Scotland At The Movies

26 March 2009, 16:48

Actor Robert ‘Rab’ Buchanan admitted his role in Scottish classic Gregory’s Girl came with its ups and downs as he looked back on the film.

Glasgow-born Buchanan said the role attracted a lot of unwanted attention from members of the public, some of which became quite aggressive.

“If someone recognises me in the street, very rarely do I get, ‘Oh, you’re Robert Buchanan, pleased to meet you’…I was chased up Sauchiehall Street one night by a bunch of drunken guys because I didn’t want to talk to them.”

The actor maintained, however, that he had no regrets about doing the film.

“It's been a mixed bag, but of course I’m really, really proud of it,” said Buchanan.

Gregory’s Girl was directed by Bafta winner Bill Forsyth and follows a gangly teenager as he becomes infatuated by the new star, and only female, on the school football team.

Buchanan, who now works for the Tolbooth Theatre in Stirling, felt that the continued success of the film is due to its enduring relevance.

“I think it is so successful because everybody who is at school knows characters like that. I think those characters still exist.”

The film was shot in Cumbernauld and Buchanan remembered getting to know the town, particularly the pubs, although he did run into a few problems gaining entrance with his character’s outfit on.

“We had school uniforms on and we were trying to get into the local pub. We were old enough - I was 19. I didn’t drink but I quite liked going into the pubs, but getting in with the uniform on was a bit tricky. Once they realised what was going on they relented and we were allowed in.”

Looking back on the film the actor is proud of his achievements and the tribute paid to him by director Forsyth who created characters specifically for him.

“I’m really glad that I was involved in something like that. There isn’t a great deal of people who can say they have had a part in a film written for them; counting That Sinking Feeling, I had two”

1984’s Comfort and Joy rounded off Buchanan’s collaboration with director Bill Forsyth and was his last acting role in a feature film.

Last updated: 27 March 2009, 09:42