Hustle
- Danny
Blue (Marc Warren)
"I'm
Danny Blue. You might have heard of me. I know you're playing a
score and I want in."
 Marc
Warren has a trick up his sleeve. For the last few years he has
been studying the art of mind reading with associates of TV illusionist
Derren Brown and is becoming quite an expert.
So
much so, that he even rendered his Hustle co-star Robert Vaughn
speechless when he invited him to think of a film and an actor and
correctly guessed the answer (Rebel Without A Cause and Natalie
Wood, for the record!).
"I'm
interested in magic, sleight of hand and mentalism, which is like
a mind reading thing," explains Warren. "I've
been doing it for about four or five years and the tricks and cons
in Hustle are a natural extension to that.
"I think
all actors are like con men really - you're conning somebody
into believing you're someone you're not. It just needs
confidence to do that. I think more people could act if they had
the confidence to do it."
For
Warren, Hustle was a chance to work with one of his favourite actors,
Robert Vaughn, made all the more interesting for Warren due to Vaughn's
anecdotal stories from the '60s.
"I've
always been a really big fan of that era of film and one of my movie
heroes is Steve McQueen. The fact that Robert had worked with him
on numerous occasions was amazing for me," enthuses Warren.
"For
my leaving card Robert gave me the classic photo of McQueen from
The Great Escape when he's got one hand on the bike and there is
a 'Halt' sign behind him.
"Inside
he'd written, 'My Dearest Marc, we were very drunk the night before
this shot was taken. He had to work. I went to bed. He is no more
and as Sondheim said, I'm still here'. It really blew me away."
Warren's
character in Hustle, Danny Blue, is also in awe of one of his colleagues.
Blue is a young rookie con artist who excels at card tricks and
pickpocketing but is eager to learn about the dying art of the long
con and holds Mickey Bricks, the master of this art, in the highest
regard.
"Danny's
a bit like me. He certainly looks and sounds like me," jokes
the Northamptonshire actor. "I just try to make him a bit
cheeky and relaxed and a bit naughty.
"Although
the team are criminals, I hope the audience will sympathise with
them because they only con rich and greedy people.
"I
like to think that Danny is the kind of everyman out there. He's
the one that the audience can relate to, the cheeky chappie and
he is quite nice actually."
Danny
Blue is a complete departure from the characters Warren has made
his name from over the last few years.
His
CV reads like a who's who of the dark and debauched. He has been
highly praised for his performances in dramas such as the thrilling
State Of Play and the disturbing Men Only.
"It
is a change for me and I forget that sometimes. I've not made a
career out of playing cheeky chappies, I've made a career out of
playing nutters. I'd like to think people won't be scared of me
in this, I hope they'll like me.
"I've
gone from a cross-dressing doctor in Reversals to a cockney con
artist in Hustle. I've gone from Lanc么me to Long Con!"
laughs Warren.
"I
think I'd be quite a good con artist as I've got the ability to
be quite manipulative. When I was younger it was a trait I didn't
like so I didn't encourage that within myself.
"But
if I hadn't been an actor I think I could have been a long con artist.
I think I would have been the real-life Mickey Bricks!" decides
Warren.
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