Despite "only" being a school's drama prog, and presumibly partly because it's about sex and drugs and shocking things like that, and partly because (if it's halfway as good as the book) it's fantastic, there has been lots about it in magazines. So far I have found a piccie of Daniel and Jemima Roper, who plays Gemma, in Bliss (well, a very tiny one), a bigger picture of them in a feature about Junk that's about half a page in Sugar, and a review, picture, and mini Danny interview in J-17. These are all February issues. Also get Radio Times and TV Times for 9 - 15 January for more features. The picture in TV Times is really cool, with Tar and Gemma looking very punky!
From J-17:
"A Load of old Junk
Daniel Newman tells us about playing heroin addict Tar in
Junk....
Was it a difficult part to play?
"Having a former addict on the set made it easier. We also went to a rehabilitation centre and met people involved with drugs. It was amazing. People don't realise how easy it is to get drawn in."
Was it hard to play a character much younger than yourself?
"It's just a question of acting. I can act 14 when I'm 22 inthe same way that I can act aggressive ordrunk when I'm not. It's just what us actors have to do."
What was the thing you liked best about Junk?
"It's got a very honest message. It doesn't say all drugs will kill you, which is why the way it deals with heroin is so believable."
| Junk | Daniel Newman and Jemima Roper | Gemma and Tar play heroin addicts in a top adaptation of Melvin Burgess' cool novel | Grit, grit, and more grit, but in a thought provoking kinda way. | Tar is pretty tasty, but we prefer our lads to be high on life. | 12 pm, Friday 15 January BBC2 ***** |
From Sugar
Sex and drugs tale set to cause a stir
The dramatisation of Melvin Burgess's novel, Junk, is set to be one of the most contraversial plays ever to hit our TV screens. It tells the story of Gemma and Tar, both 14, who get sucked into an underworld of prostitution and heroin addiction. So it might come as a surprise to learn that Junk is being screened as part of the BBC's ID: Learning to be you school education series.
Daniel Newman, who plays Tar, believes that the realistic scenes are neccessary. "We've worked hard to show that although heroin may feel good at first, what it does to you is terrifying. Heroin is a real problem, and people should know the facts." he says.
Jemima Roper, who plays Gemma, was shocked by what she saw while researching her part at a rehab centre.
"There were people from all different walks of life. The only thing they had in common was heroin," she explains.
Junk will be shown on BBC2, starting January 15. You can be sure there'll be a few complaints, but as Daniel says, "It's a programme every teenager should see. And their parents, too."