FromHighlandLoretoHip-HopHoaxes,SéamusMcLeanRossmakeshisfeaturefilmdebutwithCaliforniaSchemin’

The Scottish actor leads James McAvoy’s directorial debut in a story of ambition, identity and unlikely reinvention.

 

WORDS: Olive Walton

 

Séamus Mclean Ross makes his silver-screen debut in California Schemin’, James McAvoy’s retelling of the true story of two Glaswegian lads chasing rap fame in the early 2000s. But stepping into the shoes of a real person in his latest role may be his biggest challenge yet. Long conversations (and a few pints) with West Coast Homeboys’ Gavin Bain gave him a way in: a chance to understand the confidence and friendship at the heart of the story and to look beyond surface impressions.

 

A self-confessed “nerd” for the artistry behind the worlds he steps into, Ross comes across as introspective, hungry to learn and deeply invested in the work. That mindset carries into his upcoming series role as a young Colum MacKenzie in Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which he says will showcase some of the “best acting I’ve ever done on screen” when the second season lands later this year.

 

The audition process. What it was like working with McAvoy. The best acting advice he’s ever received. Navigating personal struggles with confidence and ADHD and how acting helps him channel his strengths. Ross doesn’t shy away from his sensitivity; if anything, that’s where his strength lies. He’s open about his ambition, and it’s that honesty that makes him so easy to root for.

 

Olive Walton:  We have to start with talking about Outlander: Blood of my Blood, because that’s a pivotal moment in your career so far.

 

Séamus McLean Ross: Yes, it was my first big, proper role – not that the other ones weren’t great – I did three episodes in Rebus, but it was a small part, only a couple scenes. So, Outlander: Blood of my Blood was certainly a big jump.

 

OW: What was it like stepping into such an established world and making that role your own?

 

SMR: It was amazing. Stepping into a universe where there’s already this rich tapestry created is something that’s really fun because you’ve got all this detail and attention to the world building that’s already gone into it. The budget’s huge on those shows and it’s got this preexisting parachute of fans to welcome you into it, so it was daunting. It’s also a bit reclusive because we literally film it in a big warehouse in Cumbernauld in the arse end of nowhere and the main fans are in America. So when we went to LA and to Comic Con, that was my first glimpse into meeting them all and how brilliantly supportive they are.

 

 

OW: Being on a production of that scale, you must see so many departments. Are there any parts of the production that have really intrigued you, that you have wanted to get to know more about?

 

SMR: Genuinely all of it. For example, the set building is a great one, but they all go hand in hand. Everyone works so meticulously. There’s just racks and racks of period clothes that they’ll find from all over the world. They’ll use pieces of 18th century French curtains and apply that to a pattern for our kilts and shirts. They 3D printed a Highland clan member’s clothing because the fabric of his clothing was preserved in a bog.

OW: California Schemin’ is based on a true story. How much did you know about the story before you got the role and then how much research did you then have to do once you were cast?

 

SMR: I didn’t know about it at all. I got sent some documentary links on it like Hip Hop Hoax, which is so brilliant, and I just tried to absorb as much as I could. Obviously playing a real person, I wanted to do it right, you know? As with every project, but especially because a) they’re a real person, and b) they’re alive. My approach was interesting because my research and my sources were all from firsthand [accounts]. I could literally talk to Gavin. I met him in Soho, we went for some pints and he told me his story. It was great. He was so open to telling me everything about his identity. The thing for me was, we’re not telling an individual biopic of why Gavin was able to morph so easily into another character, but it was more the friendship we’re shown and the ability to do things with a friend that you normally, as a shy person, might not be able to. So that was our focus in the film. That’s the lens we’re telling. So I had to bring this knowledge of Gavin and his problems with identity prior to the story of starting California Schemin’. [The film] picks them up in Dundee and you don’t get this whole background that he’s actually from South Africa and got bullied in school when he went to the West coast, for his accent and that really hampered him. He grew up to age 15 with sunshine and skateboarding and this idea of a different culture. So that really impacted him when he suddenly moved halfway across the world.

 

 

OW: I wanted to know a bit about the audition process. I read that you were asked to rap in your audition. Can you walk me through what the audition process was like and some of the things that you had to do?

 

SMR: I was living in London and doing a play and the tape came through – already on top of the world – and it said “You’ve got an addition. They’d love to see a self tape for California Schemin’,” and it sounded amazing. So I did a rap song. I love Playboy Carti and artists like that, more of my generation’s sound, it’s so different to Gavin’s stuff like 50 Cent and boom bap rap. So I filmed ASAP Rocky’s verse from New Chopper, which is really fast. I tried to film it as much like a rap video as I could without looking like a dick. So I got a tripod and just filmed it above me to the camera and did the scene. Then I met James [McAvoy] for the recall. It was mad meeting James in person, but he’s so normal and so Scottish. Just a Glasgow boy, you know? He’s just a lad and we really got on. He’s got an incredible way of talking to you about acting and such intensity that I really responded to. I’m such a fan of his so that was cool. Eventually I heard that they wanted to final recall me for a chemistry read with a bunch of different Billy’s. I read with three different guys and then with Sam [Bottomley], so four in total. They were all really great. Me and Sam felt really relaxed and they told me there was space for improvisation. I really love that. It makes you feel like you can know the script more and with improvisation you get to mold with the script a bit and push it and try things. I had a great time with Sam and he totally raised my game. He’s such a great actor and such a different energy, so I think it really worked.  I had to write my own rap for that round as well, so it was just quite extensive.

 

OW: What was it like working with James as a director? Do you feel like he was pulling anything out of you that you were impressed by?

 

SMR: I was probably in my head for quite a lot of it. I was actually so fucking nervous for the duration of shooting. I find that acting hard. The reason I said I’ve enjoyed season two [of Outlander: Blood of my Blood] so much was because I was so relaxed and I felt so confident. So, the two go hand in hand. There’s nothing worse than being on a film set when you feel in yourself. Especially on an indie film where there’s not a lot of time for doing a lot of takes, but somehow I managed to pull out a half decent performance. I think I can be quite big. I can try and push and show that I’m acting and James is like, you just need to be yourself. I just wanna see you. Which is really groundbreaking and that’s like the best acting advice I probably ever heard and something that really freed me. I was only 23 when I was filming it. Still young. I know Sam’s acted since he was like 10, but for me, I’ve not acted loads, especially on screen. So that really freed me and gave me courage. I’m always looking for approval in life anyway, and it felt like we had [James’] loves me. I don’t use that word lightly, he was so supportive and even after shooting he’d send me voice notes throughout it, just talking to me and guiding me. And so he was literally like a guiding light for us all. And he is like a father figure. And yeah, I’ve got big love for the guy.