We might not be paparazzi here at WGBH Drama Club, but we do like learning as much as we can about our favorite drama performers. This week, we’re turning our lens on Al Weaver, the actor behind Grantchester’s Leonard Finch and Press’ James Edwards. While these two characters are essentially different — a queer Anglican curate vs. a cut-throat reporter — they both share a vulnerability that Weaver excels at delivering.
For those who haven’t caught either show, they’re both worth catching up on. Grantchester follow’s Vicar Will Davenport and Detective Geordie Keating as they solve crimes in Davenport’s (surprisingly crime-ridden) parish. Here, Weaver’s supporting character has seen significant growth in screen time since last season. Grantchester, Season Five is broadcasting now, Sundays at 9pm on WGBH 2.
If that’s not your cuppa, there’s always Press, which follows journalists and editors in the turbulent newspaper world. While Weaver is a supporting cast member here, too, he once again shines in the role, creating a memorable character. Press is repeating now on WGBX 44, Mondays at 10pm.
Here are 10 facts about this dynamic actor:
1. While Weaver is a born and bred Manc, he travelled to London to study acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a school notable for its alumni: Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Dockery, and Naveen Andrews, among others.
2. Weaver also knew Tessa Peake-Jones, who you’ll recognize as Mrs. Chapman from Grantchester, before their work together. Peake-Jones was actually Weaver’s mentor at Guildhall. You can listen to them discuss their relationship on and off-screen at Masterpiece Studio.
3. Weaver’s first role out of University was pretty iconic: he took on the lead role in Shakespeare’s Hamlet! The production, staged at the Old Vic and directed by Trevor Nunn, saw Weaver sharing the role with Ben Wishaw.
4. Stage and screen aren’t the only places you can catch Weaver. He’s also appeared in two video games: the interactive film The Complex, a sci-fi thriller about scientists seeking to solve a case in a laboratory that is slowly running out of air, as well as in the open-world RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
5. But don’t think that Weaver only shows up in front of the camera. He’s also a writer and producer. He took on the roles first on a short film of his own, titled Things He Never Said, and reprised the producer role on a feature film: Marriage Material, in which he also stars, and is due out later this year.
6. Despite his impressive resume, Weaver is just like us at heart: he geeks out over celebrities with the best of them! At least, if that celebrity is Jeff Goldblum, of whom he is a huge fan.
7. And, also like us, Weaver was sad to see James Norton leave Grantchester. “He makes working on the job a great deal of fun… it wasn’t just the character of Sidney, it was James’ energy, plus he’s a friend.” But he was also happy to bring Tom Brittney on: “… we welcomed Tom in with open arms, and he has done brilliantly… there was lots of camaraderie, and we all came together.”
8. Weaver found a great deal of commonality with his character in Press, James Edwards. “The main thing for me was how obsessive and inconvenient the job can be. Not unlike being an actor strangely. These people never stop and it seems the main fatality is a loss of personal life and time to oneself.”
9. A bibliophile, Weaver’s favorite books include classics like The Picture of Dorian Gray and Wuthering Heights, as well as contemporary classics, like The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and American Gods.
10. Like a lot of our other favorite British Drama stars, Weaver is a fan of football. Who does he cheer for? Liverpool!
Catch Al Weaver in Grantchester, Sunday nights at 9pm on WGBH 2, and in Press, Monday nights at 10pm on WGBX 44. Both are also available to stream on WGBH Passport.
