SPOTLIGHT: Mr Thomas Law
Model, musician and actor Thomas Law is a man of many talents. Rising to fame, Law first appeared on screens in the prime time favourite, Eastenders where he played the role of Peter Beale from 2006 to 2010. After The World’s End with Rosamund Pike and Simon Pegg, he is now a lead in ITV’s The Bay.
On top of that Thomas is also a successful musician, the front man was the of a rock band, East Arbour-19 and is now a successful solo artist.
Tell us about the character that you play in The Bay
The character I play is D.C. Eddie Martin. He is one of the younger officers in the station. He understands his role in the station very well -do all you can to help!
What was it about the show that made you want to work on this project?
Based on the release of the first series, the show managed to get a really good name for itself. So I already knew about The Bay when auditioning for the role. Plus who doesn’t want to be a part of a crime drama/murder mystery… I certainly did. With each audition I met for I realised it was an opportunity to build on my acting credits, which I was really excited to try and do. It’s a nice opportunity to experience a different role, which I’m always aiming for.
Without giving too much away, did you have to do anything to prep for the role?
I wasn’t instructed to prepare anything in particular other than working on speaking with a slight accent. I did obviously watch the first series for reference, which was brilliant. It gave me all the more reason to want to join the cast.
What are your memories of EastEnders?
Well, I’m not exaggerating when I say that most of the memories I have from my early life are either being on the set of the show or because of EastEnders. I was fortunate that it gave myself and my family plenty of good times. My very first walk on to the set with Adam Woodyatt (who plays Ian Beale) was certainly memorable - they almost tricked me into filming it for my first scene but just rolling the cameras. Thinking back on it now, it was pretty smart of them to ease me in that way - it definitely took the fear away from me. I have only good memories about my first day on set thanks to them. I also remember working on the live episode so clearly. The buzz around set was quite intense and you could relate it to being in the wings of a stage production. Organised chaos at its finest.
How did you handle acting in such a high profile show at such a young age?
I think I was probably that little bit too young to fully appreciate the scale of it all at the time. It’s quite surreal thinking back on it but it was handled pretty well by my parents. They must have found it incredibly weird. But since I was only 12 or so, I just enjoyed it. I can’t imagine that I acted any differently to any of my school mates or football friends growing up. I still have the same friends I had when I was four or five years old so I have them and my family to keep me from doing anything they wouldn’t.
What are you working on next?
I begin working on a project again in March but I can’t say too much about it just yet apart from I’m really looking froward to it. Other than that, I have another song coming to Spotify and all other music platforms very soon. I have made it a personal aim to release some of my own songs this year. I have the tendency to want to go onto Instagram live and play a few of them from time to time, but I‘m always advised against it until they are fully ready. I would just love to share my own songs and hear what people think. I work hard at creating songs and I enjoy creating them a lot, but it’s hard work. I’m so aware that you can’t fake your way through the music industry – I’m basing that on the artists who I like. They are very original, very authentic, but most of all they are very talented and have clearly mastered their art. I admire that a whole lot.
And finally, what makes a rakish gent?
Someone who is fearless in their choices.
Quick fire questions
Ideal travel destination – Cape Town, SA
Best store in the world - The Guitar centre in Los Angeles is up there, Hamley’s Toy store and the Leicester City mega store.
Gadget of choice – My laptop
Go to pair of shoes - Well we’ve been locked in our homes for some time now so I’ve gotten pretty comfy walking around in my Adidas sliders! Or my Blundstone boots as we’ve been walking a lot.
Brand/ designer of choice - I am a little ashamed to say that I’m a person of simple needs. I wear plain T-shirts with either jeans or DOCKERS chinos. I have a couple of jackets from Zara and a couple other Levis jackets which I love.
Favourite fragrance - I have two favourite, Emporio Armani YOU and Giorgio Armani Prive Oud Royal
Essential grooming product - Aveeno Daily Moisturiser - My mum swears by it!
Recommended app - Mario Kart Tour… hours of fun playing against my friends.
Icon - Paolo Nutini, Eddie Vedder and Jamie Vardy
See Thomas in ITV’s The Bay on Wednesdays at 9pm or at the ITV Hub.