‘I give 100% because it might be the last thing you ever do’: Life according to… Bond and Resident Evil star Colin Salmon

Bond and Resident Evil star Colin Salmon on his latest role training exorcists

How did you get the role of Father Quinn in Prey For The Devil?

I was washing my dustbins in the front garden during lockdown when my agent called offering the part. I read it, loved it, and said absolutely. It felt new and reminded me of how I felt when I read Resident Evil.

What type of man is Father Quinn?

He cares deeply about his flock. He’s a modern man and is very passionate about what he does. He’s a father first but a professor a very close second.

You filmed it very early on in lockdown – what was that like?

We filmed in August 2020, in Sofia, Bulgaria. We had to go through stringent protocols just to get on the plane. Once onboard, we were seated one to a row and with nothing to eat or drink. It was almost like a cargo flight.

We were all in the same apartment building but did the read-throughs on Zoom and didn’t meet until we got going. It required discipline from everyone and we were one of the few films that didn’t get stopped.

What sort of research did you do?

I’ve played a Catholic priest before, in a film called The Statement with Michael Caine and Tilda Swinton. I did a lot of research for that. For this, there is surprisingly a lot on YouTube and there have been a number of books and theses written on the psychology of exorcism.

Do you believe in the spiritual world?

I have faith. Where I was brought up in south-east London, the Salvation Army was a very pro-active church. It wasn’t gold and smoke but soup and blankets.

Do you enjoy the horror genre?

I love films like The Omen, Carrie and Rosemary’s Baby. I enjoy the intelligence of them rather than just the shock factor. I enjoy all genres as long as they are done well.

Chariots Of Fire actor Ben Cross died 10 days after filming finished on Prey For The Devil. What was it like working with him?

It was a real treat. You could see he wasn’t 100%. He wasn’t in good shape physically but he was in spirit and in delivery of his performance. I love music and we got chatting about that. I discovered he used to live in Bulgaria and wrote songs for the country’s equivalent of Frank Sinatra.

I told him about a song called Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn, which he didn’t know, so I recited the lyrics to him and he was so moved by it. He fell in love with it and it was one of our last interactions. He was going off to spend time with his family, and that was the last time I saw him. I grew up watching Chariots Of Fire. It was a great honour to have spent such nourishing time with someone who had such a great life. I think he would be very proud of this film.

You worked with Robbie Coltrane, who we also lost recently, on Bond movie The World Is Not Enough?

Our paths crossed then, but more importantly was when we were raising money to rebuild a theatre in London where I started out, and Emma Thompson and Robbie were there. The finale was us singing a song from the Amen Corner musical. Those two learned the words and nailed it. I’ll never forget that. Robbie was a serious man and a proper artist. He will be missed.

What’s your favourite role so far?

I try to be in the moment and give 100% because it might be the last thing you ever do. I have a really exciting character coming up on the second series of Lazarus Project. But I would say my role in Prime Suspect 2, because it was the beginning for me.

You’ve also been working with your friend, Scottish filmmaker Stewart Kyasimire, on his new project, The Wedding?

I love working with Stewart. He’s an amazing talent and it’s lovely to see how well he is doing. I really enjoyed his films – I’m always happy to see good art.

Prey For The Devil is in cinemas now