On this episode of Story & Craft, we sit down with actor Dimitri Leonidas, who is known for a number of projects, including his role as Hober Mallow in the Apple+ series, “Foundation”...as well as the new Roland Emmerich series, “Those About to Die” on Peacock, where he stars alongside Anthony Hopkins. Dimitri discusses his journey from child actor to his current projects, sharing personal stories about his Cypriot heritage, family, and experiences in various film and television projects. We also discuss his work in historical dramas, the intricacies of chariot racing training, and the impact of losing his mother at a young age. Dimitri also talks about his interests outside of acting, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu and photography. It was a fun chat…one I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
02:32 Dimitri's Background and Family
03:57 Acting Career Beginnings
05:48 Filming Foundation
16:14 Life as a Child Actor
21:12 Pursuing Acting as a Career
28:39 Travel and Filming Locations
31:18 Choosing the Right Horse for the Role
33:03 Training with Chariots
34:34 Reflecting on Roman Life
37:57 Food and Craft Services in Rome
39:38 Current and Future Projects
41:59 Creative Pursuits and Interests
Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Also, check out the show and sign up for the newsletter at www.storyandcraftpod.com
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#podcast #DimitriLeonidas #Actor #PeacockTV #Peacock #ThoseAboutToDie #Foundation #RolandEmmerich #AnthonyHopkins #Cypriot #Cyprus #Acting #actorslife #storyandcraft
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Dimitri Leonidas:
He called me and he said, uh, well, I'm, I'm short staff here.
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I need someone to come in and, you
know, help unload these containers.
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Can't you just tell him you nip over
for a bit and let me just check in
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with Apple, dad, if they don't mind
putting the whole shoot on hold.
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Announcer: Welcome to Story Craft.
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Now, here's your host, Marc Preston.
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Marc Preston: All right, here we
are, another episode of Story Craft.
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Glad to have you.
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Thank you so much for swinging back by.
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If this is your First episode, my
name is Marc Preston, glad to have you
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checking out the show for the first
time of what I hope will be many times.
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And of course I want to thank you.
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I really do appreciate folks coming
back by checking out the show.
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Appreciate the notes I receive and
it's just very cool to have you be a
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part of great chats kind of like today.
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Featuring the very talented
actor, Dimitri Leonidas.
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He's in the new series
called Those About to Die.
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It's a Roland Emmerich series on Peacock
with the very talented Anthony Hopkins.
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And Dimitri, you probably know him
from shows kind of like, uh, Foundation
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00:01:01,884 --> 00:01:04,114
on Apple plus he plays Hober Mallow.
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One of my favorite shows over the
last couple of years, uh, really
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enjoyed the chat with Dimitri.
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We covered his experience from
being a child actor all the
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way up to Those About to Die.
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Now do me a favor if you would don't
forget to please follow the show Whatever
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stars if you would a little review It
does help people find the show and if
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every time we have a new episode Roll
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out, uh, don't forget Go to story and
craft pod.com, everything you could
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possibly want to know about the show,
our guests, uh, even reach out to me.
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That is the best way to do it.
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Once again, story and craft pod.com.
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Alright, let's get after it.
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Uh, today, Dmitri Leon Day,
right here on Story and Craft.
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How are you doing today, Dmitri?
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Dimitri Leonidas: I'm great.
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I'm really well.
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Yeah.
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Thank you.
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How are you now?
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I'm doing wonderful.
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Marc Preston: Just so I know
how to say, is it Leonidas?
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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Ah, very good.
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Very good.
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Great.
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I mean, my dad always sort of
despairs because people say Leonidas.
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I think the film 300, um, had a big
influence on how people were saying it.
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And, uh, it was, uh, quite annoying to
him when we'd do interviews or something
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and he'd watch it and they'd say Leonidas.
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Um, and he was always like,
why don't you correct them?
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I thought I just, because it's certain
things you've got to just leave that.
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Um, but yeah, yeah.
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Leonidas.
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You're in the UK right now, correct?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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I'm in London.
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Yeah.
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And we've, we've just started our summer.
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It's been a really late one, but most
of June was shocking amounts of rain and
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gray sky, and, uh, it's finally broken.
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And now, you know, London is, is,
it's just the best when the sun's out.
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It's, uh.
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It transforms the city.
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Um, so yeah, great.
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It's, it's, it's really
nice here right now.
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Marc Preston: Now is your
family with Leonidas?
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I'm assuming it's a, it's a Greek descent.
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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Cypriot from, from, uh, from Cyprus.
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My dad was, was born in Cyprus and
he moved to London when he was young,
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you know, four or five years old, his,
his parents moved over here, um, with
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his, you know, brothers and sisters.
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His parents eventually moved back.
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They've both passed away now, but,
um, they moved back to Cyprus,
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uh, you know, after they retired.
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And, um, and him and his
brothers and sisters all stayed
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here and raised families here.
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So, uh, yeah, yeah.
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Cypriot heritage.
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And then I sometimes wonder why, you
know, cause Cyprus is like a paradise.
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And I think, why did you come here?
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We, you could be on the beach, but,
uh, you know, London is a lot more
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opportunities, especially when he
moved in, in the seventies, you know,
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Marc Preston: what kind of work did,
uh, what, what was his vocation?
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Dimitri Leonidas: So, uh, when he was a
younger man, my dad was an electrician.
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Um, and he then went
into, uh, fruit and veg.
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He was, he was a green grocer and
then more wholesale fruit and veg.
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So he was sort of delivering,
um, fresh fruit and vegetables
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to restaurants around London.
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And that grew a little more into
disposable goods, serviettes, you
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know, plates, cups, um, soft drinks.
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And, uh, and that is his
little sort of empire.
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He's still, he's still working.
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He's got a warehouse in, in Wembley,
sort of the industrial park in Wembley.
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And, uh, sometimes when I'm,
you know, if I'm not working,
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I'll go and give him a hand.
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He'll, he'll give me a sort of
call on a random, you know, day in
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the week and, and, uh, asked me to
go and help unload some shipping
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containers or something that's come in.
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So
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Marc Preston: you, so you're
basically discount labor for him.
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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I mean, the funniest, the funniest
one was I was in Ireland filming
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foundation and, uh, He called me
and he said, uh, where are you?
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Where are you?
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I said, I'm, I'm in, I'm in
Ireland that I'm, I'm filming.
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And he, he was like, Oh, I said,
why is everything all right?
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Well, I, well, I'm, I'm short staff here.
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I need someone to come in and,
you know, help unload these
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containers on Monday and Tuesday.
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I said, well, I'm, I can't.
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I'm in Ireland, dad.
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Can't you just tell him you nip over
for a bit and let me just check in with
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Apple dad if they don't mind putting the
whole shoot on hold for a few days so I
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can go and unload the container for you.
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Um, all right, well, don't worry about it.
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And then, you know, you know,
we, uh, we got off the phone,
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but no, he's, he's funny.
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You know, he's funny.
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Did
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Marc Preston: they shoot all of the
foundation in Ireland or just the,
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the, uh, the parts you were in?
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Dimitri Leonidas: It was actually
just two weeks in Ireland and
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then, um, two weeks in Ireland.
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And then, uh, we were in Tenerife
for, I think, five or six weeks.
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Um, and then we sort of bounced around
the other Canary Islands, Port Aventura.
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And, um, like America, I had no idea they
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Marc Preston: had such a, uh,
well, I can make a somewhat exotic
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location, you know, shooting.
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It's not like they were in Atlanta,
Georgia or something, or there, you know,
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when you got that project, did you kind
of like go, well, what exactly is this?
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You know, it's based off a book, right?
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The, uh, Asimov, Isaac Asimov.
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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Yeah.
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I mean, I was aware, aware of the book.
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I I'd read some of those
sort of sixties sci fi.
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Um, books in the past,
you know, like Philip K.
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Bick and, um, some Ray Bradbury.
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And, and I was into that stuff.
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I'd never really read any Asimov.
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Um, so I did read the foundation series
in preparation for this, for the show.
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And was.
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Totally blown away by them.
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I mean, the story is that Elon
Musk, you know, when he sent that
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Tesla into space, I think there's
still a Tesla orbiting earth.
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He put a copy of foundation
in the glove box.
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Marc Preston: Really?
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I didn't know that.
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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So there's a copy of foundation
floating in space, which is kind of
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apt given the nature of the show.
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Um, and Asimov was, was, I think
he had done a ton of research
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into the Roman empire and the
collapse of the Roman empire.
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And then.
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Writes a show that is like the
Roman Empire, but in spikes.
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It's the collapse of a,
of a, of a civilization.
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Um, and he pulls a lot of the stories
from how the Roman Empire fell, you
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know, it begins at the sort of the
peripheries and, and, and equally
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something going wrong in the center.
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And, um, and he just mounts
it as a giant space drama.
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Um,
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Marc Preston: you're right.
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That does have a lot of, uh, Roman
empire ask, you know, uh, yeah, you
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know, that's supposed to be a theme that
you're kind of sticking with, I guess.
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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I mean, you know, to go and do sort
of Roman empire in space and then do
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the act of Roman empire was like a
sort of Twin, twin stories in a way.
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Marc Preston: Foundation.
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Uh, I didn't know what to expect.
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It's one of those shows I
watched the first episode.
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I was like, I don't really know how
to get my head around this just yet.
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But the more I got into it, it was
just really, you know, enjoyable.
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Dimitri Leonidas: I think, I think
a lot of people have said that.
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I think the books are so dense
and the ideas in them is so vast.
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The scale is so big that I think it's
hard for the first series and those first
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few episodes in the first series to, to.
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Lay down the foundation, so
to speak, of what you're doing
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because the books are so expansive.
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I mean, you turn, you know, you turn a
page and, and Asimov is jumping 150 years.
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And so everything that you've just
read, all this investment that you've
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just made in, in the characters
and in their particular stories.
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actually become just
sort of dust in the wind.
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It's like it's gone.
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You're moving on again.
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And there's some element of that story
that is important to tell you to thread
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into the next timeline 150 years later.
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And so by the time you finish with the
book and you sort of step back, the
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scale of time that Asimov is dealing
with in those stories is, is, is sort
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of quite a breathtaking scale, really.
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Um, and so I think the show in its,
in its, you know, in its early stages,
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did have to kind of and the audience
have to kind of get through some like
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expositional moments where you're going.
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You guys need to know this, this and this.
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And now that you know that we can kind
of go and I think season two hits the
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ground running a little more because
so much stuff has been established
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that you just You can you you kind of
just can can you know run off with that
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Marc Preston: momentum?
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I believe i'm totally caught up.
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Was there a uh, is there another season?
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Dimitri Leonidas: There is a third season
Um that's shooting now in in prague.
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They're finishing up.
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Um Yeah, yeah, I I I will see how
many they go, but yeah, there's,
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there's a third season that's,
that's finishing, you know, wrapping
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shooting, I think in August.
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Yeah.
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00:10:13,505 --> 00:10:16,824
Marc Preston: I, I kind of enjoyed
your, uh, I, I did enjoy your character.
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00:10:16,825 --> 00:10:20,155
There was a very Han Solo
esque vibe about your, uh,
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00:10:20,214 --> 00:10:22,025
character, which I, which I like.
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00:10:22,065 --> 00:10:22,435
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
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00:10:22,645 --> 00:10:27,135
Apparently Hobo Malo is, is
the inspiration for Han Solo.
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00:10:27,445 --> 00:10:28,355
Um, really?
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00:10:28,895 --> 00:10:29,395
Yeah.
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Yeah.
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He, he, That's the story
that, um, David Goyer told me.
218
00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,040
And actually, you know, there's
some online threads about that,
219
00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:41,440
that, that Hobo Mallow is, is the
inspiration for those sort of Han Solo.
220
00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:42,980
Marc Preston: I'm learning
all kinds of things today.
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I did not know that.
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00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,520
Dimitri Leonidas: Um, I think foundation
is a, is a sort of, uh, a tectonic
223
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plate of a, of a story that a lot of
sci fi has, has built on top of, um,
224
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yeah, it is right at the base of so
much, you know, sci fi post the fifties.
225
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It's, it's one of those, uh,
Foundational, um, you know, uh, sources.
226
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Marc Preston: There's one of the,
there's one of the show, the expanse,
227
00:11:12,295 --> 00:11:16,694
another kind of vibe similar to
that, both featuring Jared Harris.
228
00:11:16,694 --> 00:11:20,075
Of course, he seems like such an
interesting, he's just an interesting
229
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guy to watch just one more note
on the foundation, kind of what
230
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was the filming of that, uh, like
231
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Dimitri Leonidas: it's, it was incredible.
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I mean, I agree with you about Jared.
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I always think there's sort of part of
me that always thinks whatever he's in.
