would set any aspiring actor in the right direction to become successful. I suggest that the first question they should ask themselves is, what is their definition of SUCCESS?
Being an A lister is a noble goal, but is it the true meaning of success, even A listers have periods of Resting!
There are no shortcuts, but there is a lot of luck. Being in the right place, at the right time etc.
Accept all the processes of being an actor, self-management, self-promotion, self- development, always learning and setting goals.
Keep one’s creativity and talents honed and even create one’s own work and projects.
If you need to be a jobbing actor, then accept it and take and use all these experiences onboard to be placed into one’s creative toolbox.
Life’s experiences can be used to develop future characters in your work.
Being an actor/ Creative is a part of me, my personality, my life. I often say, being an actor for me is innate. The passion and pain of being an actor is likened to the blood in my veins. It is me and can’t just be turned off and on. It’s deeper than just an ambition or a goal. It just is!
With everything in life, it takes hard work, it takes setting goals and plans and continuous self-motivation, especially with so much rejection on a daily basis.
Develop a system to turn rejections into opportunities. Learn new skills. Try to push oneself beyond ones perceived limits. Don’t stagnate. Get back up and move forward.
If I could give my younger self any advice, it would be, that being a jobbing actor is not selling one’s soul or failure.
Try not to be a perfectionist, to the point that it gets in the way of creativity.
Perhaps I would also have advised myself to move into film acting a lot sooner than I did, but then would I have had the qualities that I needed at an earlier time in my development. There is no point in wasting time on, what if!
- Future Projects and Goals
- Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or roles you’re currently working on?
- Do you have plans to return to directing, or are you focused solely on acting for now?
- Where do you see your career heading in the next few years, and what goals are you working toward?
I’m currently waiting for filming to begin again on a film project called The India House. I have already had some of my scenes shot in India, but the rest will be in London. I have a few other projects awaiting shooting schedules, so I’m expecting 2025 to be a busy year.
I am also taking small slow steps to get The Retribution, my own screenplay produced. I originally wrote it as a musical drama for stage, loosely based on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I managed to produce, direct and perform it on stage a couple of times over 30 years ago, before it rested on the shelf, but during lockdown, I decided to adapt it to screen. It is written in a type of old English, so it has a certain pulse to its flow. If there are any interested producers out there that want to tackle something different, then feel free to make contact!
At the present, I am stepping into directing a short horror film, The Devil Comes Twice, written by a fabulous writer Simon O’Corra. I will be working with a small team of professionals, who are all very passionate about the project and we are aiming for more a psychological horror, than blood and guts.
I also have a couple of voice acting projects lined up, that I will be recording in my home studio, that I built during Lockdown.
For 2025, I am pushing my career forward with the support of my agent www.atiusmanagement.com to do more television work, especially the weekly soaps, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Eastenders and so on, although I will still continue with all my other ventures.
- Fun and Personal Questions
- If you could work with any actor or director, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
- What’s one role or scene you’ve done that holds a special place in your heart?
- If you weren’t an actor, what other profession would you have pursued?
There are so many actors and directors out there that I would like to work with in the future.
Daniel Day Lewis both as an actor and director because of the depth he goes to for each project. Arnold Schwarzenegger, because of his tenacity and goal setting, plus he cares about the wider world.
One of my favourite scenes, that will stick with me always, is from the film Self Same Sky, where I portrayed Henry. I mentioned this project earlier, as being the one that turned my career from theatre to film.
The scene was a very emotional scene, where Henry had to ask his son to leave his house for ever. The tears flowed and the heart strings really tugged for myself and Marc Ralph, who portray Hal my son.
As a jobbing actor, I have always worked in other types of work.
I am a Joiner/Carpenter, a fitness teacher and have also worked the vast majority of my younger years alongside my acting as a gym instructor.
I have always been self employed and have had the freedom to always work in creative jobs.
- Final Words for the Audience
I’m not a person who tends to chat about politics at any level, but as a father, husband, grandfather, I do worry what the future holds for us all.
Whilst times seem to be becoming more difficult, I believe in the beauty and light of the human soul, so as long as there are those out there sharing love and compassion, then we can still have a enlightened future.
I would like to see more projects being produced that can share a positive message, rather than all these, brutal films being greenlit.
I hope that your readers enjoy the thoughts and experiences I have shared with you and thank you all for your continued support and love.
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