July 9, 2024

Dimitri Leonidas | A Charioteer's Journey

Dimitri Leonidas | A Charioteer's Journey
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Dimitri Leonidas | A Charioteer's Journey

On this episode of Story & Craft, we sit down with actor Dimitri Leonidas, who is known for a number of projects, including his role as Hober Mallow in the Apple+ series, “Foundation”...as well as the new Roland Emmerich series, “Those About to Die” on Peacock, where he stars alongside Anthony Hopkins.  Dimitri discusses his journey from child actor to his current projects, sharing personal stories about his Cypriot heritage, family, and experiences in various film and television projects. We also discuss his work in historical dramas, the intricacies of chariot racing training, and the impact of losing his mother at a young age.  Dimitri also talks about his interests outside of acting, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu and photography.  It was a fun chat…one I’m sure you’ll enjoy! SHOW HIGHLIGHTS02:32 Dimitri's Background and Family03:57 Acting Career Beginnings05:48 Filming Foundation16:14 Life as a Child Actor21:12 Pursuing Acting as a Career28:39 Travel and Filming Locations31:18 Choosing the Right Horse for the Role33:03 Training with Chariots34:34 Reflecting on Roman Life37:57 Food and Craft Services in Rome39:38 Current and Future Projects41:59 Creative Pursuits and InterestsListen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.  Also, check out the show and sign up for the newsletter at  www.storyandcraftpod.com...#podcast #DimitriLeonidas #Actor #PeacockTV #Peacock #ThoseAboutToDie #Foundation #RolandEmmerich #AnthonyHopkins #Cypriot #Cyprus #Acting #actorslife #storyandcraft

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Dimitri Leonidas:

He called me and he said, uh, well, I'm, I'm short staff here.

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I need someone to come in and, you

know, help unload these containers.

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Can't you just tell him you nip over

for a bit and let me just check in

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with Apple, dad, if they don't mind

putting the whole shoot on hold.

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Announcer: Welcome to Story Craft.

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Now, here's your host, Marc Preston.

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Marc Preston: All right, here we

are, another episode of Story Craft.

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Glad to have you.

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Thank you so much for swinging back by.

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If this is your First episode, my

name is Marc Preston, glad to have you

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checking out the show for the first

time of what I hope will be many times.

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And of course I want to thank you.

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I really do appreciate folks coming

back by checking out the show.

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Appreciate the notes I receive and

it's just very cool to have you be a

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part of great chats kind of like today.

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Featuring the very talented

actor, Dimitri Leonidas.

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He's in the new series

called Those About to Die.

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It's a Roland Emmerich series on Peacock

with the very talented Anthony Hopkins.

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And Dimitri, you probably know him

from shows kind of like, uh, Foundation

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on Apple plus he plays Hober Mallow.

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One of my favorite shows over the

last couple of years, uh, really

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enjoyed the chat with Dimitri.

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We covered his experience from

being a child actor all the

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way up to Those About to Die.

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Now do me a favor if you would don't

forget to please follow the show Whatever

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app you use to listen to story and craft

a follow it Make sure to leave a few

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stars if you would a little review It

does help people find the show and if

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you follow the show you get notified

every time we have a new episode Roll

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out, uh, don't forget Go to story and

craft pod.com, everything you could

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possibly want to know about the show,

our guests, uh, even reach out to me.

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That is the best way to do it.

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Once again, story and craft pod.com.

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Alright, let's get after it.

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Uh, today, Dmitri Leon Day,

right here on Story and Craft.

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How are you doing today, Dmitri?

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Dimitri Leonidas: I'm great.

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I'm really well.

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Yeah.

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Thank you.

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How are you now?

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I'm doing wonderful.

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Marc Preston: Just so I know

how to say, is it Leonidas?

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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Ah, very good.

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Very good.

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Great.

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I mean, my dad always sort of

despairs because people say Leonidas.

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I think the film 300, um, had a big

influence on how people were saying it.

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And, uh, it was, uh, quite annoying to

him when we'd do interviews or something

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and he'd watch it and they'd say Leonidas.

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Um, and he was always like,

why don't you correct them?

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I thought I just, because it's certain

things you've got to just leave that.

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Um, but yeah, yeah.

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Leonidas.

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You're in the UK right now, correct?

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I'm in London.

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Yeah.

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And we've, we've just started our summer.

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It's been a really late one, but most

of June was shocking amounts of rain and

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gray sky, and, uh, it's finally broken.

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And now, you know, London is, is,

it's just the best when the sun's out.

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It's, uh.

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It transforms the city.

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Um, so yeah, great.

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It's, it's, it's really

nice here right now.

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Marc Preston: Now is your

family with Leonidas?

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I'm assuming it's a, it's a Greek descent.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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Cypriot from, from, uh, from Cyprus.