234
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I always sort of give the show more credit
knowing that he's in it because he's just
235
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one of those actors that you go he is
great and anyone anytime someone chooses
236
00:11:43,110 --> 00:11:49,110
him, I sort of trust them immediately
because He's got some qualities about
237
00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:54,030
him But when he's cast right you just
can't really imagine anyone else doing
238
00:11:54,039 --> 00:11:58,765
it and so I had some scenes with him
lovely hard working I mean, he had sort
239
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of, he's playing the founder of psycho
240
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Marc Preston: history.
241
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So he's almost like an AI character
for lack of a better way of putting it.
242
00:12:05,825 --> 00:12:08,534
He's kind of like a real
person slash AI, you know?
243
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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
244
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Yeah.
245
00:12:09,895 --> 00:12:13,234
And, and has endless amounts of sort of
dialogue to learn, which you watch him
246
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just sort of turn up and deliver it.
247
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And it's great every take.
248
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And, uh, Occasionally he'll sort
of forget a line and all right,
249
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sorry guys, let's go again.
250
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And I'm just watching it going, how are
you not, how are you, you know, you're
251
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doing it once every eight takes is, is,
is a pretty good hit when you're just
252
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sort of running dialogue like that.
253
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Um, but, um, but yeah, the show, David
Goya, you know, screenwriter, director,
254
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producer of the show, um, is, is just
one that has this infectious energy.
255
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And he's one of those guys that.
256
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You really appreciate in our industry
because you go he's such a hard working
257
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individual that it it really boosts,
you know, the reason 500 people turn
258
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up and from crew and actors and stunts
and everything is because someone
259
00:12:58,780 --> 00:13:03,819
like him puts in so much legwork
Um, he's producing several things
260
00:13:03,819 --> 00:13:05,549
at once and writing several things
261
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Marc Preston: I never understood how some
of those folks do that where they can
262
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have multiple plates spinning at once I'm
like, okay, it would take up all my energy
263
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just to think of one, you know Yeah, as
curious is kind of going back Were you an
264
00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,849
only kid or did you have a big family or
kind of kind of where'd you fall in there?
265
00:13:21,140 --> 00:13:25,714
Dimitri Leonidas: So, um, I've got three
sisters It's the title of a Chekhov plate.
266
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Um, so I guess I was destined to
be an actor, but, um, yeah, two of
267
00:13:29,255 --> 00:13:30,645
my sisters act as well, actually.
268
00:13:30,655 --> 00:13:34,075
Steph, my older sister,
and Georgina, the youngest.
269
00:13:34,085 --> 00:13:35,285
She was in Harry Potter.
270
00:13:36,085 --> 00:13:36,885
Oh, really?
271
00:13:36,964 --> 00:13:37,244
Okay.
272
00:13:37,275 --> 00:13:42,145
And yeah, yeah, and Steph has done,
you know, loads of sort of cool movies.
273
00:13:42,165 --> 00:13:42,505
Well, was
274
00:13:42,505 --> 00:13:44,485
Marc Preston: this part of
your life for your family?
275
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Was the theater or was acting part
of what you were up to when you
276
00:13:47,795 --> 00:13:49,635
were, uh, when you were young?
277
00:13:49,735 --> 00:13:52,115
Or was this something y'all
just all happened into?
278
00:13:53,285 --> 00:13:54,145
Dimitri Leonidas: It was quite weird.
279
00:13:54,145 --> 00:13:57,855
My sisters were, were sort of into
like singing and dancing and were
280
00:13:57,865 --> 00:14:02,275
going to these lessons and, and they
eventually got into acting with,
281
00:14:02,325 --> 00:14:06,095
I think the dancing stuff stopped
and acting became the next fad.
282
00:14:06,115 --> 00:14:11,745
And, and so they were going to, it was,
I, when I say sort of classes, it was,
283
00:14:12,144 --> 00:14:18,035
um, it was a room above a pub in Wembley
and the lady that run the class, you could
284
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sort of, you know, drop your kids off.
285
00:14:20,215 --> 00:14:25,355
Um, after school and leave them there
for an hour or two and uh, and the lady
286
00:14:25,355 --> 00:14:29,995
that run the class would sort of teach,
you know, basic drama skills at that age.
287
00:14:29,995 --> 00:14:34,515
It was, it was more sort of acting games,
um, sort of improvisation and stuff.
288
00:14:34,515 --> 00:14:37,534
And I, I didn't really,
I had no interest in it.
289
00:14:37,944 --> 00:14:40,515
Um, but my mom was sort
of encouraging me to go.
290
00:14:40,515 --> 00:14:43,925
I think she felt quite bad that I was just
sort of hanging around the back of his
291
00:14:43,925 --> 00:14:47,505
pub, kicking a ball around for an hour
and a half while my sisters were doing,
292
00:14:47,505 --> 00:14:48,735
you know, their These drama classes.
293
00:14:48,755 --> 00:14:54,495
So I eventually went to one of them
and, and it just, it just clicked.
294
00:14:54,495 --> 00:14:55,465
I loved it.
295
00:14:55,595 --> 00:15:02,034
Um, I found I had a confidence doing
sort of improvisation, um, that I
296
00:15:02,035 --> 00:15:03,264
didn't know where that came from.
297
00:15:03,264 --> 00:15:08,054
It just, it just was something I really
enjoyed and, uh, used to think about.
298
00:15:08,054 --> 00:15:11,545
It was only once a week after school on
a Thursday and I'd spend the rest of the
299
00:15:11,545 --> 00:15:15,865
week sort of wondering, Oh, what would
happen, what's going to happen next week?
300
00:15:15,865 --> 00:15:17,355
You know, the, this excitement of.
301
00:15:17,430 --> 00:15:24,215
The spontaneity of improvising and,
and, um, This sort of stored energy that
302
00:15:24,215 --> 00:15:28,955
you have as a kid suddenly all clicking
and just requiring you to, to, to
303
00:15:28,975 --> 00:15:29,365
Marc Preston: work.
304
00:15:29,585 --> 00:15:32,625
Well, kids all, you know, all kids
have that sense of play already kind
305
00:15:32,625 --> 00:15:34,155
of built in, you know, it's an avenue.
306
00:15:34,365 --> 00:15:38,445
Well, you said this was taking place,
uh, in a, in the back of a pub, you say?
307
00:15:38,895 --> 00:15:40,904
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, it was,
uh, initially it was just a
308
00:15:40,905 --> 00:15:43,175
room above a pub in Wembley.
309
00:15:43,405 --> 00:15:48,314
Um, and as, as the sort of years
passed, They found slightly more, I
310
00:15:48,314 --> 00:15:50,925
guess, appropriate venues to host.
311
00:15:51,374 --> 00:15:51,555
I was about
312
00:15:51,555 --> 00:15:53,754
Marc Preston: to say, that's gotta
be really interesting given the,
313
00:15:53,854 --> 00:15:57,064
uh, uh, things that happen at a pub,
you know, to be able to have a lot
314
00:15:57,064 --> 00:16:00,054
of, it's quite festive, you know?
315
00:16:00,064 --> 00:16:00,365
Yeah.
316
00:16:00,574 --> 00:16:00,824
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
317
00:16:00,824 --> 00:16:01,155
Yeah.
318
00:16:01,374 --> 00:16:01,604
Marc Preston: No.
319
00:16:01,605 --> 00:16:05,164
When you were in school, were you, uh,
was this, was this kind of like your
320
00:16:05,165 --> 00:16:09,435
outlet or were you also doing like sports
or other kinds of activities as a kid?
321
00:16:10,445 --> 00:16:14,154
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, I guess I w I
wouldn't say I was the sportiest kid.
322
00:16:14,155 --> 00:16:20,459
I mean, I played football and, and,
uh, Um, you know, I, I, the, the
323
00:16:20,459 --> 00:16:26,339
acting thing kind of, I had a few
jobs when I was a teenager, but I
324
00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:28,939
never really wanted my friends at
school to know about it too much.
325
00:16:28,939 --> 00:16:33,259
It was one of those things that
was more a reason that you might,
326
00:16:33,979 --> 00:16:38,709
you know, get picked on or, um,
it just wasn't something that I, I
327
00:16:38,709 --> 00:16:40,239
wanted people necessarily to know.
328
00:16:41,060 --> 00:16:45,399
Um, and then obviously I was away
for sort of six, seven weeks.
329
00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,139
There was a TV show I
did called Grange Hill.
330
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,439
Which is a, um, a school show.
331
00:16:51,470 --> 00:16:53,260
It's a, it's a, it's about a high school.
332
00:16:53,370 --> 00:16:57,620
It's very well known in the UK cause it
was a sort of working class high school
333
00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:03,180
show, um, that had been running for when
I was in, it had been on for 25 years.
334
00:17:03,180 --> 00:17:03,519
Kind of thing.
335
00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:04,800
It was this long standing show.
336
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:09,640
And, and, uh, and so I was, we'd film
most of it over the summer holiday, but a
337
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,160
few weeks would run into the school year.
338
00:17:11,819 --> 00:17:15,020
And so when I went back to school, some
people would ask what I was doing and
339
00:17:15,339 --> 00:17:17,109
rumor got out that I was in this show.
340
00:17:17,109 --> 00:17:17,240
And.
341
00:17:18,155 --> 00:17:20,974
And I remember one kid
saying, you're just lying.
342
00:17:20,984 --> 00:17:23,055
You're just saying it so
that people respect you.
343
00:17:23,055 --> 00:17:26,244
And I kind of thought, good,
let everyone think I'm lying.
344
00:17:26,595 --> 00:17:29,645
Um, because it just, it just
kept people off your back.
345
00:17:29,675 --> 00:17:32,024
You know, attention in high school,
that sort of attention was not.
346
00:17:32,124 --> 00:17:32,294
Was
347
00:17:32,295 --> 00:17:35,574
Marc Preston: the show already
out or was this, uh, or was
348
00:17:36,085 --> 00:17:36,225
Dimitri Leonidas: it?
349
00:17:36,274 --> 00:17:39,985
The show was long running, but the
stuff I had filmed wasn't out until
350
00:17:40,125 --> 00:17:42,225
the sort of next term kind of thing.
351
00:17:42,264 --> 00:17:45,995
So we'd film over the summer
holidays and into the, the, the,
352
00:17:46,145 --> 00:17:47,275
the beginning of the school year.
353
00:17:47,899 --> 00:17:52,560
And then it would come out sort of, I
guess, I guess in a few months time and,
354
00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,740
uh, and then once it was out, it was
kind of this weird thing where people
355
00:17:55,740 --> 00:17:59,460
were watching it and, and there's a
sort of weird response to, to being.
356
00:17:59,780 --> 00:18:03,450
In a show when you're at school like that.
357
00:18:03,450 --> 00:18:04,714
How
358
00:18:04,714 --> 00:18:05,979
Marc Preston: old
359
00:18:08,660 --> 00:18:10,540
were you roughly when,
when you were shooting?
360
00:18:10,550 --> 00:18:10,630
I
361
00:18:10,630 --> 00:18:12,349
Dimitri Leonidas: mean, I
would have been about 12 or 13.
362
00:18:12,420 --> 00:18:12,640
Oh,
363
00:18:12,650 --> 00:18:12,900
Marc Preston: okay.
364
00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:13,140
Dimitri Leonidas: Okay.
365
00:18:13,450 --> 00:18:14,480
I was, I was quite young.
366
00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:15,719
So it was kind of weird thing to do.
367
00:18:15,719 --> 00:18:20,179
And, and, and, uh, you do feel
like you're sort of coexisting in
368
00:18:20,180 --> 00:18:24,639
two different worlds, you know,
high school life and, and all the,
369
00:18:24,779 --> 00:18:26,579
the trimmings that come with that.
370
00:18:26,619 --> 00:18:31,620
And then a professional
environment, um, that is.
371
00:18:32,654 --> 00:18:36,834
Uh, that, that has its own sort
of peculiarities, really, of
372
00:18:36,834 --> 00:18:44,564
being on Tenny and a certain,
um, whirlpool of, of that world.
373
00:18:44,745 --> 00:18:50,435
Um, and seeing sort of kids, you know,
having their eyes sort of, like, open to
374
00:18:50,435 --> 00:18:52,575
the idea of maybe, you know Being active.
375
00:18:52,575 --> 00:18:55,505
I mean, I never saw it that way, but
I remember some people, you know, you
376
00:18:55,505 --> 00:19:00,145
could easily get carried away in, in,
in that it, you know, some of the kids
377
00:19:00,145 --> 00:19:04,535
that went, that were in the show were
from more drama school background.
378
00:19:04,595 --> 00:19:06,714
So this was something they
would have been planning.
379
00:19:06,754 --> 00:19:06,865
I
380
00:19:06,865 --> 00:19:09,734
Marc Preston: always imagine over
there that it's more people start
381
00:19:09,735 --> 00:19:12,575
in theater, you know, kind of,
that's kind of the cliche idea.
382
00:19:12,675 --> 00:19:17,200
Everybody's studying Shakespeare
out of the gate, you know, Was
383
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,350
it received like, or people
thinking, Hey, this is really cool.
384
00:19:20,350 --> 00:19:22,820
Or were they, you know, being
that age, things are awkward
385
00:19:22,820 --> 00:19:25,280
enough as it is, where they kind
of, were you getting singled out?
