The Thursday Murder Club: actor Dave Garlick on his role

Dave Garlick, of Clacton, appears as PC Taylor in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club, directed by American filmmaker Christopher Columbus.

The actor, writer, musician and freelance drama mentor to youngsters in Essex and Suffolk has worked in showbiz since his teenage years.

He's appeared in BBC shows such as 1983’s Walrus alongside Timmy Mallet, performed in the West End, Broadway, and even appeared in Coronation Street, and Game of Thrones.

Actor - Dave Garlick (Image: Patch Studio) The murder-mystery/comedy was co-produced by Steven Spielberg and alongside Dave, the cast includes actors such as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, Sir Ben Kinglsey, Naomi Ackie, Jonathan Pryce, and Daniel Mays.

Dave said: “It was quite out of the blue, when Spielberg starts calling your agent… these things are quite random.

“You come to realise there is no hard and fast way of getting jobs, having a decent agent helps.

"I had to read for two scenes at home (a self-tape) with my missus, my lucky charm obviously, then a recall where I met Chris Columbus. 

Undated film still handout from The Thursday Murder Club. (left to right) Celia Imrie, Helen Mirren, Naomi Ackie, Pierce Brosnan, and Sir Ben Kingsley (Image: Giles Keyte/Netflix) "Within a day or so I booked the job, costume, makeup, on set by the Monday, it was all a bit of a whirlwind. They had already started filming when I came into it.

"I’ve done a lot - worked on films before - but never done a feature of this level. I was bowled over.

“You spend your career doing what you love, when something like this comes up – it’s a bit of a pinch me moment.”

The former Londoner filmed his scenes across eight days in June, July, August and September last year.

Dave filmed his scenes at a “beautiful residential home” in Reading and a lot of interior scenes at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, which he says was a “great experience”.

After being cast, he went straight for a rehearsal for a big scene in the movie and was surprised to walk into the studio with all the cast there.

He said: “We were all on set, I was working in my first scene with Helen, Pierce, Ben, all of them, it was my very first scene.

“It was mad.

"You want to be professional, I did have a few chats with Helen and Jonathan, they’re both very down-to-earth.

“Jonathan Pryce, we were both in an episode of Game of Thrones, I said our paths had sort of crossed path before, but we had never met.

“Ben Kingsley, Naomi Ackie and Daniel Mays are all lovely.

On set - Daniel Mayes and Dave Garlick (Image: Dave Garlick) “Everyone seemed welcoming.”

Dave, who comes from a working-class background, said he felt “treated like a star”  with a car picking him up from Clacton every morning to take him to the studio.

He said: “One minute I’m working on mentoring young actors and next I’m thrusted into a Spielberg produced film.

“Overall, it was an absolute pleasure to do.”

Four decades into his career, he still loves what he does, particularly just being creative as he’s also a musician in a band called Longtooth which has released a record called First World Problems.

He's even got a  podcast called D K & Why? on all platforms.

Dave said: “I love entertaining, I believe I’m here to entertain and make people happy, I truly believe that.

“I feel I’m here to entertain and create.

“I get to do that and become different characters and work with some incredible people, it’s a joy.

“You can’t ask for better than that.”