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My dad was, was born in Cyprus and

he moved to London when he was young,

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you know, four or five years old, his,

his parents moved over here, um, with

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his, you know, brothers and sisters.

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His parents eventually moved back.

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They've both passed away now, but,

um, they moved back to Cyprus,

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uh, you know, after they retired.

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And, um, and him and his

brothers and sisters all stayed

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here and raised families here.

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So, uh, yeah, yeah.

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Cypriot heritage.

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And then I sometimes wonder why, you

know, cause Cyprus is like a paradise.

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And I think, why did you come here?

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We, you could be on the beach, but,

uh, you know, London is a lot more

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opportunities, especially when he

moved in, in the seventies, you know,

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Marc Preston: what kind of work did,

uh, what, what was his vocation?

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Dimitri Leonidas: So, uh, when he was a

younger man, my dad was an electrician.

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Um, and he then went

into, uh, fruit and veg.

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He was, he was a green grocer and

then more wholesale fruit and veg.

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So he was sort of delivering,

um, fresh fruit and vegetables

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to restaurants around London.

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And that grew a little more into

disposable goods, serviettes, you

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know, plates, cups, um, soft drinks.

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And, uh, and that is his

little sort of empire.

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He's still, he's still working.

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He's got a warehouse in, in Wembley,

sort of the industrial park in Wembley.

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And, uh, sometimes when I'm,

you know, if I'm not working,

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I'll go and give him a hand.

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He'll, he'll give me a sort of

call on a random, you know, day in

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the week and, and, uh, asked me to

go and help unload some shipping

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containers or something that's come in.

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So

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Marc Preston: you, so you're

basically discount labor for him.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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I mean, the funniest, the funniest

one was I was in Ireland filming

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foundation and, uh, He called me

and he said, uh, where are you?

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Where are you?

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I said, I'm, I'm in, I'm in

Ireland that I'm, I'm filming.

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And he, he was like, Oh, I said,

why is everything all right?

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Well, I, well, I'm, I'm short staff here.

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I need someone to come in and,

you know, help unload these

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containers on Monday and Tuesday.

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I said, well, I'm, I can't.

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I'm in Ireland, dad.

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Can't you just tell him you nip over

for a bit and let me just check in with

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Apple dad if they don't mind putting the

whole shoot on hold for a few days so I

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can go and unload the container for you.

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Um, all right, well, don't worry about it.

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And then, you know, you know,

we, uh, we got off the phone,

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but no, he's, he's funny.

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You know, he's funny.

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Did

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Marc Preston: they shoot all of the

foundation in Ireland or just the,

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the, uh, the parts you were in?

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Dimitri Leonidas: It was actually

just two weeks in Ireland and

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then, um, two weeks in Ireland.

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And then, uh, we were in Tenerife

for, I think, five or six weeks.

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Um, and then we sort of bounced around

the other Canary Islands, Port Aventura.

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And, um, like America, I had no idea they

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Marc Preston: had such a, uh,

well, I can make a somewhat exotic

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location, you know, shooting.

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It's not like they were in Atlanta,

Georgia or something, or there, you know,

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when you got that project, did you kind

of like go, well, what exactly is this?

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You know, it's based off a book, right?

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The, uh, Asimov, Isaac Asimov.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I mean, I was aware, aware of the book.

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I I'd read some of those

sort of sixties sci fi.

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Um, books in the past,

you know, like Philip K.

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Bick and, um, some Ray Bradbury.

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And, and I was into that stuff.

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I'd never really read any Asimov.

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Um, so I did read the foundation series

in preparation for this, for the show.

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And was.

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Totally blown away by them.

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I mean, the story is that Elon

Musk, you know, when he sent that

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Tesla into space, I think there's

still a Tesla orbiting earth.

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He put a copy of foundation

in the glove box.

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Marc Preston: Really?

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I didn't know that.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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So there's a copy of foundation

floating in space, which is kind of

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apt given the nature of the show.

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Um, and Asimov was, was, I think

he had done a ton of research

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into the Roman empire and the

collapse of the Roman empire.

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And then.

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Writes a show that is like the

Roman Empire, but in spikes.

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It's the collapse of a,

of a, of a civilization.

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Um, and he pulls a lot of the stories

from how the Roman Empire fell, you

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know, it begins at the sort of the

peripheries and, and, and equally

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something going wrong in the center.

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And, um, and he just mounts

it as a giant space drama.

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Um,

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Marc Preston: you're right.

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That does have a lot of, uh, Roman

empire ask, you know, uh, yeah, you

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know, that's supposed to be a theme that

you're kind of sticking with, I guess.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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I mean, you know, to go and do sort

of Roman empire in space and then do

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the act of Roman empire was like a

sort of Twin, twin stories in a way.