386
00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,650
Like, okay, this, this punk over here
thinks he's something special, you know?
387
00:19:28,750 --> 00:19:31,950
Dimitri Leonidas: Well, I remember getting
out of the train station one day and going
388
00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:38,230
to school and some guy, these guys in
hoodies saw me and were like, you know,
389
00:19:38,230 --> 00:19:42,840
swore at me and you're that, you know,
guy off the telly, give me your phone and
390
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,789
sort of tried to, to sort of surround me.
391
00:19:44,789 --> 00:19:47,590
And, and, I kind of
just carried on walking.
392
00:19:47,590 --> 00:19:52,450
But so for me, it really wasn't
something that I, I was proud of it.
393
00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:57,010
I was, I felt great about being in
it, but the sort of social status that
394
00:19:57,010 --> 00:20:00,919
came from it, um, was not something
that I was in an environment where that
395
00:20:01,330 --> 00:20:03,349
would necessarily put you up higher.
396
00:20:04,035 --> 00:20:04,875
in the hierarchy.
397
00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:10,425
I mean, um, it felt great to be in the
show and it was a sort of privately.
398
00:20:10,425 --> 00:20:14,684
I was beginning to sort of see
that there was an opportunity
399
00:20:14,685 --> 00:20:16,075
here for a career in it as well.
400
00:20:16,084 --> 00:20:19,364
I was like, okay, it came out of nowhere
that, you know, getting this job.
401
00:20:19,824 --> 00:20:25,114
Um, the lady that run these drama classes
above the pub, she had these connections
402
00:20:25,115 --> 00:20:29,495
to certain casting directors and, and
she'd said to my parents, look, I would
403
00:20:29,495 --> 00:20:31,625
like to put Dimitri up for some stuff.
404
00:20:31,625 --> 00:20:32,289
I think he'd be great.
405
00:20:32,570 --> 00:20:33,280
You know, do it.
406
00:20:33,530 --> 00:20:34,300
How would he feel about it?
407
00:20:34,460 --> 00:20:35,770
How would you guys feel about it?
408
00:20:36,159 --> 00:20:38,590
And, um, I was, of
course, like, Yeah, great.
409
00:20:38,629 --> 00:20:40,179
You know, so I did some extra work.
410
00:20:40,690 --> 00:20:44,370
Um, often there's sort of like
crime shows that were on telly.
411
00:20:44,629 --> 00:20:48,520
They would want, you know, sort of
street, more urban kids as extras in the
412
00:20:48,530 --> 00:20:53,380
background, and they would go to this
this, um, this sort of drama class after
413
00:20:53,380 --> 00:20:57,420
school because she had a lot of kids from
local estates that she had just helped
414
00:20:58,045 --> 00:21:03,525
Prepare to go into, you know, almost, you
know, credit to her, but through osmosis,
415
00:21:03,575 --> 00:21:05,435
just being at those lessons, you kind of.
416
00:21:05,820 --> 00:21:09,460
You did have this sort of preparation
to go in, even if it's just to do a
417
00:21:09,460 --> 00:21:11,999
few days of extra work, you know, was
418
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,109
Marc Preston: your mind shifting in
the direction of like, okay, this
419
00:21:14,110 --> 00:21:17,939
may be what I want to do when I'm a
grownup, you know, or were, were you
420
00:21:17,949 --> 00:21:19,589
still thinking this is cool for now?
421
00:21:19,589 --> 00:21:23,280
And, uh, there's something else on
the agenda that you were thinking that
422
00:21:23,319 --> 00:21:25,100
would be really cool to do for a living.
423
00:21:25,229 --> 00:21:27,090
What, what was your aspiration?
424
00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,150
I know it's only 12 and 13 years
old, but we're thinking there was
425
00:21:30,150 --> 00:21:32,540
something else you wanted to do as well.
426
00:21:32,590 --> 00:21:36,155
Dimitri Leonidas: No, I think,
I think I, I started to realize,
427
00:21:36,225 --> 00:21:40,375
like, that I, I really enjoyed it.
428
00:21:41,345 --> 00:21:46,834
I, I think it's hard because
looking back, I go, what point
429
00:21:46,844 --> 00:21:49,415
did I really solidify in my mind?
430
00:21:49,895 --> 00:21:51,725
And it's hard to identify exactly.
431
00:21:51,755 --> 00:21:58,285
But I think at that time, I remember
thinking there is a potential, you know,
432
00:21:58,285 --> 00:22:02,175
because it's so, when you, at that,
at that time, going into acting felt
433
00:22:02,255 --> 00:22:05,345
like something that other people did.
434
00:22:05,785 --> 00:22:09,200
Um, I'm Putting yourself in an
environment where you're doing it and
435
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,400
then you're watching yourself on telly
and you're going, Oh, this is what it is.
436
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,610
It's like the process is already
something I'm undergoing.
437
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:20,700
You learn your lines and you turn up
and you have long days of filming,
438
00:22:20,729 --> 00:22:22,980
but these, this is what the job is.
439
00:22:22,980 --> 00:22:29,630
And so it kind of pulled away the mystique
of, of, you know, film and television and
440
00:22:29,630 --> 00:22:31,880
actually felt like something quite real.
441
00:22:32,270 --> 00:22:36,980
Um, and I think that
calcify in my head as, as.
442
00:22:37,564 --> 00:22:38,885
something I really wanted to do.
443
00:22:39,105 --> 00:22:44,915
And so I continued to sort of pursue
it and, and, you know, move up through,
444
00:22:44,955 --> 00:22:46,764
through different agents and stuff.
445
00:22:46,764 --> 00:22:47,965
And I didn't go to drama school.
446
00:22:47,965 --> 00:22:50,624
And as you say, that is the
traditional route very much still
447
00:22:50,915 --> 00:22:55,674
in the UK is, is learning your, your
craft through, um, through drama
448
00:22:55,675 --> 00:22:57,384
school and through theater training.
449
00:22:57,924 --> 00:23:01,475
And so having not done that, I always
felt a little bit like, am I missing out?
450
00:23:01,765 --> 00:23:05,085
What, what am I not, you know, I'm, I
haven't gone through formal training.
451
00:23:05,105 --> 00:23:06,795
I'm just sort of winging it.
452
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,159
But I guess I had the advantage of having
some experience and knowing what the
453
00:23:13,159 --> 00:23:15,820
ins and outs of the day on set entail.
454
00:23:15,879 --> 00:23:17,620
Marc Preston: Yeah, but it
definitely was a job in your mind.
455
00:23:17,620 --> 00:23:20,530
You could kind of see this as being
a vocation because I hear, you know,
456
00:23:20,530 --> 00:23:24,530
some younger kids, some child actors
I'd spoken with over the years,
457
00:23:24,919 --> 00:23:28,250
they've said, you know, they, it was
kind of fun for them, but they didn't
458
00:23:28,260 --> 00:23:32,190
really perceive it as, Oh, I can make
a living doing this thing, you know?
459
00:23:32,190 --> 00:23:34,359
So that was, that's kind
of a nice little epiphany.
460
00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:36,360
And did you stay in school?
461
00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:40,080
Like, as things progressed, you know,
12, 13, did you stay in school or did
462
00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,200
you start getting a lot of, a lot more
work and we're doing the kind of the
463
00:23:43,750 --> 00:23:45,590
onset where they call the tutoring?
464
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,629
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, I mean, I mean,
there was, whilst we were doing the
465
00:23:48,629 --> 00:23:52,209
show, there was, there was tutoring,
but I was, I was in school, you
466
00:23:52,209 --> 00:23:55,800
know, um, I, I did college as well.
467
00:23:55,940 --> 00:24:04,060
Um, so I kind of went through as far as I
felt was, was sort of, I should in terms
468
00:24:04,060 --> 00:24:06,089
of formal education, you know, academic.
469
00:24:06,089 --> 00:24:06,139
Right.
470
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:07,300
education.
471
00:24:07,490 --> 00:24:11,880
Um, I went to college, but I sort of
knew in the back of my mind, I was
472
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:13,550
going to try and take a swing at acting.
473
00:24:13,590 --> 00:24:17,670
I was going to try and get a slightly
better agent off the back of having done,
474
00:24:18,020 --> 00:24:19,760
you know, a few bits of television work.
475
00:24:20,390 --> 00:24:25,859
Um, and, and, you know, at that point
it's, it is, they're the hardest years
476
00:24:25,860 --> 00:24:33,270
really, where you're sort of like, you
know, trying to figure out how realistic
477
00:24:33,270 --> 00:24:38,455
it is, knowing that there's an element of
it's, Up to the sort of gods in a way, you
478
00:24:38,455 --> 00:24:41,905
know, there's so much your uncertainty.
479
00:24:42,004 --> 00:24:42,405
Yeah.
480
00:24:42,844 --> 00:24:47,264
And, and, and, you know, my dad, you
know, as I explained the sort of in the
481
00:24:47,274 --> 00:24:52,104
background of all that is sort of building
his, his business and, and I think was
482
00:24:52,135 --> 00:24:56,694
quite keen for me to sort of go in into
that and take over what he'd started.
483
00:24:56,694 --> 00:25:01,315
And so, you know, uh, I had to
sort of try and juggle those things
484
00:25:01,674 --> 00:25:05,145
and, uh, I mean, he's extremely
supportive now, but understandably.
485
00:25:06,125 --> 00:25:11,495
You know, telling my Greengrass, the
dad that I want to go into like acting.
486
00:25:11,504 --> 00:25:14,624
Marc Preston: What did your mother,
was she also a Cypriot or did
487
00:25:14,624 --> 00:25:15,924
he meet your mother in the UK?
488
00:25:15,985 --> 00:25:17,095
Dimitri Leonidas: They met in the UK.
489
00:25:17,155 --> 00:25:21,584
Um, and, and you know, it was my
mom, I guess, who really was sort
490
00:25:21,584 --> 00:25:26,265
of encouraging us to sort of try
these things, you know, try and go
491
00:25:26,265 --> 00:25:29,075
to these extra curriculum activities.
492
00:25:29,075 --> 00:25:34,594
And so my sisters were doing bits of
singing and dancing, as I said, and, um,
493
00:25:35,324 --> 00:25:36,864
And she passed away when I was young.
494
00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:40,484
My mom passed away when I was 13.
495
00:25:40,765 --> 00:25:44,904
Um, so it was kind of mad, you know,
like three sisters and myself and my dad,
496
00:25:44,904 --> 00:25:49,364
all trying to figure out how to proceed,
you know, because you're, you're, you're
497
00:25:50,334 --> 00:25:55,345
beyond the sort of tragedy of it is,
is the absurdity of it, which is like.
498
00:25:56,114 --> 00:26:00,384
Now what like and and you know coming
to terms with it in just a sort of
499
00:26:00,384 --> 00:26:08,514
everyday way And it and and so, you
know In that sort of chaos, I think
500
00:26:08,514 --> 00:26:10,284
you grow up quite quickly in your head.
501
00:26:10,315 --> 00:26:10,964
You sort of go.
502
00:26:11,014 --> 00:26:11,854
Okay Well the
503
00:26:11,855 --> 00:26:14,224
Marc Preston: acting that that was right
about the time you were doing this show
504
00:26:14,224 --> 00:26:18,154
me the acting had to been somewhat of
a Escape for you at least a little bit.
505
00:26:18,194 --> 00:26:18,665
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
506
00:26:18,755 --> 00:26:21,340
Yeah, it was Yeah, it was.
507
00:26:21,370 --> 00:26:28,060
And, and I think it was like kind
of schizophrenic in my head in
508
00:26:28,060 --> 00:26:33,689
a way that I was already trying
to not bring the acting part.
509
00:26:33,839 --> 00:26:36,320
It was not something I was
bringing into the school too much.
510
00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:38,889
And then in the background of
that, with my mom, there was
511
00:26:38,899 --> 00:26:41,109
like a third narrative going.
512
00:26:41,110 --> 00:26:45,760
And so I think I got used to, I think
as you get older, you used to, you do
513
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:47,760
naturally have several parts of yourself.
514
00:26:49,189 --> 00:26:49,730
operate.
515
00:26:50,170 --> 00:26:53,370
And I think quite quickly, I
sort of had to dissect parts of
516
00:26:53,370 --> 00:26:55,840
myself and go, this isn't useful.
517
00:26:56,110 --> 00:26:59,600
You know, I mean, I remember my sister
saying to me, she was like, try and
518
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:04,170
not let what's going on with us at home
affect what you're doing on the job.
519
00:27:05,225 --> 00:27:07,534
And I thought it was a really
mature thing for her to say.
520
00:27:07,544 --> 00:27:12,885
It was like, and I totally understood why
she was saying it, but, um, you know, so
521
00:27:12,885 --> 00:27:19,435
it was a lot of like, very quickly learn,
learn to, to, to adapt to environments
522
00:27:19,435 --> 00:27:21,745
that are changing and, and, um,
523
00:27:22,965 --> 00:27:23,145
Marc Preston: Yeah.
