Figuring Out Who The Hell We Are: James Coutsavlis On "Starlight"
James Coutsavlis is an actor and writer. Recently, he starred in the short film Starlight, the fourth narrative short in the Amazon Exclusive anthology A Series of Light. We had the pleasure of chatting with James about the role, life on set, and much much more!
A Series of Light is an anthology series which explores the darkest sides of humanity, through technology, connection, intimacy and heartbreak. Starlight follows student Kane as he falls for his roommate Jacob, a straight rogue. Traversing their sexuality against 90s Liverpool, the boys journey lust, shame and heart-ache.
How did you hear about Oxygen Films and get involved in this project?
I heard about Oxygen Films via Luke Hudson and without him I would never have been involved with A Series of Light. In the spring of 2019, I worked with Luke on a lovely short-film of his called A Picture Called Motion, and we got on fantastically well. Fast forward to the winter of 2019 and Oxygen Films, who are mid-production on the series, are suddenly in need of an actor. Now, Luke must have said some extremely nice things about me because I am then contacted by Gage Oxley, who is the head honcho, saying he needs an actor for Starlight and they start filming in three weeks. I was given the script to read it. I had a conversation with Luke about the series and then it was just a matter of saying “yes”.
What resonated with you most about the script?
There is an insecurity that I found to be quite accessible. Kane and Jacob are both young men trying to figure out who the hell they are. Regardless of the specific circumstances, aren’t all young men trying to do that in some form? Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to think other young men are out there traversing the battlefield of emotions that comes with becoming an adult and forging your identity as a man.
How did you prepare for the role and develop your character?
Stopped eating carbs. Aha no, only kidding! With only three weeks to prepare I had to prioritize, so the first thing I did was focus on the accent, mainly because it worried me the most. Once I had a slight grasp of it, I could relax and just focus on finding the truth of Jacob. I had a rough idea of how I thought he was to be portrayed, but I really didn’t want to give it too much thought prior to filming. It was exciting for me to just “shoot from the hip” on set and see what let fly.
Are there any fun or humorous tales from the set that you can tell us?
Obviously due to the intimate nature of the film there were scenes where it was very important to have fun. There is no real way to get through them without having a laugh; you can’t take yourself too seriously when you’re swanning about with a prosthetic down your pants can you? But naughty jokes aside, I did have great fun filming the fireworks scene. I don’t know why, but I found the combination of everyone braving the freezing cold mixed with the crew dealing with temperamental rockets so enjoyable. It was so chaotic. I loved it. It was a right mission to get that shot.
What drew you to the performative arts? How did you fall in love with acting?
I was a dreadfully shy kid, so when I was four years old my mum took me to these drama classes and I guess that’s where I caught the bug. I then went on to do school musicals and all that, but what really made me fall in love with acting was, as a young kid, watching The Lord of the Rings Appendices and seeing the magic behind what goes into creating a movie. It looked like so much fun to me that I became obsessed with the idea of doing it myself.
What are some tips you give those aspiring actors out there for how they can hone their craft?
I consider myself an aspiring actor, so this advice is equally for myself and my peers: the key for any actor is to be playful. It is a natural instinct you have as a child and unfortunately as we get older, and time wearies us, the ability to play slowly erodes, but it’s so important to nurture it. Regarding the craft of acting my belief is that you should think less and feel more. A willingness to fail is vital; the fear of failure can hinder you considerably and stunt that essential playfulness.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us?
Well there’s a second season of A Series of Light currently in the works, and I’ve been brought onto the writing team for that which is exciting! But apart from that, I think I will have to keep my cards close to my chest…
Wanna learn more about A Series of Light?! Check out the links below!
A Series of Light review
Gage Oxley On His Anthology A Series Of Light
Jack Parr on “Greenlight”
Jake Watkins On "Redlight"
Rochelle Naylor On "Whitelight"
Charlie Harris on "Blacklight"
Bruce Herbelin-Earle On "Limelight"
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