House of Guinness: Anthony Boyle & Louis Partridge – Be In The Scene – Locations
Interview by Edith Bowman for Be In The Scene
When two of Britain’s brightest young actors take on a story as rich, dark and effervescent as House of Guinness, the result is something to savour. Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge join Edith Bowman to talk about Steven Knight’s new Netflix series, its semi-fictional take on brewing dynasties, the joy of character work, and the alchemy of costume, moustache and imagination.
“I had such a joy watching this show,” Bowman began, grinning. “It’s fantastic. There’s so much in there, it’s just brewing over with stories and characters.” Both actors laughed knowingly; they’ve lived inside that world of Dublin intrigue and ambition.
Moustaches and manifestation
Boyle jumped straight in. “I just tried to squeeze out a moustache some time before,” he joked. “I was really concentrating, like, come on, just get it to the top lip.”
Behind the humour, his process reveals a surprising specificity. “The first picture that comes up when you Google the guy I was playing shows him staring down the lens with this big moustache and a little straw hat cocked to the side. He looks severe, but also very vain. I thought, anyone doing that must have known exactly how they wanted to be seen. There’s a statue of him in St Stephen’s Green, and all the others are standing straight, but his is draped like this. I imagined him getting up and walking around the park. That’s where it started for me.”
Partridge’s approach was different. “I can’t say I looked at many pictures,” he admitted. “It’s semi-fictionalised by Steven Knight, so I went from the page. I saw someone really clear-thinking, strategic, quite business-minded and responsible, maybe too responsible for his time. I tried to have fun with that, because it’s not really me at all. When you put on the cap, the costume, do the accent – it all starts to come together.”
Costume, character and physicality
Bowman noted how their costumes seemed to shape the performances. “They’re like tools in your belt,” she said. “Do they help you inhabit the characters?”
Boyle nodded. “Totally. I’d turn up to set most mornings in a Celtic half-zip, nothing underneath, chest hair poking out like a seventies porn star. Then I’d go to hair and makeup, they’d give me this mad quiff, the high collar, the waistcoat, the cape – and suddenly you start to feel very different. The clothes physically change how you hold yourself, how you move. That feeds into what’s going on internally too.”
Partridge agreed. “It’s all part of the big thing. You start to understand how they carried themselves, how they fit into that world. The details matter.”
On-set family and chemistry
The pair’s on-screen rivalry gives way to genuine friendship off set. “We all got on brilliantly,” Partridge said. “It felt like a family. There’s this mad creative energy, but everyone’s got each other’s backs.”
Boyle smiled. “Yeah, we did. It was a laugh. There’s so much talent on that set – actors, crew, the whole lot – and it makes the atmosphere great. You feel like you’re part of something alive.”
The Be In The Scene question
As always, Bowman closed with her trademark question: If you could be in the scene of any film or TV show, what would it be?
Boyle didn’t miss a beat. “There’s a bit from This Time with Alan Partridge where Steve Coogan plays two characters – Alan and an Irish guest called Martin Brennan. There’s also a James Bond impersonator sitting there. I’d love to be that impersonator, just to watch Steve make it up as he goes along.”
Partridge laughed. “That’s brilliant. For me, maybe The Godfather or The Sopranos. Just to watch Brando or Pacino on set doing their thing. Or maybe An Enola Holmes film. I’d want to be Millie Bobby Brown. Have an on-screen romance,” he joked.
Bowman chuckled. “The third film, then. We’ll make it happen.”
Brewing legends
House of Guinness captures a moment where industry, pride and family loyalty collide, and both actors speak about it with the same warmth they clearly brought to the project.
“It’s all there on the page,” Boyle said. “Steven Knight’s writing is class. You just have to step into it.”
Partridge added, “Once you’re in the costume and the world, it all makes sense. It’s like stepping into history – but with a pulse.”