524
00:27:23,145 --> 00:27:25,395
And that, that time of life
is awkward enough as it is.
525
00:27:25,405 --> 00:27:26,504
So that had to be, you know,
526
00:27:26,675 --> 00:27:26,804
Dimitri Leonidas: at
527
00:27:27,784 --> 00:27:30,594
Marc Preston: least you had your, your,
your father, your sisters there did, you
528
00:27:30,594 --> 00:27:34,834
know, you know, you haven't me growing
up as an only child, I have three kids.
529
00:27:34,834 --> 00:27:36,165
I live vicariously through them.
530
00:27:36,174 --> 00:27:37,504
What's it like to have siblings?
531
00:27:37,504 --> 00:27:40,435
You know, because as an only
kid, I had a dog, you know, that
532
00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:42,014
was about as close as we got.
533
00:27:42,344 --> 00:27:43,135
One last question.
534
00:27:43,135 --> 00:27:46,485
I, I always ended up talking to
food at least once every episode.
535
00:27:46,844 --> 00:27:50,095
And one of my, some of my favorite
food is from that, uh, Part, you
536
00:27:50,095 --> 00:27:55,045
know, the, the ri the, the cuisine
is very, very much similar to Greek.
537
00:27:55,045 --> 00:27:55,345
Don't they?
538
00:27:55,345 --> 00:27:57,985
Don't they have like li long lifespans?
539
00:27:57,985 --> 00:28:00,535
Isn't that kind of a cprt thing
because of the way they eat, or, yes.
540
00:28:00,715 --> 00:28:01,315
Dimitri Leonidas: No, you're right.
541
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:05,695
There's, there's a Greek island where
it has the oldest living inhabitants.
542
00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:08,905
They're all living till like 110, 115.
543
00:28:08,905 --> 00:28:10,735
And, and it's exactly what you say.
544
00:28:11,610 --> 00:28:12,490
It's olive oil.
545
00:28:12,490 --> 00:28:13,530
It's fresh fish.
546
00:28:13,879 --> 00:28:15,429
It's seasonal vegetables.
547
00:28:15,509 --> 00:28:18,554
Marc Preston: Is your father a
cook or was that something he did?
548
00:28:18,554 --> 00:28:20,379
I mean, does he know how
to make some of these?
549
00:28:20,399 --> 00:28:21,229
No, it's the answer
550
00:28:21,770 --> 00:28:22,149
Dimitri Leonidas: to that.
551
00:28:22,189 --> 00:28:25,769
I mean, he, you know, he,
um, he loves his food.
552
00:28:25,919 --> 00:28:30,300
My dad, um, he's not, he's not
necessarily a good cook, but he's sisters.
553
00:28:30,329 --> 00:28:35,640
So my aunties, um, would always sort of
bring Greek food around, you know, Easter.
554
00:28:36,310 --> 00:28:37,760
Marc Preston: He'll provide the groceries.
555
00:28:37,770 --> 00:28:39,290
Dimitri Leonidas: He'll
provide the groceries, yeah.
556
00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:39,630
I
557
00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:42,166
Marc Preston: was curious, have you
stayed, uh, have you always kind of lived
558
00:28:42,166 --> 00:28:46,389
in the UK, or have you tried living in
LA, or have you kind of moved around,
559
00:28:46,390 --> 00:28:47,850
or has this always been your home base?
560
00:28:48,190 --> 00:28:51,129
Dimitri Leonidas: This has always been
my home base, although over the last, I'd
561
00:28:51,130 --> 00:28:55,880
say, sort of 10, 12 years, I've probably
spent half of that time working abroad.
562
00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:01,559
I always seem to get jobs that are like
6, 7 months abroad, and I've been really
563
00:29:01,559 --> 00:29:03,029
fortunate that it's been you know.
564
00:29:03,409 --> 00:29:07,539
I spent like a year in Malta
filming a TV show and really
565
00:29:07,669 --> 00:29:09,439
six, seven months in Berlin.
566
00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:14,560
Um, uh, a few months in Barcelona,
the job, the jobs that I I'd
567
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,350
landed over the last decade or so
were predominantly filmed abroad.
568
00:29:18,359 --> 00:29:21,559
So it was, it was always
nice to come home.
569
00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:21,929
Actually.
570
00:29:21,929 --> 00:29:25,879
I, I, I love traveling love, you
know, it's, it's something that
571
00:29:25,889 --> 00:29:28,639
I do even in, in my off off time.
572
00:29:28,649 --> 00:29:33,260
But, um, Getting to do that with
work is, is, is a real privilege.
573
00:29:33,510 --> 00:29:33,980
Oh, that's,
574
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:34,940
Marc Preston: that's pretty awesome.
575
00:29:34,940 --> 00:29:38,359
I mean, that's one of the things I always
wanted to do is, is have a gig where I
576
00:29:38,359 --> 00:29:42,380
can be able to travel, you know, and being
able to go, you're not just traveling
577
00:29:42,460 --> 00:29:46,719
to like, like LA or again, we'll say
like Atlanta, Georgia and the U S you're
578
00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:48,570
going to some kind of nice exotic places.
579
00:29:48,579 --> 00:29:51,270
So it's, you know, those about to die.
580
00:29:51,270 --> 00:29:52,540
Where did y'all shoot that?
581
00:29:52,590 --> 00:29:55,580
Dimitri Leonidas: So we shot
that in, in Italy, in Rome.
582
00:29:55,750 --> 00:29:56,230
Oh, really?
583
00:29:56,230 --> 00:29:56,730
Okay.
584
00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:57,540
Yeah.
585
00:29:57,689 --> 00:29:57,979
Yeah.
586
00:29:57,979 --> 00:30:04,045
And they have, um, the studios there,
Chinichita, and uh, and also some sets
587
00:30:04,065 --> 00:30:05,765
that was, were outside of the studio.
588
00:30:07,375 --> 00:30:12,375
There was a remake of Ben Hur a
few years ago, and for that film,
589
00:30:12,375 --> 00:30:14,685
they had built Circus Maximus.
590
00:30:15,045 --> 00:30:17,825
Um, and that set is still there.
591
00:30:18,244 --> 00:30:21,574
And so Yeah, it's an
amazing set, actually.
592
00:30:21,574 --> 00:30:27,074
And for the chariot racing and training
that I had to do, and also for filming,
593
00:30:27,074 --> 00:30:30,430
we were using That Circus Maximus set.
594
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:31,510
Um, yeah, it's
595
00:30:31,510 --> 00:30:32,800
Marc Preston: funny you say
that cause I was watching it.
596
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,850
I was thinking, well, of course there,
I'm sure there's some element of CGI
597
00:30:36,850 --> 00:30:39,870
cause you can't just recreate Rome,
you know, can't rebuild Rome, but,
598
00:30:40,170 --> 00:30:43,570
but I'm going, okay, this guy really
looks like he's doing some horse stuff.
599
00:30:43,915 --> 00:30:47,385
You know, so, you know, so the, what
kind of training did you have to go
600
00:30:47,385 --> 00:30:51,215
through to kind of prepare yourself
to have a team of four horses?
601
00:30:51,245 --> 00:30:51,715
Yeah.
602
00:30:51,785 --> 00:30:52,175
Yeah.
603
00:30:52,465 --> 00:30:53,665
You know, how did, how did you do that?
604
00:30:53,695 --> 00:30:55,725
Dimitri Leonidas: So we, we were
called out, the sort of charioteers
605
00:30:56,735 --> 00:31:01,475
were called out to Rome a little
earlier and, and were given a sort of
606
00:31:01,475 --> 00:31:06,045
intensive training, which involved a few
things at first, it was like going to
607
00:31:06,055 --> 00:31:08,635
stables and spending time with horses.
608
00:31:08,635 --> 00:31:14,610
And, and, uh, my character has,
um, There's a few scenes with,
609
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:18,090
with a horse in the show called
Inchitatus, which is a real horse.
610
00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:22,569
It was a famous horse in Rome and, uh,
so because of that, they were like,
611
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,759
we need to sort of match you with the,
with the right horse for these scenes.
612
00:31:26,690 --> 00:31:29,729
And, um, so one of the first things
I had to do was go and like spend
613
00:31:29,729 --> 00:31:30,920
time with a few different people.
614
00:31:31,310 --> 00:31:33,620
potential in Chitatus horses.
615
00:31:34,170 --> 00:31:40,919
Um, and you know, the first one I,
I, I met was this veteran actor horse
616
00:31:40,919 --> 00:31:44,249
that had been on a bunch of like
films and television shows and was a
617
00:31:44,249 --> 00:31:49,200
bit older and a little bit more, um,
you know, a little bit more subdued.
618
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,820
He was used to being around people.
619
00:31:51,239 --> 00:31:52,350
He was used to being on set.
620
00:31:52,350 --> 00:31:55,030
So it was kind of easy to
groom him and deal with him.
621
00:31:55,650 --> 00:31:58,020
But something about it
just didn't feel right.
622
00:31:58,050 --> 00:32:00,590
It was like, it felt
too easy or something.
623
00:32:00,590 --> 00:32:04,775
And then it In the end, you know, we
went for this other horse called Silaro.
624
00:32:04,785 --> 00:32:09,505
My first encounter with him was just,
I was in complete awe, it was huge,
625
00:32:09,505 --> 00:32:15,905
this huge muscular horse that, um,
seemed completely like unimpressed.
626
00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:17,096
And, uh, and
627
00:32:17,096 --> 00:32:20,549
Marc Preston: it seems like an interesting
matchmaking thing they're doing here.
628
00:32:20,830 --> 00:32:22,290
You know, with you and a horse,
629
00:32:23,180 --> 00:32:24,830
Dimitri Leonidas: you know,
they wanted it to feel right.
630
00:32:24,860 --> 00:32:25,270
I think.
631
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:30,310
And, and, you know, when I got back,
you know, after the day I, Roland, the
632
00:32:30,310 --> 00:32:32,550
director, he was asking me, he was like,
so what happened with those horses?
633
00:32:32,590 --> 00:32:34,900
And I said, there's this one
horse that is just so terrifying.
634
00:32:35,250 --> 00:32:36,830
It's like super intimidating.
635
00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,600
It's like this sort of dragon sized horse.
636
00:32:39,950 --> 00:32:44,050
Um, that, uh, it's never done
any sort of television work.
637
00:32:44,050 --> 00:32:44,320
It's.
638
00:32:45,345 --> 00:32:49,645
So it's not, um, accustomed to sort of
being on set or anything, but the horse
639
00:32:49,645 --> 00:32:54,045
is so sort of intimidating, um, and
impressive looking that I just thought
640
00:32:54,045 --> 00:32:56,495
it has to be, it has to be this horse.
641
00:32:56,765 --> 00:33:01,154
And that's, that's who we went with and,
um, yeah, and then, and then, you know,
642
00:33:01,154 --> 00:33:03,065
slowly getting us used to the chariots.
643
00:33:03,095 --> 00:33:08,785
We started off on, on carriages and
just where you sort of sit and go on the
644
00:33:08,785 --> 00:33:10,435
carriage and go around Circus Maximus.
645
00:33:11,345 --> 00:33:15,575
Then upgraded to actual chariots,
which, which were terrifying at first.
646
00:33:15,575 --> 00:33:17,435
It's like standing on a skateboard.
647
00:33:18,165 --> 00:33:22,414
Um, Roland really wanted to sort
of go with a sort of more sporty
648
00:33:22,445 --> 00:33:24,124
design chariot that was very small.
649
00:33:24,825 --> 00:33:29,705
Um, and very sort of fast looking
and therefore not the safest.
650
00:33:29,785 --> 00:33:35,295
Um, so, you know, it's like standing on
this sort of little, little skateboard.
651
00:33:35,675 --> 00:33:36,585
With, I would say it
652
00:33:36,585 --> 00:33:40,065
Marc Preston: sounds kind of like, even
in just kind of watching the, they,
653
00:33:40,075 --> 00:33:42,724
they weren't these really robust things.
654
00:33:42,725 --> 00:33:46,114
They were just kind of like just a couple
of wheels, a little thing to stand in.
655
00:33:46,115 --> 00:33:47,375
And it's, yeah.
656
00:33:48,125 --> 00:33:50,845
Dimitri Leonidas: Um, and then
four giant Hungarian stunt horses
657
00:33:50,865 --> 00:33:54,950
that are like, You know, when they
want to go, they just want to rip.
658
00:33:55,010 --> 00:34:01,219
It's like, it's the feeling of, of those
horses at full power is, is phenomenal.
659
00:34:01,339 --> 00:34:05,850
It's like, it's, it's like an
earthquake at the end of your hat.
660
00:34:05,860 --> 00:34:08,599
It's, it's just, I mean,
those guys are crazy.
661
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,439
The stunt guys are absolutely crazy.
662
00:34:10,439 --> 00:34:13,479
Those Hungarian boys that
actually were doing the races.
