Robert Carlyle talks reprising Begbie role in six-part TV series: "Everything just spirals"

9 June 2023, 18:34 | Updated: 9 June 2023, 18:38

Robert Carlyle regrets snubbing this one show

The Scottish actor spoke to Chris Moyles about everything from his iconic Trainspotting character to why he turned down roles in Marvel movies.

Robert Carlyle has talked about everything from the new series of The Full Monty to reprising his most infamous role.

The Scottish actor is best known for playing the psychotic Begbie in the 1996 film, Trainspotting and its 2017 sequel T2:Trainspotting and now he's set to bring him back to life in a six-part TV series.

"Begbie will return, there’s a book called The Blade Artist Irvine Welsh a few years ago, we’re in the process a the moment, that’s going to be a six-part," he told The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.

"This deals with Begbie’s life after prison. He’s married his art therapist in the nick. e’s discovered art and his form or art sculpture, he slashes these pieces of clay to bits and makes models of celebrities of the day."

He went on: "One of the celebrities, kind of like Brad Pitt has brought a piece so he’s like a cause célèbre… he gets a call from Edinburgh to tell him that his son has been murdered so he goes back to Edinburgh, and everything just spirals… I think we’ll probably start shooting this in about eighteen months’ time."

Watch his interview with Chris Moyles above.

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Robert Carlyle may be known for playing various roles across his career, but one role he does regret missing out on TV drama series Life On Mars.

Asked by Chris Moyles if he ever watches shows and thinks he should have accepted certain parts, he replied: "One of the shows I kind of regret turning down, do you remember the show Life on Mars, how stupid was that?

"I can’t really remember why, it just wasn’t the right time for me to do that then, so that’s one that I look back on and think, ‘uhhhm’. Listen, Simm and Glenister were brilliant in it, they absolutely smashed it."

Asked if John Simm - who played Sam Tyler in the series - knew, he replied: "Maybe it wasn’t Jon’s part… I can expand on that, it was originally going to be me and Ray Winstone, Ray and I had spoken about doing it, I think he was going off to do The Departed and there was something I was doing as well, it just wasn’t the right time."

He added: "It could have been so different, not necessarily any better, probably worse!

READ MORE: That time this legend sent his son to school as Begbie...

When it comes to big budget Blockbusters, however, Carlyle has no regrets. Asked if he'd fancied playing any of the big movies, he said: "Nah, it’s not for me. I’ve kind of skirted around that world twenty odd years ago, big budget films, but I’ve always been at home with kitchen sink dramas, that’s my home, that’s my territory, it’s where I’m from, those are my people and I like to represent that, and giving voices to people that don’t generally get heard."

When Chris suggested he'd make a great Marvel baddie, he added: "I don’t fancy the tights and the cape really…. Listen, I’ve been offered them but nah…"