Jack
And Jodi's Delicious Debut – February 2007
From
soapstar to filmstar ...
Jodi Albert and Jack Ryder
By
NADIA
JACK
RYDER quit EastEnders five years ago in his quest for
The
pint-sized star has just debuted in his first feature film, Popcorn, opposite
former Hollyoaks babe Jodi Albert.
He
plays comic-loving geek Danny, who falls in love with Suki, the girl of his dreams (Albert).
In
a bid to win her heart, he nabs a job at the cinema where she works - only to
discover his first day is her last day in the job.
The
story unravels into a fast-paced chase to catch the girl before she gets away,
with plenty of giggles and laughs-a-minute.
The
90-minute teen comedy has oodles of potential, but gratuitous lesbianism,
superfluous swearwords and unwarranted sex references zap the humour from this
otherwise quirky little number.
Unfortunately
for Jack, his performance is overshadowed by Luke de Woolfson’s witty portrayal of Zak
the projectionist, while Jodi is almost eclipsed by Ophelia Lovibond’s over-sexed, man-hating character Katerina.
But
Jack - who is married to ex-Hearsay singer Kym Marsh -
admitted: “My character is a Peter Parker (Spiderman’s alter-ego) type of
guy.
"I
wasn’t looking to get a laugh every second. I played the role straight and
dead-pan … I tend to get more results this way."
Although
the film lacked a spark between the two lead characters, no rom-com would be complete without the obligatory final
kiss.
Jack
said: "Kissing scenes are never comfortable, but it’s good to be professional
about it … And no, we don’t practice before shooting!"
Jodi
added: "The scenes are always awkward, especially when you know there are 40
eyes watching you. It’s never romantic.
"My
boyfriend Kian (from Westlife) is cool with it because he’s seen loads of my
on-screen kisses. He knows it’s just a job. When I see screaming girls around
him, it’s flattering. Let’s face it, they’re not going
to scream at us forever when we’re old."
The
vibrant colour and clever editing turn this film into a feel-good summer flick,
that's fun, easy-to-watch and entertaining.
Leading-man
Jack has his wits about him though and knows how competitive the acting world
is. He told The Sun: "I spoke to Natalie (Cassidy, Sonia from EastEnders) a couple of weeks ago. She’s fine, but it’s
difficult - that’s what our industry is like. You’ve got to really love what you
do and see it as your future."
Meanwhile,
down-to-earth Jodi would love to follow in the footsteps of Charlize Theron and take up a
challenging role like Monster.
She
said: "If I was offered an ugly role, I’d love it. It’s all about the character.
I’d do anything if I was excited about the script. Dye my hair purple, anything
... I wouldn't care."
Popcorn
is out on March 2.
Credit/Source:
www.thesun.co.uk