663
00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:18,450
And then you think like, they're crazy,
but the guys in Rome 2000 years ago,
664
00:34:18,490 --> 00:34:22,500
doing the races without all the specific
equipment that they have for the horses
665
00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:23,740
today that make it a little more.
666
00:34:23,790 --> 00:34:24,010
Marc Preston: Yeah.
667
00:34:24,010 --> 00:34:24,850
And paramedics,
668
00:34:27,429 --> 00:34:28,299
there was one quote.
669
00:34:28,299 --> 00:34:34,930
Somebody said that, uh, that horse meats
worth more than an injured racing guys.
670
00:34:34,930 --> 00:34:40,455
Like the cool thing for me was in
watching this was that it was a, um, It
671
00:34:40,455 --> 00:34:41,875
reminded me a little bit of the history.
672
00:34:41,875 --> 00:34:44,465
I probably should have paid a little
bit more attention to in school,
673
00:34:44,765 --> 00:34:46,585
but it was, what was the life?
674
00:34:46,585 --> 00:34:47,585
What was the daily life?
675
00:34:47,585 --> 00:34:50,585
What was the ebb and flow for the,
from the peasant folk all the way up
676
00:34:50,585 --> 00:34:54,704
to the, to the Anthony Hopkins types,
the emperor, you kind of saw it in a
677
00:34:54,854 --> 00:34:58,174
three dimensions as opposed to just, you
know, something that seems historical.
678
00:34:58,874 --> 00:35:02,605
Did you have any epiphanies in doing
this or learn something or anything
679
00:35:02,615 --> 00:35:06,285
about the ecosystem of the Roman life
or whatever you want to call that?
680
00:35:06,314 --> 00:35:07,795
I mean, was there
something you picked up on?
681
00:35:07,795 --> 00:35:11,295
You, you were just kind of like,
Pleasantly surprised, uh, to learn.
682
00:35:11,425 --> 00:35:12,935
Dimitri Leonidas: I mean,
there was this great podcast.
683
00:35:12,965 --> 00:35:16,885
The friend gave me before I started
called the history of Rome podcast.
684
00:35:17,515 --> 00:35:20,375
And, uh, it really is phenomenal.
685
00:35:20,375 --> 00:35:24,224
It started out as a, as a pet
project for him and it, it started
686
00:35:24,295 --> 00:35:25,945
to build a quite a large audience.
687
00:35:25,945 --> 00:35:29,325
And then he just commits fully
to, and he quits his job and just
688
00:35:29,345 --> 00:35:30,835
commits to making this podcast.
689
00:35:30,835 --> 00:35:30,975
And so.
690
00:35:31,765 --> 00:35:37,265
I was listening to that whilst, you
know, shooting and, um, there's so
691
00:35:37,285 --> 00:35:44,744
many really interesting little stories
that, um, I mean, Vespasian was an
692
00:35:44,744 --> 00:35:46,514
emperor that created public lavatories.
693
00:35:47,365 --> 00:35:51,674
Uh, and so in, in Rome, in Italy,
they call them Vespasianos, I
694
00:35:51,675 --> 00:35:52,805
think is the public lavatories.
695
00:35:52,915 --> 00:35:54,725
He, he, he created those things.
696
00:35:54,735 --> 00:36:00,515
So there's all these really sort of tiny
little stories and nuggets of, of, Call
697
00:36:00,515 --> 00:36:06,205
it cool pieces of info that come out,
um, you know, in, in, in researching
698
00:36:06,205 --> 00:36:10,314
the show and that, that period of time,
I think for me, it was trying to get
699
00:36:10,315 --> 00:36:14,435
my head around, just they see the world
slightly different to us in many ways.
700
00:36:14,634 --> 00:36:18,865
You know, we talk about Rome being the
basis of our civilization today, and it
701
00:36:18,874 --> 00:36:23,705
is in so many ways, the idea of bread
and circus, the politics, the class
702
00:36:23,735 --> 00:36:29,645
system, all of it is, you know, we can
draw a line from that time to today.
703
00:36:29,645 --> 00:36:31,264
And so many of these sort of large.
704
00:36:32,025 --> 00:36:36,015
Um, this sort of large things that
still exist today, but there's
705
00:36:36,015 --> 00:36:38,715
also an element where they saw
the world so differently to us.
706
00:36:39,255 --> 00:36:44,354
And that was, was kind of fascinating
that we, we sort of are far more, I
707
00:36:44,385 --> 00:36:50,344
think, atheistic and, and, and post
sort of cycle, you know, psychotherapy.
708
00:36:50,345 --> 00:36:50,674
We.
709
00:36:50,935 --> 00:36:55,815
We analyze our behavior in certain
ways that you have to, you know,
710
00:36:56,175 --> 00:36:59,265
for a show like this in particular,
you have to be very careful.
711
00:36:59,265 --> 00:37:03,195
You don't, you're not too clinical
with your approach to these characters
712
00:37:03,245 --> 00:37:07,615
because somewhere you can sort of squeeze
the ghost and the mystery out of them.
713
00:37:07,704 --> 00:37:11,044
Marc Preston: There is a quote, um, that
I thought was really interesting, uh,
714
00:37:11,045 --> 00:37:13,699
that, that they could see the artifice.
715
00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:17,930
But that's actually what they wanted,
you know, in other words, that's part
716
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,450
of the theater of the whole thing.
717
00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:21,190
I think it was with the scene
when you were kind of like
718
00:37:21,190 --> 00:37:23,430
pulling back and in the race
719
00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:25,829
Dimitri Leonidas: and then,
you know, and everybody kind of
720
00:37:25,829 --> 00:37:27,900
Marc Preston: see, okay,
this is some BS, man.
721
00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:29,060
And we know what he's about to do.
722
00:37:29,329 --> 00:37:31,879
And it's like, you know, it's
almost like pro wrestling in a way.
723
00:37:32,580 --> 00:37:32,820
Right.
724
00:37:32,830 --> 00:37:34,810
But that's part of the theater of it.
725
00:37:35,220 --> 00:37:36,650
There's so many parallels.
726
00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:40,610
I mean, you know, it is cool ways,
but also some kind of scary ways.
727
00:37:40,610 --> 00:37:43,779
You start talking about the ebb
and flow of a, of an empire.
728
00:37:43,779 --> 00:37:46,639
And if you look at the U S right
now, and there's some, there's some
729
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,370
interesting parallels, you know?
730
00:37:48,430 --> 00:37:49,220
Yeah, absolutely.
731
00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:49,540
Yeah.
732
00:37:49,955 --> 00:37:52,665
But I'm imagining, I know my
daughter just got back from Rome
733
00:37:52,665 --> 00:37:54,195
and she went to Umbria as well.
734
00:37:54,205 --> 00:37:57,335
And, uh, she got back, I was just asking
her all, all the food she had to eat.
735
00:37:57,375 --> 00:38:00,445
You know, she, she apparently is not going
to want to have any pasta for a little
736
00:38:00,445 --> 00:38:02,755
while, but what was food service like?
737
00:38:02,755 --> 00:38:05,655
What was the craft service like
when you were there in Rome?
738
00:38:05,805 --> 00:38:06,405
It's incredible.
739
00:38:06,434 --> 00:38:11,815
Was it kind of your standard TV show
stuff or that was it like some real deal
740
00:38:11,815 --> 00:38:12,255
Dimitri Leonidas: Italian?
741
00:38:12,355 --> 00:38:16,665
Marc, honestly, it's like
the food, you know, the food.
742
00:38:17,445 --> 00:38:23,505
It's the cliche, but it is true,
you know, bad food is insulting to
743
00:38:23,505 --> 00:38:30,785
Italians and, and they, they really,
you know, they really took care of us.
744
00:38:31,245 --> 00:38:34,845
The catering team out there
was, I mean, it was just superb.
745
00:38:34,905 --> 00:38:38,545
I can't, you know, I've been on
some sets where it's like, should
746
00:38:38,554 --> 00:38:39,985
we just like Uber eat something?
747
00:38:39,985 --> 00:38:42,524
Because I really don't
want to eat this set food.
748
00:38:42,525 --> 00:38:46,420
It's just not, it just feels sort of
scary that you might, you know, Eat
749
00:38:46,450 --> 00:38:50,520
something and not be able to work
for the rest of the day, you know,
750
00:38:50,530 --> 00:38:52,390
but this was not the case in Italy.
751
00:38:52,390 --> 00:38:56,950
It's like, and the funny thing is, you
know, as well, not just on set, it's, it's
752
00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:03,830
the, the sort of places, the restaurants
that, um, sort of a quiet little place
753
00:39:03,830 --> 00:39:08,180
down an alleyway that you find and you
go in and you're like, doesn't seem to
754
00:39:08,190 --> 00:39:11,840
be anyone there, but maybe because of the
time of day and then the pizza they give
755
00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:13,640
you is the best pizza you've ever tasted.
756
00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:17,800
And it's like, it's all
these tiny little cafes that.
757
00:39:18,230 --> 00:39:20,030
Um, they just
758
00:39:20,030 --> 00:39:20,230
Marc Preston: do.
759
00:39:21,350 --> 00:39:21,560
Yeah.
760
00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:25,760
Isn't there like a whole thing,
a whole idea that they may do one
761
00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:29,380
thing amazingly well, and one place
is known for one thing and you got
762
00:39:29,380 --> 00:39:30,689
to go over there for that one thing.
763
00:39:30,689 --> 00:39:35,685
I mean, I would, I would get lost and pick
up, put on, I mean, Ridiculous amount of
764
00:39:35,685 --> 00:39:37,885
pounds, you know, spending time there.
765
00:39:38,315 --> 00:39:39,865
So, so what are you working on right now?
766
00:39:39,895 --> 00:39:41,485
You know, what is coming up for you?
767
00:39:41,595 --> 00:39:43,345
So you're shooting a series like this.
768
00:39:44,165 --> 00:39:45,335
Same thing with a foundation.
769
00:39:45,345 --> 00:39:48,635
Do you ever kind of need like a break or
do you get a little antsy when you're not
770
00:39:48,635 --> 00:39:51,295
shooting something when you're kind of
like, geez, I want to get back to work.
771
00:39:51,705 --> 00:39:53,465
Dimitri Leonidas: Working is always great.
772
00:39:53,475 --> 00:39:58,545
It's always nice to have, to have that,
but I've learned to sort of use the
773
00:39:58,545 --> 00:40:01,185
time off as productively as possible.
774
00:40:01,185 --> 00:40:01,525
I think.
775
00:40:02,075 --> 00:40:06,435
You, especially when you're first
starting out, it's very easy to
776
00:40:06,435 --> 00:40:11,995
let that time sort of ever way with
anxiety about what's coming next.
777
00:40:11,995 --> 00:40:13,565
And is anything coming next?
778
00:40:13,925 --> 00:40:19,625
Um, and, um, when you, you know, when
a job does come along, you sort of
779
00:40:19,625 --> 00:40:23,575
go, I wish I just sort of did the
things that I want to do in that time.
780
00:40:23,575 --> 00:40:24,695
I wish I read more books.
781
00:40:24,695 --> 00:40:29,675
I wish I, you know, went running more, you
know, I like to do some indoor climbing
782
00:40:29,685 --> 00:40:32,565
and, um, Brazilian jujitsu and, and.
783
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,600
You kind of don't do any of those
things, especially when you're starting
784
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,260
out because you've got no money and
you're like, you're trying to sort of,
785
00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:42,370
I don't know how long this sort of pay
packet has to last to pay your rent.
786
00:40:42,380 --> 00:40:47,129
So you sort of don't branch out into
your other interests until you somehow
787
00:40:47,129 --> 00:40:49,429
feel a little more secure and you're
never going to feel totally secure.
788
00:40:49,430 --> 00:40:49,709
I think.
789
00:40:51,250 --> 00:40:51,440
Um,
790
00:40:51,550 --> 00:40:53,120
Marc Preston: yeah, I remember
a long time ago, I think I
791
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,320
was speaking to John Favreau.
792
00:40:55,410 --> 00:40:56,870
This is going 20.
793
00:40:57,260 --> 00:40:58,590
I don't even think of
how long ago that was.
794
00:40:59,120 --> 00:40:59,740
I'm getting older.
795
00:41:00,010 --> 00:41:02,539
Um, but he said something that's
like, yeah, you know, whenever a
796
00:41:02,539 --> 00:41:04,239
movie or a show raps, I'm out of work.
797
00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:05,940
I never really framed it like that.
798
00:41:05,940 --> 00:41:06,489
Like, Oh really?
799
00:41:06,490 --> 00:41:08,059
I guess you're, I guess you're right.
800
00:41:08,230 --> 00:41:11,280
As far as projects go, what, what
kind of things do you have coming up?
801
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,940
Or even, you know, what kind of
things are you looking to want to do?
802
00:41:15,150 --> 00:41:17,720
You know, coming up here, uh, is
there anything you haven't done that
803
00:41:17,730 --> 00:41:21,700
you're like, I would really like to
grab ahold of a project like this.
