Meet the Cast - John Gaffney - DCI Charles Sloan
As we prepare to enter our last two days of filming series 2, John Gaffney who plays DCI Charles Sloan, spent some time to talk to us about playing the experienced police detective.
John, this year you’re playing DCI Charles Sloan, what’s he all about?
Charles wife, Margaret, walked out on him, not just because of his drinking, but because of his commitment to his job. The way Charles sees it, he is making the city a safer place for his wife and daughter, and every other decent citizen and once the evil Mr. Philips is put where he belongs then Charles will be able to be more relaxed and committed to his family. Sloan is a good cop and has a lot of respect in that capacity, he wants the job done and only then will he move on.
What do you think makes Night is Day unique?
This is an easy question to answer, although it’s the first sci-fi ever to come out of Scotland,
its unique in the sense that it has got everything that lets say Doctor Who has, great characters, fantastic special effects, the high and lows of where the music takes you, it just hits you right between the eyes, but better still the difference in budgets from night is day to dr who must be 100’s of miles apart, but only a stones throw away in quality and the finished product.
So far what’s been your favourite experience while making the show?
One of my favourite experience has got to be the first day filming at the church in Dennistoun, I was standing outside the hall along with Stephen and Kai and waiting on my que from Natalie Clark who was giving a lecture to the gullible girls in the hall, i got a nudge in the back from Stephen and I ran in like a lunatic shouting my lines. Everybody was deadly quiet and Fraser Coull quietly said “John can you please wait for your que?” Everybody just burst out laughing and hey that was me arrived at Night is Day.
Sloan is the veteran out of the three cops, does that affect how you approach playing him?
Absolutely’ being a bit older than Stephen “aka” Mullen and Paul “aka” Billy Shipton and some of the other cast it was quite easy to slip into this character, and sometimes be assertive and sometimes compassionate in the role, that’s what Sloan does ,sort of a father figure if you like, whilst looking and listening and reading the other characters.
How does it feel to play a policeman?
Playing a policeman is ok, once I get my costume on I’ve got to try and think like a proper cop whilst in character, and it makes it a whole lot easier when the other characters around are doing the same with their own characters.
If you had a superpower, what would it be, and why?
If I could be granted a super power I think it would have to be the power of the ultimate psychic where you could look to the future and to prevent terrible things from happening, i.e.; all crimes and world disasters and off course the lottery numbers, although I think I would get tired winning that every week, I’d probably tell everybody else the numbers.
