Actor

Name: Ian Whyte

Age: 35

Job: Actor

Time in current job? Three and a half years

Briefly, what does your job involve?
As an actor I've specialised in costume work, playing creatures and monsters – including the Predator in Alien vs. Predator. I have also worked as a stunt double.

What do you do on a typical day?

There is no typical day. But as rule, filming days start very early, even earlier if I have a lot of costuming or prosthetics to wear. Creature or costume roles involve a great deal of physicality and there is usually little or no opportunity to remove the costume. Once you're in, you're in all day.

What training did you need?

A high level of physical fitness and endurance is very important for this sort of work, but I am not a classically trained actor, so I've learnt the task of performance through being a performer.

How did you get your first job in the industry? What job was it?

My first role was the Predator in Alien vs. Predator. The casting director was looking for a man over 7 feet tall to play the role and after several casting sessions I was lucky enough to land the role.

What do you like best about your job?

Being challenged. Every day presents a new and different challenge. I also enjoy being something I wouldn't normally be – playing monsters, aliens and creatures demands a great deal of detachment from normal reality.

What has been your greatest professional challenge?

Each role has its own set of challenges to overcome, but by far the most challenging was being Frances De La Tour's stunt double, playing the role of Madame Maxime in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Not only did I have to learn to act, perform and dance like Frances, I had to do it on stilts!

What tips/advice would you offer to someone looking to get into film?

If your dream is to be involved in the movie business, go for it 100% – just don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen overnight, getting into the film industry can be a very long and arduous process.

What are your views on copyright theft?

I think it's completely abhorrent. A great many people spend a great deal of time producing, filming, editing and creating films. The end result that we see at the cinema is the culmination of a lot of hard work; copyright theft just undermines that hard work. As a consumer and lover of cinema, I believe that you get what you pay for, film and TV content should be more protected, to ensure creative integrity is continually maintained.