HOLBY CITY actor Duncan Pow joined the cast at the beginning of the year as surgeon Linden Cullen. Kindly he talked to holby.tv about his role in the show so far…
You’ve been on the show for nearly a year, are you enjoying your time on the show?
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a job as much. It is a pleasure to get up every morning and spend my days working at Holby. From the Producers, Writers and Production Staff through to the Crew and the Cast, everyone is lovely to work with and the atmosphere is always positive and good fun. What more could I wish for? I’m getting paid to do something I love.
Your character is very popular with members of holby.tv having recently been voted ‘Best Newcomer’ in this year’s holby.tv awards, why do you think Linden has such a strong fan base? What feedback do you get from viewers?
I try not to think too much about Linden and how he is viewed by fans. I think it’s great that you guys voted Linden as Best Newcomer and that he has been well received but I guess the fact he has a fan base is down to Tony McHale, Diana Kyle and the writing team coming up with such an interesting character and Tony, Diana, Liz Stoll and Julia Crampsie for giving me the opportunity to play him.
Linden is a very complex character to play and getting your teeth into him has been a dream, any actor would relish the opportunity, I just feel lucky and priviliged that it was me that was given the chance.
As per viewer feedback, the letters I get like his honesty and dedication to others, he’s quite selfless, I guess, and that is an
incredibly endearing quality.
What has been your most memorable scene/ storyline to play so far?
It’s hard to pick favourite scenes as I thoroughly enjoy everything I get to do at Holby. I guess the Flash Cooling Episode was fun, the Tan story was very emotional and I think it was nice to play a side of Linden maybe the viewers hadn’t seen before, but my favourite stuff is always to do with Olivia and Holly.
Linden has demons and I really enjoy examining where his pain derives from and how it manifests itself in his day to day life. I guess for Linden he is living a life that he hasn’t chosen for himself, he has great faith in God and when Olivia died I think that that was when he chose the path he walks every day. I think if I had lived Linden’s life I would have renounced God, not been able to accept what had happened. It would have driven me mad or to drink probably. But Linden made his choice then, to keep his Faith, to put his Faith in God and to try and spend his life doing good in the knowledge that God has a purpose for him. I think we have all experienced loss at some point in our lives and how we cope with that loss, defines us. Exploring that in Linden has been emotional but gratifying.
How are you similar/ different to Linden personality wise?
I work incredibly hard at my job, as does Linden. He punishes himself for mistakes, as do I. I guess in many ways we share the same work ethos and the same guilt complex. The similarities end there though.
Linden is very private and still carries a lot of demons, do you think viewers could ever see him get close to anyone or fall in love again?
I think Linden has the potential, very much, to love again. I think Linden was a wonderful husband and father. I’m sure that Olivia, Linden and Holly laughed together all the time. I think that their life was one of love, joy and family. I think that is why it is so hard for him to carry what he has lost every single day.
I think there are things with Holly he needs to resolve before he can move on from Olivia. But I think he has feelings for someone that have awoken something inside him and I think that what happens in the future with Linden, and in his love life, will show the viewers more facets of his personality, but I also think it will show you that Linden deserves to fall in love again. There is a good human being with a big heart wasting away on his own. I think he could make someone’s life really special and I hope that one day he gets the chance to.
What are the rest of the cast like to work with? Who are your closest friends on Set?
The cast are a pleasure to work with and to learn from. To be able to watch people like Hugh, Amanda, Robert and Paul up close, to name but a few, really gives you an opportunity to learn from some of the best actors around. I think Holby has the strongest recurring cast of anything on British TV right now and it’s a privilege to be involved. I like to think I get on with everyone but socially, I guess I spend most time with Robert Powell, he’s a big United fan too, and we often spend Sunday afternoon’s in a local pub, drinking and shouting at the telly.
Do you find learning the medical terms on Holby difficult?
I’ve never really struggled too hard with the medical terminology I don’t think. I guess it comes from being kind of a geek, I get a buzz from finding out what everything means. I guess it’s the student inside me, not literally of course.
How did you get into acting? Which actors/ actresses do you admire?
I’ve been very lucky in getting to where I am though I’m a great believer in making your own luck, fortune favours the brave and all that. I took a Maths degree, then a Media Technology degree, was an Assistant Producer for a financial TV company, a shopping telly presenter (soulless, soulless, soulless) and then I got a part in Trainspotting, the play, managed to get an agent and from there went via Dream Team to Holby City.
Actors I admire, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn. Anyone really who manages to do brilliant work and stay out of the tabloids.
Away from the busy filming schedule, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
My spare time involves running, reading and watching telly. I am pretty boring when I finish work. I’ve just had two weeks off from training which meant I’ve been out a little bit, but back on to my Marathon regime as of today!
What was the last
a) cd you bought
Andrea Bocelli
b) film you watched
21
c) book you read
The Art of Peace
You played football for Swindon Youth Team and was a regular cast member on ‘Dream Team’, are you still a keen footballer? What team do you support?
Don’t play anymore, but huge Man United fan.
You recently took part in the BUPA Great South Run for charity. What made your decision to do the run and how well did you do?
I finished the run in 76 minutes which I was pleased with considering how much training I did. I got involved to raise money for CLIC Sargent as my cousin died of leukaemia two years ago, I will be running the London Marathon in April for the same cause.