804
00:41:21,730 --> 00:41:22,510
What would that be?
805
00:41:22,630 --> 00:41:27,820
Dimitri Leonidas: Um, I mean, I, I feel
very fortunate in the last few years
806
00:41:27,820 --> 00:41:33,720
to have been on a range of, of projects
and shows that are all quite different.
807
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:40,810
Um, you know, from sort of sci fi
to war dramas, um, to, to sort of
808
00:41:40,830 --> 00:41:45,710
modern day to like ancient Rome, I
kind of had to sort of stop when this
809
00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:46,860
job finished and look back and go.
810
00:41:47,555 --> 00:41:52,405
If I, someone had told me 10 years ago
that I would have done these things, it,
811
00:41:53,045 --> 00:41:56,745
I, I would have, you know, grabbed, I
would have said, yes, please, you know, if
812
00:41:56,745 --> 00:41:59,125
that is, is where I could be in 10 years.
813
00:41:59,135 --> 00:42:04,235
So, so I kind of like, I've tried
to sort of go a little more inwards
814
00:42:04,235 --> 00:42:07,995
and, and figure out what it is I
personally want to do and, and the
815
00:42:08,025 --> 00:42:12,745
things that really sort of draw sort
of sources of inspiration for me.
816
00:42:12,745 --> 00:42:16,525
And then it's really bizarre because
that sort of can lead you down.
817
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:22,160
Um, a path of like, you know, you
end up with five, six, seven books
818
00:42:22,180 --> 00:42:26,319
that you're going reading all at
once and, uh, and, um, and that opens
819
00:42:26,319 --> 00:42:27,780
up more doors to something else.
820
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,310
And then there'll be some, you know,
eccentric artists that you, you
821
00:42:31,310 --> 00:42:35,330
discover through that process that you
momentarily become sort of obsessed with.
822
00:42:35,330 --> 00:42:39,470
And, and so I'm in that world of
just, you know, there's lots of
823
00:42:39,470 --> 00:42:41,160
things that sort of appeal to me.
824
00:42:41,170 --> 00:42:41,840
And, and.
825
00:42:42,345 --> 00:42:48,545
Um, finding time to do it all and, and,
and, you know, read the books that I want.
826
00:42:48,545 --> 00:42:54,355
And, um, I, I, I bought a, a camera
recently and have been, you know,
827
00:42:54,445 --> 00:42:59,055
shooting and, and getting to know
the, the intricacies of it and, and
828
00:42:59,055 --> 00:43:02,200
the sort of the, the, the few lenses
that I bought and playing with them
829
00:43:02,325 --> 00:43:05,895
and going onto Da Vinci Resolve and,
and learning the editing software.
830
00:43:05,895 --> 00:43:06,585
And so like.
831
00:43:07,070 --> 00:43:10,090
For me, it's like I could,
I could do that forever.
832
00:43:10,490 --> 00:43:14,160
Um, cause I love, I love, I'm
starting to really enjoy that.
833
00:43:14,570 --> 00:43:21,220
Um, but of course, you know, work,
work is, is, is essential and the
834
00:43:21,220 --> 00:43:24,760
process of, of like being with
other people and doing it is great.
835
00:43:24,829 --> 00:43:24,929
Marc Preston: Yeah.
836
00:43:25,140 --> 00:43:26,079
I know what you mean about that.
837
00:43:26,079 --> 00:43:26,789
Eventually resolve.
838
00:43:26,790 --> 00:43:29,630
You can kind of go down a little
rabbit hole, like as if you've got
839
00:43:29,630 --> 00:43:30,840
a creative mind you want to go.
840
00:43:30,850 --> 00:43:31,150
Right.
841
00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:33,825
Dimitri Leonidas: You've got into the
fusion element elements of DaVinci.
842
00:43:33,825 --> 00:43:33,826
The,
843
00:43:34,460 --> 00:43:37,160
Marc Preston: I haven't even
gotten into the things, the
844
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,230
real horsepower of the thing.
845
00:43:39,470 --> 00:43:39,860
It's insane.
846
00:43:40,070 --> 00:43:44,630
Most I've done was this most rudimentary,
you know, just a basic editing as it were.
847
00:43:44,630 --> 00:43:46,190
But I mean, there's so much you can do.
848
00:43:46,250 --> 00:43:46,550
Yeah.
849
00:43:46,555 --> 00:43:46,705
Yeah.
850
00:43:47,060 --> 00:43:50,180
Do you find yourself, uh, like, oh,
next time I'm on set I wanna go hang out
851
00:43:50,180 --> 00:43:52,190
with a DP and ask him some questions?
852
00:43:52,430 --> 00:43:55,130
You know, what kinda lenses,
why are you using the lenses?
853
00:43:55,130 --> 00:43:55,310
You know,
854
00:43:56,575 --> 00:43:57,265
,
Dimitri Leonidas: exactly that.
855
00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:03,049
It really is that, yeah.
856
00:44:05,730 --> 00:44:07,520
Marc Preston: As we, you know,
head towards wrapping up here.
857
00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,990
One thing I do like to do, I have
my, what I call my seven questions.
858
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,500
I always like to kind of throw
out and just, just a little
859
00:44:13,500 --> 00:44:14,779
fun, a little extra fun here.
860
00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:16,480
And we were talking food a moment ago.
861
00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:18,450
So, that always comes up a bunch.
862
00:44:18,970 --> 00:44:22,130
Um, of the seven questions,
first one's always, what is
863
00:44:22,130 --> 00:44:24,400
your favorite, uh, comfort food?
864
00:44:24,500 --> 00:44:26,930
Dimitri Leonidas: You
know, I love ribeye steak.
865
00:44:28,369 --> 00:44:29,480
I love ribeye steak.
866
00:44:29,619 --> 00:44:30,470
It's, um.
867
00:44:31,510 --> 00:44:36,180
It's, it's a, it's a meal that I
always feel very satisfied that
868
00:44:36,190 --> 00:44:39,530
the ingredient cooked properly with
some, maybe some, some broccoli, some
869
00:44:39,530 --> 00:44:43,709
garlic and a little bit of chili,
uh, with the broccoli that, that is,
870
00:44:45,059 --> 00:44:46,840
that is always super satisfied to me.
871
00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,920
And then, and then, um, you know, on
the slightly, maybe less healthier side.
872
00:44:51,245 --> 00:44:52,635
A good fried chicken burger.
873
00:44:52,635 --> 00:44:54,737
you said a fried
874
00:44:54,737 --> 00:44:55,788
Marc Preston: chicken burger.
875
00:44:55,788 --> 00:45:00,644
You know, the, the folks are the, the
folks, uh, at your neck of the woods I've
876
00:45:00,645 --> 00:45:06,764
spoken with, uh, I learned what spag bowl
is that's that's shown up more than once
877
00:45:06,855 --> 00:45:06,995
Dimitri Leonidas: I
878
00:45:06,995 --> 00:45:07,695
Marc Preston: can imagine.
879
00:45:07,695 --> 00:45:08,025
Yeah.
880
00:45:08,105 --> 00:45:09,245
But of course, being in Italy,
881
00:45:09,245 --> 00:45:10,374
Dimitri Leonidas: now
882
00:45:10,374 --> 00:45:13,945
Marc Preston: the second question is if
you're going to sit down, you're going
883
00:45:13,945 --> 00:45:19,955
to talk story like this, like a few
hours, coffee, you three people, Living
884
00:45:19,955 --> 00:45:23,295
or not, who would those three people be
that you would like to just have at the
885
00:45:23,295 --> 00:45:25,915
table with you, uh, for conversation?
886
00:45:26,035 --> 00:45:30,965
Dimitri Leonidas: Um, David Lean, who,
who directed, uh, Lawrence of Arabia and,
887
00:45:30,965 --> 00:45:33,434
um, all those, all those great epics.
888
00:45:33,435 --> 00:45:36,455
Um, I think he'd be fascinating.
889
00:45:36,485 --> 00:45:38,434
He's a sort of Kubrick
esque for going away.
890
00:45:38,644 --> 00:45:46,285
Um, and, um, Kubrick, you know, would
be, would, it's always hard with these
891
00:45:46,285 --> 00:45:50,155
questions because for me, I always go, how
can it not be Stanley Kubrick in a way?
892
00:45:50,165 --> 00:45:55,120
It's just, You know, his,
his work is, um, you know,
893
00:45:55,950 --> 00:45:59,190
Marc Preston: what is, what, what is
your, uh, if you have a Kubrick project,
894
00:45:59,250 --> 00:46:02,439
just like, okay, it's definitive, what
would that Kubrick film be for you?
895
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,519
Dimitri Leonidas: I think Barry Lyndon,
you know, you sort of go through a process
896
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:10,140
of all of them being at some point a sort
of favorite, but Barry Lyndon is maybe.
897
00:46:10,515 --> 00:46:17,165
Um, the one that I think is
just sort of stunning as a film.
898
00:46:17,255 --> 00:46:24,294
Um, and he famously designed, uh, he
worked along alongside NASA to develop
899
00:46:24,294 --> 00:46:30,094
these new lenses that could pick up light
in, um, that could pick up candlelight.
900
00:46:30,105 --> 00:46:34,845
So he wanted to shoot the whole film in
candlelight, which with the technology
901
00:46:34,845 --> 00:46:36,625
at the time just wasn't really possible.
902
00:46:36,635 --> 00:46:40,485
The lenses couldn't, Pick up
that level of, um, details,
903
00:46:40,545 --> 00:46:42,015
you know, it was just too dark.
904
00:46:42,305 --> 00:46:46,684
So he, you know, he, he, he gets
NASA to help him out and they
905
00:46:46,684 --> 00:46:50,144
design a whole new set of lenses
so that he can get what he wants.
906
00:46:50,424 --> 00:46:52,955
Marc Preston: And all the conspiracy
theories start that he went and, you
907
00:46:52,955 --> 00:46:54,715
know, shot the moon landing on a set.
908
00:46:54,764 --> 00:46:55,265
Dimitri Leonidas: That's right.
909
00:46:56,205 --> 00:46:56,564
That's it.
910
00:46:56,564 --> 00:46:57,315
Exactly that.
911
00:46:57,324 --> 00:46:57,614
Yeah.
912
00:46:57,654 --> 00:46:59,355
Marc Preston: For me, it was
full metal jacket for me.
913
00:46:59,355 --> 00:47:04,005
It was like a, like an interesting
journey to take, you know, Would you have
914
00:47:04,005 --> 00:47:05,325
another person at the table with you?
915
00:47:05,325 --> 00:47:08,205
You can think of that, you know, living
again, living or not, who would that be?
916
00:47:08,205 --> 00:47:11,655
Dimitri Leonidas: I'm going to
end up with three directors here,
917
00:47:11,715 --> 00:47:13,005
but I'm going to do it anyway.
918
00:47:13,064 --> 00:47:17,655
Um, Jonathan Glazer, who, who
directed, um, his first film was sexy
919
00:47:17,695 --> 00:47:21,685
beast, then birth, then under the
skin and recently zone of interest.
920
00:47:22,214 --> 00:47:30,365
Um, I just think he's, uh, you know,
each one of his films, they share no DNA.
921
00:47:30,405 --> 00:47:33,745
Like they don't, You don't know
that there's a Jonathan Glaser movie
922
00:47:33,785 --> 00:47:35,485
because there's nothing about them that
923
00:47:36,395 --> 00:47:36,725
Marc Preston: Really?
924
00:47:36,725 --> 00:47:36,985
Yeah,
925
00:47:36,985 --> 00:47:40,254
Dimitri Leonidas: I mean, he just
totally caters, even the form of
926
00:47:40,285 --> 00:47:44,995
the film, to suit the sort of themes
and the requirements of the film.
927
00:47:45,275 --> 00:47:48,444
I mean, he makes a film every ten years
or something and spends that decade
928
00:47:49,240 --> 00:47:54,140
I think totally focusing on what the
emergent needs of this project are.
929
00:47:54,220 --> 00:47:58,480
So by the time it comes out and sees
it, and you see it, they're like
930
00:47:58,530 --> 00:48:02,250
alien films in a way, because you're
like, there's nothing quite like it.
931
00:48:02,540 --> 00:48:08,169
He has designed the film in a way that
tells the story the exact way it needs
932
00:48:08,169 --> 00:48:13,915
to be told, you know, disregarding how we
sort of, You know, a mass audience sort of
933
00:48:13,915 --> 00:48:17,175
feels about a third act structure and, and
934
00:48:17,615 --> 00:48:20,784
Marc Preston: I don't know if I'd have
the patience to do a film once every
935
00:48:20,784 --> 00:48:22,475
10 years, I would be get too antsy.
936
00:48:22,475 --> 00:48:23,331
Like, I want to get there.
937
00:48:23,331 --> 00:48:24,616
Dimitri Leonidas: I know what you mean.
938
00:48:24,616 --> 00:48:25,129
Yeah, yeah.
