Toby Jones recalls hilarious first phone call with Alan Bates

(Image credit: PBS)

Toby Jones, like most actors playing a real person, wanted to get a feel for former sub-postmaster and campaigner Alan Bates before playing him in Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

So, the 57-year-old star decided to ring Alan before making the ITV drama, which has specularly raised awareness of the huge scandal that saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted.

However, Toby reveals that in their first conversation, Alan expressed the view he couldn't be of much help, leaving the bewildered actor wondering quite how he would play him!

Speaking at the Hay Festival, Toby said: "Alan is an extraordinary human being who has done something quite extraordinary and he's a totally unbiddable person. He's not impressed by the kinds of things other people are...

"So I rang up Alan and said Toby Jones here and [he replied]: 'Yes, yes, going to be playing me. I don't know what you want to know I'm not a character."

Laughing Toby, adds: "So we quite quickly got into a deep philosophical area about what constitutes character!"

The Mr Bates Vs The Post Office key art featuring Alan (Toby Jones) and several of Sub Postmasters from the series — (Image credit: ITV)

So, Toby tried again, saying he needed to know how Alan reacted as the stakes grew as the sub-postmasters fought for justice. But that didn't work either, with Alan replying: "I just don’t feel emotions, I don't have concerns in that area."

Hitting a brick wall with Alan, Toby then sought help on how to play him from someone who knew him well, ex-Conservative MP (now Lord) James Arbuthnot, who was played by Alex Jennings in the drama and was heavily involved in the campaign for justice.

Toby explained to James that he'd been trying to talk to Alan about himself but getting nowhere. Toby recalls James replied: "It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Alan's dogged, determined, unbiddable."

Toby then asked James if Alan was a "bit of a pain in the neck" constantly phoning up to which James replied: "Every minute that I spend with Alan Bates is an improvement of my life".

Toby, who also watched YouTube footage of Alan, said that ultimately he was led by the drama of the story and managed to "soften" Alan up enough to talk to him so more. Toby did such a great job of playing Alan the show has been watched by millions.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to watch now on ITVX. For more great ITV shows to watch check out our best ITV dramas guide.

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough.

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

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