Callum Woodhouse on making his debut in All Creatures Great and Small as cheeky vet Tristan
As The Durrells’ Leslie, Callum Woodhouse was surrounded by animals on Corfu. Now, he’s among furry and feathered friends again, this time in Yorkshire, in new period drama All Creatures Great and Small as laidback vet Tristan Farnon, the charming younger brother of grouchy vet Siegfried (Samuel West).
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Here, Callum Woodhouse tells us more about his role as Tristan in All Creatures Great and Small…
What’s your take on Tristan (who arrives in the second episode)?
Callum Woodhouse: “It's nice playing Tristan because he's such a carefree, optimistic character and I get home happy and feeling good. When they lost their father, Siegfried took over that role with Tristan. But Tristan is constantly letting Siegfried down and disappointing him. It seems like water off a duck's back with Tristan but it does play on his mind.”
MORE: How to watch All Creatures Great and Small online anywhere in the world
How do the animals in All Creatures Great and Small compare to the ones on The Durrells?
CW: “I feel well versed with animals! Our producer said at the very start, ‘We want this show to be the benchmark for how you treat animals in television shows.’ They have been great. The ones on The Durrells like the pelicans were much more aggressive. They freak you out more than a cow. But the dogs are my favourite co-stars!”
Peter Davison had some amazing outfits when he played Tristan in the original series. How have you found Tristan’s style?
CW: “On Pinterest, someone had done an entire page on all of Tristan’s tank tops. I wondered if I’d get some decent knitwear too! By my look is based on a photo of our makeup artist’s grandad in the 1930s where he is looking very cool on the beach with this big quiff!”
Have you enjoyed working opposite Samuel?
CW: “Oh he is incredible. I've watched him for years and was so excited when I realised that I would be getting to do scenes with him and I was absolutely not disappointed. He's just so funny and a joy to work with.”
And have you bonded with Nicholas Ralph who plays James Herriot?
CW: “Absolutely. Peter Davison and Christopher Timothy [who played James in the original series] now do Great British Car Journeys together on C4. And Nicholas and I want our own version now. We want a bit of that!”
All Creatures Great and Small continues on Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 5