939
00:48:25,570 --> 00:48:26,250
It's quite a marathon.
940
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,380
Marc Preston: So, so that begs a question.
941
00:48:28,770 --> 00:48:30,520
Are you wanting to direct
at some point in time?
942
00:48:30,810 --> 00:48:31,490
I think so,
943
00:48:31,540 --> 00:48:31,970
Dimitri Leonidas: yeah.
944
00:48:32,010 --> 00:48:32,870
Yeah, I think I would.
945
00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:39,260
They'd probably be quite sort of small
things that, that I think, I think working
946
00:48:39,260 --> 00:48:43,989
on, on films with so many people and, and,
and they're kind of, you know, big epics.
947
00:48:44,609 --> 00:48:49,680
I quite like the idea for now
anyway of, of pairing it all down
948
00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:56,240
to something very small and, and,
um, and, and simplistic and, and.
949
00:48:56,980 --> 00:48:59,480
Maybe just for me, just playing
around, as you were saying, you
950
00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,140
know, with Da Vinci and stuff.
951
00:49:01,705 --> 00:49:05,375
With sort of more art installation
type things with narrative still,
952
00:49:05,415 --> 00:49:09,514
but, but just playing around with
image and sound and seeing how you
953
00:49:09,514 --> 00:49:12,325
can push that, that, that right now
is sort of quite appealing to me.
954
00:49:12,764 --> 00:49:15,424
Marc Preston: Well, I mean, with all the
locations you get to go, you know, you
955
00:49:15,424 --> 00:49:21,324
can take a camera around and you know, um,
now next question I got for you is going
956
00:49:21,334 --> 00:49:25,101
back when you were young, who was your
first celebrity crush when you were a kid?
957
00:49:25,101 --> 00:49:27,573
Dimitri Leonidas: Mine was,
um, mine was quite a weird one.
958
00:49:27,573 --> 00:49:28,946
I think about it now.
959
00:49:28,946 --> 00:49:30,319
Um, it was Gene Seberg.
960
00:49:30,990 --> 00:49:34,720
You know, the French actress, she was
in a Bouguere souffle, the French film.
961
00:49:34,780 --> 00:49:37,530
Um, she had a kind of crazy life.
962
00:49:37,530 --> 00:49:40,080
She, I think she ended up being
assassinated or something.
963
00:49:40,110 --> 00:49:48,010
She had had an affair with, um, she had
an affair with a politician, I think.
964
00:49:48,090 --> 00:49:51,260
And, uh, and there's a
mystery around her death.
965
00:49:51,269 --> 00:49:54,940
But, um, yeah, Jean Seberg,
the French, the French actress.
966
00:49:55,090 --> 00:49:56,270
She had really short hair.
967
00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:58,610
It's sort of Mia Farrow
esque in, in roses.
968
00:49:59,020 --> 00:49:59,350
Oh, okay.
969
00:49:59,350 --> 00:49:59,999
Okay.
970
00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:00,170
And
971
00:50:00,170 --> 00:50:04,165
Marc Preston: I just, And like,
what, what decade was she, I mean, I
972
00:50:04,175 --> 00:50:05,755
Dimitri Leonidas: guess it
was like French new wave.
973
00:50:05,755 --> 00:50:10,575
So it would be like, is that
the seventies, seventies, right?
974
00:50:10,635 --> 00:50:11,045
Yes.
975
00:50:11,055 --> 00:50:13,075
Marc Preston: That's about,
yeah, I'm learning things.
976
00:50:13,104 --> 00:50:14,980
I'm like, okay, I gotta go check this out.
977
00:50:14,980 --> 00:50:18,424
There are so many things that I happily
have not, you know, at my age, I'm
978
00:50:18,425 --> 00:50:19,455
like, you know, it's kind of cool.
979
00:50:19,455 --> 00:50:20,535
I haven't checked that out yet.
980
00:50:20,535 --> 00:50:20,805
Okay.
981
00:50:20,855 --> 00:50:24,405
Well, there's one more thing that I'm
not aware of and I get to go check out.
982
00:50:24,405 --> 00:50:27,185
So, uh, and I, and again, I learned that.
983
00:50:27,505 --> 00:50:32,245
Hey, you've, you, you know, the whole
connection with Han Solo and Hobremello.
984
00:50:32,415 --> 00:50:35,165
Uh, so that's part of the reason why I
like doing this because I learn things.
985
00:50:36,384 --> 00:50:39,605
Now, if you're going to be going to
live the next question, you're going
986
00:50:39,605 --> 00:50:43,495
to be on an exotic island somewhere,
somewhere you really want to be, but
987
00:50:43,495 --> 00:50:44,555
you're going to be there for a year.
988
00:50:44,565 --> 00:50:45,645
There's no internet.
989
00:50:46,144 --> 00:50:50,745
Um, so you need to bring one album
with you, a CD and one DVD, one movie.
990
00:50:50,775 --> 00:50:54,635
What would that one movie and one album
be that you could, that could ride
991
00:50:54,655 --> 00:50:56,055
out the year with you on the island?
992
00:50:56,110 --> 00:51:05,590
Dimitri Leonidas: The album that
springs to mind is, um, an album called
993
00:51:06,720 --> 00:51:10,770
Oakland Asylum by a band called Y.
994
00:51:11,339 --> 00:51:13,470
In fact, any one of
their albums I'll take.
995
00:51:13,990 --> 00:51:17,920
Um, it was an album, their music I
was listening to a lot in my twenties.
996
00:51:18,190 --> 00:51:23,265
Um, And it, it was just so different
to everything else I heard.
997
00:51:23,305 --> 00:51:23,565
And
998
00:51:23,605 --> 00:51:25,605
Marc Preston: like how, what
a genre does, do they fit
999
00:51:25,855 --> 00:51:26,845
Dimitri Leonidas: really hard to explain?
Speaker:
00:51:26,875 --> 00:51:28,185
I find it really hard to explain.
Speaker:
00:51:28,185 --> 00:51:33,995
Cause it's like, they kind of have
elements of, of like they developed
Speaker:
00:51:34,005 --> 00:51:38,524
something called like cloud rap,
this sort of hypnotic almost, Oh, you
Speaker:
00:51:38,524 --> 00:51:45,084
know, sounds over, um, over sometimes
incomprehensible, you know, lyrics that
Speaker:
00:51:45,084 --> 00:51:47,114
you just sort of almost meditative style.
Speaker:
00:51:47,255 --> 00:51:48,975
And then other times there's a sort of.
Speaker:
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:54,380
You know, a kind of just, you
know, music band vibe as well.
Speaker:
00:51:54,380 --> 00:51:57,920
They're just sort of playing instruments
and, and, and singing, but they, they're
Speaker:
00:51:57,920 --> 00:51:59,970
from San Francisco, uh, I believe.
Speaker:
00:52:00,100 --> 00:52:05,119
And, uh, if you can get hold of any
of their albums, I, it's so cool.
Speaker:
00:52:05,119 --> 00:52:07,539
They're so sort of life affirming and fun.
Speaker:
00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:10,240
Marc Preston: Um, I definitely,
I definitely be checking out.
Speaker:
00:52:10,240 --> 00:52:13,220
Cause I like, again, I'm learning, you
know, and I've spent some time working
Speaker:
00:52:13,220 --> 00:52:18,100
radio and I got, there are very few genres
that I don't have some favorites in, but
Speaker:
00:52:18,100 --> 00:52:21,890
I like checking out things I've never
heard of before, you know, Cause I have
Speaker:
00:52:21,890 --> 00:52:28,180
a, I think some of my kids think I have
a weird taste of music, but I'm a weirdo.
Speaker:
00:52:28,180 --> 00:52:31,109
I like, I, you know, it's like, I got,
I got the things I like, you know,
Speaker:
00:52:33,070 --> 00:52:36,279
now the next question, if you were
to say, you know, we forgot actually
Speaker:
00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,380
what What the, what was the movie
going to be because we knew the album,
Speaker:
00:52:39,390 --> 00:52:40,700
I'm sorry, like brain farted there.
Speaker:
00:52:40,870 --> 00:52:41,970
What would the movie be for you?
Speaker:
00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:43,220
Maybe Chinatown.
Speaker:
00:52:43,590 --> 00:52:44,540
Ah, very good.
Speaker:
00:52:44,580 --> 00:52:46,570
Yeah, that, that, that's a good one.
Speaker:
00:52:46,670 --> 00:52:47,080
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.
Speaker:
00:52:47,220 --> 00:52:49,980
Marc Preston: I find myself sometimes
sitting on the sofa going, what
Speaker:
00:52:49,990 --> 00:52:51,779
have I not seen in a long time?
Speaker:
00:52:51,779 --> 00:52:53,810
I would like to go back and
check out like Chinatown.
Speaker:
00:52:54,260 --> 00:52:56,620
I haven't seen that in
20 years, you know, so
Speaker:
00:52:56,930 --> 00:52:58,850
Dimitri Leonidas: yeah, I
mean, it's, it's phenomenal.
Speaker:
00:52:58,850 --> 00:53:01,312
I'm, I'm definitely in the camp
of like one of the best sort
Speaker:
00:53:01,312 --> 00:53:02,329
of screenplays ever written.
Speaker:
00:53:02,620 --> 00:53:05,190
Marc Preston: Uh, now if you're
again for the next question, from
Speaker:
00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:08,430
the time you wake up to the time you
go to sleep, what are the component
Speaker:
00:53:08,430 --> 00:53:09,860
parts of a perfect day for you?
Speaker:
00:53:09,869 --> 00:53:14,010
What elements would be, you know, if
you said this was, this was a great day.
Speaker:
00:53:14,050 --> 00:53:14,590
Dimitri Leonidas: Okay.
Speaker:
00:53:14,830 --> 00:53:15,200
Okay.
Speaker:
00:53:15,240 --> 00:53:20,670
I like to get up and, and leave,
leave my flat quite quickly.
Speaker:
00:53:20,900 --> 00:53:25,085
Um, I just find getting up and
getting out is sort of an impulse
Speaker:
00:53:25,105 --> 00:53:29,475
for me that, that I, I like to do
it just sort of hanging around.
Speaker:
00:53:29,975 --> 00:53:34,085
I can, you know, get into a sort of
like waste an hour on the couch looking
Speaker:
00:53:34,085 --> 00:53:37,665
at my phone or, you know, so I like to
get out and go get a coffee somewhere.
Speaker:
00:53:38,405 --> 00:53:42,534
Um, a nice cafe, you
know, get my coffee in.
Speaker:
00:53:42,924 --> 00:53:47,595
Um, maybe, maybe do some
reading for an hour or so.
Speaker:
00:53:49,805 --> 00:53:54,535
And then, you know, I guess, I guess any
sort of combination or mixture of like,
Speaker:
00:53:55,145 --> 00:54:01,285
um, something active with whether it's
like indoor climbing or playing football
Speaker:
00:54:01,285 --> 00:54:06,344
at a certain point in that in the day,
um, some sort of physical activity, even
Speaker:
00:54:06,385 --> 00:54:07,854
half an hour at the gym or something.
Speaker:
00:54:08,475 --> 00:54:11,175
Um, get all the sort of
stuff done that I need to do.
Speaker:
00:54:11,175 --> 00:54:14,245
I like to get all that done early,
you know, if there's any emails or
Speaker:
00:54:14,245 --> 00:54:16,255
anything I've gotta send, um, right.
Speaker:
00:54:16,555 --> 00:54:17,335
Marc Preston: Yeah, I'm, I'm saying
Speaker:
00:54:17,845 --> 00:54:19,345
Dimitri Leonidas: that, you know, I
just, I just feel like it, it, it can
Speaker:
00:54:19,345 --> 00:54:22,135
linger in your head as the day goes
on, whereas if you get it sorted, I
Speaker:
00:54:22,140 --> 00:54:23,875
go the day the evening is now mine.
Speaker:
00:54:24,325 --> 00:54:27,325
Marc Preston: Um, you, you want
your day doing your thing and the
Speaker:
00:54:27,325 --> 00:54:29,425
only way you get there is getting
all the other stuff outta the way.
Speaker:
00:54:29,430 --> 00:54:29,490
Okay.
Speaker:
00:54:29,490 --> 00:54:29,810
Dimitri Leonidas: Well that's done.
Speaker:
00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:35,170
Um, and it would end with a film,
I guess, you know, and he cooked
Speaker:
00:54:35,170 --> 00:54:39,320
some nice food and, and some kind
of film would be, would be great.
Speaker:
00:54:39,410 --> 00:54:39,770
Yeah.
Speaker:
00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:41,060
Um, so it's not
Speaker:
00:54:41,060 --> 00:54:41,860
Marc Preston: tea, it's coffee.
Speaker:
00:54:41,860 --> 00:54:44,579
Dimitri Leonidas: Actually,
Speaker:
00:54:44,580 --> 00:54:46,560
Marc Preston: that's why my
daughter brought me back from Rome.
