Photo by: Storm Santos
We caught up with actor Robbie Tann who is known for playing Billy in HBO’s 2021 Emmy award-winning series Mare of Easttown alongside Kate Winslet, Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, and Evan Peters. Robbie can currently be seen in the sixth season of Netflix‘s anthology series Black Mirror, which premiered today, June 15, on the streaming platform. We will also soon see him on the big screen playing Shipley in the epic sci-fi action thriller The Creator opposite John David Washington set to hit theaters September 29.
We asked Robbie about his Black Mirror episode (episode 4, titled “Mazey Day”), the audition process for the series, as well as what we can expect from The Creator in September.
Check out our conversation below.
What can you tell us about your role in the new Black Mirror season?
Robbie Tann (RT): So essentially, the episode is about the lengths to which the paparazzi will go in order to “get the shot”. And the role I play, Whitty, is the embodiment of the worst kind of person who does that job. I always saw him as a self prescribed chaos artist, who’s goal was to instigate and capture. Someone who really believed he was a genuine fixture in the Hollywood culture. He’s the kind of person who terrifies me in real life. I have to say, the paparazzi culture has always been a bit disturbing to me so it was cool to get to work on something that shines a light on all of it so incisively.
What was the audition process like? Did you know you were initially auditioning for Black Mirror?
RT: I did know it was Black Mirror but that’s about all I knew. The audition process was really secretive. I had to sign an NDA just to send in a tape. I only received one scene from the show and nothing about the context. A lot of auditioning is a guessing game. You’re just hoping to get close to the tone and sense of the show that’s being made based on context clues like who the creatives involved are. Fortunately, I have been a huge Black Mirror fan since the beginning so I felt I had an ability to tap into the material, solely because I knew the show well. And I suppose I fortunately guessed correctly!
As an actor who is no stranger to TV, were there new learning experiences gained from shooting Black Mirror?
RT: Absolutely. There always is on every shoot but I think the challenge with Black Mirror was how much I revered the show before I worked on it. You sort of have to approach every gig with an attitude that “it doesn’t matter” even thought it clearly does. You have to find a kind of zen state. Because as soon as you start to get nervous it can really effect the dynamics of how you work. You can get really stiff. So this was a big learning experience for me, in how to work on something that I truly cared about so much, but had to fight off how much I really just wanted to be perfect.
We will also soon see you in the film The Creator which is coming to theaters in September. What can viewers expect from it?
RT: When we were on set it was often said it felt like an indie film but with a studio sized budget. It had the feel of something just made out of love and care. Gareth Edwards, the director, really made this thing by hand quite literally. I can’t say enough good things about him and I can’t wait for people to really understand just how much of an auteur this guy is. Ultimately, I think what people are going to see with this movie is something made with passion and heart.
You play Shipley opposite John David Washington. What was that experience like for you?
RT: It’s hard to put into words just how life-changing the whole experience was. We shot it all over Thailand and it was my first travel experience post covid. So imagine going from sitting on your couch to traversing this amazing country across the world. It was definitely challenging as well from a physical standpoint but from top to bottom, the cast and crew were just so lovely and that made it feel special. I knew John David from his previous works like Tenet and BlacKkKlansman but working with him I got to see a genuinely good guy. I also just admired how much he threw himself into the role and his work. It’s refreshing to be around someone who just attacks their craft in a very earnest way. I’m definitely a big fan!
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Season 6 of Black Mirror is streaming on Netflix.
Follow Robbie Tann: Instagram