Actor Bob Grant of On the Buses, interviewed by Pamela Armstrong, 28th January 1987.

now the acting profession is one of the most precarious in the world when you're at the top it's wonderful but it causes heartbreak when the office of work don't come in the nature of the game is to smile and hide the pain but that became too much for actor Bob grant from on the bus's Fame and last week something very dramatic happened in his life Bob last week you walked out on your family and your friends your agent has said that you did it for publicity why I find that remark particularly offensive my agent made this suggestion without talking to me I may say he hasn't spoken to me since I've been back there's no way I would do something like that for publicity I've been through absolute hell in the last week says my wife my mother my friends it's been a dreadful time I'm frankly I've been through I suppose what one would call a breakdown what actually happened I just found the pressures too much to bear the pressures of having been out of work for a long time the pressure of looking at the future and seeing nothing coming up I thought I cannot stand another period like I've gone through in the last year I really cannot take it the debts are mounting up there's no future I was suicidal frankly one of the things that he said was that you're finding it difficult to come to terms with not being a TV personality anymore because that's how we remember you was on the buses it's is that also untrue that is untrue one always comes to terms with wherever one is in the business I've done loads and loads of things since on the buses I've paid Denis Thatcher in anyone for Denis things like that totally different from on the buses no I of course I enjoyed that period I enjoyed the fame of being in a hit television series that's fine I know that doesn't last forever I I don't expect it to that doesn't worry me at all how bad was it last week when we decided to leave your family were you very clear minded about it not No some of the things are quite blank in my mind still I just knew that I had to get away I didn't really know what I was going to do I did consider suicide I must say that was one of the options that's how low I got in my mind I didn't really know what I was going to do where I was going I found myself in Dublin a city that I've always loved very much indeed I find it a very calm peaceful place I love the Irish I think they're wonderful people and is that why you went there yes I think so in inside me I knew I had to find a haven somewhere I could just be alone and work myself out you were acting about eight months ago it is eight months a very long gap for an actor to be out of work not particularly no plenty of actors have probably been in my position perhaps they've been out of work for longer periods it isn't only that it's sometimes one just gets to the state and I've heard other actors say this before me you get to the state where you think I am never going to work again have you ever been in the situation as bad as this but no and you've been right down to the bottom in that case haven't you I really have yes I I think I lost my own self-respect which is the worst thing anybody can do it's very brave of you to come on today and really so soon after what happened last week and to take the time to talk to us what do you think you're going to be doing over the next few days and weeks to get yourself back on course again I have the support of my my family my wife my mother my friends my my dear friend any large fir me up this morning he said look don't take any notice of all this rubbish about a publicity stunt he said everybody in the business gets these things thrown at them he said we tow listen thank you very much for coming on today we think it's very brave and you've done very just say one more thing and I have something for the future because my very good friend Joe Weston Webb has offered me a job which will tide me through he's also asked me to direct and write his pantomime next year in Leicester so I've got something so things aren't so bad and it's gonna get better thank you very much for coming involved and take care [Applause] Bob grant

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Length: 4min 59sec (299 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 09 2020