Speaker:
00:54:46,950 --> 00:54:51,415
There's two, two bags of, um,
coffee, like a coffee bean.
Speaker:
00:54:51,415 --> 00:54:53,595
So I'm like, I'm raring to get into that.
Speaker:
00:54:53,725 --> 00:54:54,845
My coffee grinder broke.
Speaker:
00:54:54,845 --> 00:54:58,005
So I got to buy another coffee
grinder so I can enjoy that.
Speaker:
00:54:58,405 --> 00:55:00,865
Um, now if you weren't doing the next
question, if you weren't doing this
Speaker:
00:55:00,865 --> 00:55:05,475
for a living, if this wasn't your
vocation, what could you see yourself
Speaker:
00:55:05,485 --> 00:55:07,464
finding joy in doing besides this?
Speaker:
00:55:07,735 --> 00:55:08,105
Dimitri Leonidas: Wow.
Speaker:
00:55:08,184 --> 00:55:12,054
I mean, as, as we spoke about earlier,
you know, because this has been such a.
Speaker:
00:55:12,240 --> 00:55:18,680
Part of my life since I was young, it is
hard to sort of pull out of this time zone
Speaker:
00:55:18,680 --> 00:55:23,069
and this reality and go, what would be an
alternative sort of reality to live in?
Speaker:
00:55:23,070 --> 00:55:28,739
And, and, um, in some ways it's cheating
a little bit because I would like
Speaker:
00:55:28,739 --> 00:55:30,550
to still do something in, in film.
Speaker:
00:55:30,979 --> 00:55:37,739
Um, but maybe if, if I had
to remove the film industry
Speaker:
00:55:37,919 --> 00:55:39,549
entirely or like the process of.
Speaker:
00:55:40,220 --> 00:55:42,210
Making films in any capacity.
Speaker:
00:55:42,210 --> 00:55:42,390
I
Speaker:
00:55:45,550 --> 00:55:49,130
really don't know and that's
kind of scary a little bit.
Speaker:
00:55:49,190 --> 00:55:52,360
Marc Preston: Um, that's actually
affirming because uh, Reaffirming
Speaker:
00:55:53,410 --> 00:55:55,809
that you're in the right place, you
know, if you can see if you can't
Speaker:
00:55:55,809 --> 00:55:57,900
see yourself doing anything else,
you know You're in the right place.
Speaker:
00:55:57,910 --> 00:56:01,529
Yes Yeah, you know, um, which I think all
actors have to have because you have to
Speaker:
00:56:01,530 --> 00:56:06,475
go through such an arc of experience At
least early on it's not very lucrative.
Speaker:
00:56:06,475 --> 00:56:09,515
Let's say, you know, well, the last
question I got for you, if you were to
Speaker:
00:56:09,515 --> 00:56:13,985
jump into that quintessential DeLorean
and travel back in time, 16 year old
Speaker:
00:56:13,985 --> 00:56:18,125
you, you're going to sit down and
have, uh, you know, some advice you can
Speaker:
00:56:18,125 --> 00:56:22,785
pass along to make that moment somehow
better or to make the, you know, set
Speaker:
00:56:22,785 --> 00:56:23,995
yourself up a little bit different.
Speaker:
00:56:24,434 --> 00:56:27,215
What would that piece of advice
be that you would offer yourself?
Speaker:
00:56:27,645 --> 00:56:30,495
Dimitri Leonidas: Um, it's always a
good question, you know, and it's like,
Speaker:
00:56:32,510 --> 00:56:37,080
I do sometimes think, you know,
what, what would, what would
Speaker:
00:56:37,080 --> 00:56:38,510
I do differently if you could?
Speaker:
00:56:38,510 --> 00:56:42,889
And, and in some ways I think because
of dealing with certain things when I
Speaker:
00:56:42,890 --> 00:56:49,480
was younger, I kind of had downloaded,
you know, certain experiences just offer
Speaker:
00:56:49,840 --> 00:56:56,420
an abundance of, of, of treasure in
terms of, of, you know, lessons learned.
Speaker:
00:56:56,450 --> 00:56:58,499
And so I think I've
always appreciated that.
Speaker:
00:56:59,220 --> 00:57:03,230
I've always had it in me to sort
of go, you know, don't always
Speaker:
00:57:03,230 --> 00:57:04,350
give yourself a hard time.
Speaker:
00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:07,000
Don't like berate yourself
when things go wrong.
Speaker:
00:57:07,439 --> 00:57:14,000
Um, and so I think, I think my
advice would be just to get going a
Speaker:
00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:15,410
little earlier on the things I love.
Speaker:
00:57:15,460 --> 00:57:16,679
I wish I wrote more.
Speaker:
00:57:17,579 --> 00:57:21,159
Um, I wish I'd got into a
habit of writing earlier.
Speaker:
00:57:21,709 --> 00:57:25,759
Um, I think being able to write
means you're able to think and
Speaker:
00:57:25,759 --> 00:57:26,839
you're able to communicate.
Speaker:
00:57:26,859 --> 00:57:30,519
And I think being able to communicate
puts you at such an advantage.
Speaker:
00:57:32,175 --> 00:57:36,135
Because you're just able to express ideas
to other people and share and, and, and
Speaker:
00:57:36,615 --> 00:57:40,225
I think writing is one of those things
that I kind of always wanted to do a
Speaker:
00:57:40,225 --> 00:57:42,735
little bit and never really committed.
Speaker:
00:57:42,735 --> 00:57:46,164
I think I would jump into that
a little bit earlier if I could.
Speaker:
00:57:46,624 --> 00:57:52,435
Um, and maybe even a few other things
like, you know, I wish I, I discovered
Speaker:
00:57:52,475 --> 00:57:53,865
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu quite late.
Speaker:
00:57:53,895 --> 00:57:56,587
I was, I was like 29 30
when I started doing it.
Speaker:
00:57:56,587 --> 00:57:56,784
And, um,
Speaker:
00:57:58,515 --> 00:57:59,155
Marc Preston: So it's kind of funny.
Speaker:
00:57:59,155 --> 00:58:03,045
Cause like, uh, I was a big fan of Anthony
Bourdain, you know, back in the day.
Speaker:
00:58:03,045 --> 00:58:06,225
I know he kind of came by that late
and then towards the end of his
Speaker:
00:58:06,225 --> 00:58:08,685
life, he was really great shape.
Speaker:
00:58:08,785 --> 00:58:10,294
I was like, maybe that's an idea for me.
Speaker:
00:58:10,294 --> 00:58:13,725
I'm like, I'm too lazy for that, but it's.
Speaker:
00:58:14,105 --> 00:58:15,615
But it's a good on you for that.
Speaker:
00:58:15,615 --> 00:58:19,725
But, but I'll tell you what, uh, Dimitri,
I really appreciate you taking time.
Speaker:
00:58:19,785 --> 00:58:22,855
I'm looking forward to getting,
getting further into those
Speaker:
00:58:22,865 --> 00:58:24,815
about to die as it comes out.
Speaker:
00:58:24,914 --> 00:58:25,935
Uh, July 18th.
Speaker:
00:58:27,664 --> 00:58:28,124
Yeah.
Speaker:
00:58:28,265 --> 00:58:28,585
Yeah.
Speaker:
00:58:28,664 --> 00:58:29,715
I've, I've enjoyed it.
Speaker:
00:58:30,244 --> 00:58:31,035
I've gotten into it.
Speaker:
00:58:31,835 --> 00:58:33,955
And I kind of want to kind of
like pace myself because I have
Speaker:
00:58:33,955 --> 00:58:35,355
this habit of binging things.
Speaker:
00:58:35,365 --> 00:58:36,235
Yeah, yeah, I know that.
Speaker:
00:58:36,435 --> 00:58:37,415
Now it's gone, you know.
Speaker:
00:58:37,675 --> 00:58:37,945
Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, that's it.
Speaker:
00:58:38,975 --> 00:58:39,805
Marc Preston: Well, thank you again.
Speaker:
00:58:39,805 --> 00:58:40,915
I so appreciate it.
Speaker:
00:58:40,965 --> 00:58:42,335
But, uh, take care.
Speaker:
00:58:43,285 --> 00:58:43,725
Dimitri Leonidas: very much.
Speaker:
00:58:45,605 --> 00:58:46,375
Marc Preston: All right, there you go.
Speaker:
00:58:46,395 --> 00:58:47,675
Dimitri Leonidas.
Speaker:
00:58:47,965 --> 00:58:50,725
It's the new show, Those About to Die.
Speaker:
00:58:50,735 --> 00:58:53,905
It's on Peacock coming out July 18th.
Speaker:
00:58:54,215 --> 00:58:55,165
Very good show.
Speaker:
00:58:55,175 --> 00:58:56,425
Really enjoyed the series.
Speaker:
00:58:56,835 --> 00:59:00,855
It's based again in the Roman
Empire and it is very expansive,
Speaker:
00:59:00,865 --> 00:59:02,435
visually cool to check out.
Speaker:
00:59:02,725 --> 00:59:03,695
Uh, great stories.
Speaker:
00:59:03,735 --> 00:59:05,125
I mean, it's just a fun ride.
Speaker:
00:59:05,135 --> 00:59:06,155
I think you'll enjoy it.
Speaker:
00:59:06,385 --> 00:59:07,015
Hey, do me a favor.
Speaker:
00:59:07,015 --> 00:59:11,349
If you would, don't forget to follow Story
and Craft on your favorite podcast app.
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App drop a few stars if
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It helps people find the show.
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Plus, if you follow, you get notified
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have some great ones coming up here soon.
Speaker:
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And also you want to drop me
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Speaker:
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Go to story and craft.
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00:59:26,525 --> 00:59:28,305
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Great way to reach out.
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Let me know what's up.
Speaker:
00:59:30,465 --> 00:59:31,845
What are you thinking about the show?
Speaker:
00:59:31,985 --> 00:59:32,795
What are you up to?
Speaker:
00:59:32,885 --> 00:59:33,985
Just reach out and say howdy.
Speaker:
00:59:33,985 --> 00:59:34,925
Always good to hear from you.
Speaker:
00:59:35,135 --> 00:59:35,505
All righty.
Speaker:
00:59:35,505 --> 00:59:36,645
That's it for today.
Speaker:
00:59:36,775 --> 00:59:38,855
Again, thank you for coming by.
Speaker:
00:59:39,155 --> 00:59:41,675
Enjoy having you with me every episode.
Speaker:
00:59:41,690 --> 00:59:42,450
It means a lot.
Speaker:
00:59:42,510 --> 00:59:43,800
So thank you very much.
Speaker:
00:59:44,150 --> 00:59:45,870
I'm going to get on out of
here, grab a bite to eat.
Speaker:
00:59:45,890 --> 00:59:49,210
You go have a great rest of
your day, evening, weekend,
Speaker:
00:59:49,220 --> 00:59:50,340
week, whatever you're up to.
Speaker:
00:59:50,550 --> 00:59:54,030
Thank you so much for making Story
Craft part of what you got going on.
Speaker:
00:59:54,140 --> 00:59:57,660
We'll connect next time,
right here on Story Craft.
Speaker:
00:59:57,940 --> 01:00:00,270
Announcer: That's it for
this episode of Story Craft.
Speaker:
01:00:00,590 --> 01:00:04,950
Join Marc next week for more
conversation, right here on Story Craft.
Speaker:
01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:09,260
Story Craft is a presentation of
Marc Preston Productions, LLC.
Speaker:
01:00:10,255 --> 01:00:12,605
Executive producer is Marc Preston.
Speaker:
01:00:13,015 --> 01:00:15,415
Associate producer is Zachary Holden.
Speaker:
01:00:15,775 --> 01:00:19,085
Please rate and review Story
Craft on Apple Podcasts.
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01:00:33,275 --> 01:00:34,015
I'm Emma Dylan.
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01:00:34,725 --> 01:00:35,385
See you next time.
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And remember, keep telling your story.
Actor
Dimitri Leonidas is a British actor who has worked extensively on stage, television, and film. Up next, Dimitri will star in the Peacock series Those About to Die. Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) and helmed by Anthony Hopkins, all episodes will premiere on July 18 on Peacock in the US and on July 19 internationally on Amazon Prime Video. The show is described as an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.
Dimitri recently starred as Hober Mallow in season 2 of Foundation and in the hugely successful Amblin series Masters of The Air both for Apple TV.
Dimitri’s other TV credits include the Netflix series The One penned by Howard Overman, in which he played the lead role of James, alongside Hannah Ware. He co-led the first 2 seasons of Sky Atlantic's Riviera, opposite Julia Stiles.
Dimitri took to the stage in an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Oscar-winning film Through a Glass Darkly., starring opposite Ruth Wilson, directed by Michael Attenborough.
In 2014, following a worldwide search, Dimitri was cast alongside George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett in World War II drama, The Monuments Men, which followed an unlikely platoon on the greatest treasure hunt in history. He followed this with Rosewater, Jon Stewart's directorial debut, in which he starred opposite Gael Garcia Bernal. This led hi…
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