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Marc Preston: Foundation.

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Uh, I didn't know what to expect.

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It's one of those shows I

watched the first episode.

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I was like, I don't really know how

to get my head around this just yet.

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But the more I got into it, it was

just really, you know, enjoyable.

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Dimitri Leonidas: I think, I think

a lot of people have said that.

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I think the books are so dense

and the ideas in them is so vast.

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The scale is so big that I think it's

hard for the first series and those first

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few episodes in the first series to, to.

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Lay down the foundation, so

to speak, of what you're doing

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because the books are so expansive.

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I mean, you turn, you know, you turn a

page and, and Asimov is jumping 150 years.

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And so everything that you've just

read, all this investment that you've

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just made in, in the characters

and in their particular stories.

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actually become just

sort of dust in the wind.

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It's like it's gone.

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You're moving on again.

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And there's some element of that story

that is important to tell you to thread

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into the next timeline 150 years later.

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And so by the time you finish with the

book and you sort of step back, the

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scale of time that Asimov is dealing

with in those stories is, is, is sort

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of quite a breathtaking scale, really.

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Um, and so I think the show in its,

in its, you know, in its early stages,

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did have to kind of and the audience

have to kind of get through some like

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expositional moments where you're going.

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You guys need to know this, this and this.

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And now that you know that we can kind

of go and I think season two hits the

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ground running a little more because

so much stuff has been established

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that you just You can you you kind of

just can can you know run off with that

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Marc Preston: momentum?

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I believe i'm totally caught up.

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Was there a uh, is there another season?

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Dimitri Leonidas: There is a third season

Um that's shooting now in in prague.

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They're finishing up.

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Um Yeah, yeah, I I I will see how

many they go, but yeah, there's,

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there's a third season that's,

that's finishing, you know, wrapping

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shooting, I think in August.

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Yeah.

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Marc Preston: I, I kind of enjoyed

your, uh, I, I did enjoy your character.

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There was a very Han Solo

esque vibe about your, uh,

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character, which I, which I like.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

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Apparently Hobo Malo is, is

the inspiration for Han Solo.

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Um, really?

215

00:10:28,895 --> 00:10:29,395

Yeah.

216

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Yeah.

217

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He, he, That's the story

that, um, David Goyer told me.

218

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And actually, you know, there's

some online threads about that,

219

00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:41,440

that, that Hobo Mallow is, is the

inspiration for those sort of Han Solo.

220

00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:42,980

Marc Preston: I'm learning

all kinds of things today.

221

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I did not know that.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Um, I think foundation

is a, is a sort of, uh, a tectonic

223

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plate of a, of a story that a lot of

sci fi has, has built on top of, um,

224

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yeah, it is right at the base of so

much, you know, sci fi post the fifties.

225

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It's, it's one of those, uh,

Foundational, um, you know, uh, sources.

226

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Marc Preston: There's one of the,

there's one of the show, the expanse,

227

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another kind of vibe similar to

that, both featuring Jared Harris.

228

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Of course, he seems like such an

interesting, he's just an interesting

229

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guy to watch just one more note

on the foundation, kind of what

230

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was the filming of that, uh, like

231

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Dimitri Leonidas: it's, it was incredible.

232

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I mean, I agree with you about Jared.

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I always think there's sort of part of

me that always thinks whatever he's in.

234

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I always sort of give the show more credit

knowing that he's in it because he's just

235

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one of those actors that you go he is

great and anyone anytime someone chooses

236

00:11:43,110 --> 00:11:49,110

him, I sort of trust them immediately

because He's got some qualities about

237

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him But when he's cast right you just

can't really imagine anyone else doing

238

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it and so I had some scenes with him

lovely hard working I mean, he had sort

239

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of, he's playing the founder of psycho

240

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Marc Preston: history.

241

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So he's almost like an AI character

for lack of a better way of putting it.

242

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He's kind of like a real

person slash AI, you know?

243

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

244

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Yeah.

245

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And, and has endless amounts of sort of

dialogue to learn, which you watch him

246

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just sort of turn up and deliver it.

247

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And it's great every take.

248

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And, uh, Occasionally he'll sort

of forget a line and all right,

249

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sorry guys, let's go again.

250

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And I'm just watching it going, how are

you not, how are you, you know, you're

251

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doing it once every eight takes is, is,

is a pretty good hit when you're just

252

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sort of running dialogue like that.

253

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Um, but, um, but yeah, the show, David

Goya, you know, screenwriter, director,

254

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producer of the show, um, is, is just

one that has this infectious energy.

255

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And he's one of those guys that.

256

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You really appreciate in our industry

because you go he's such a hard working

257

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individual that it it really boosts,

you know, the reason 500 people turn

258

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up and from crew and actors and stunts

and everything is because someone

259

00:12:58,780 --> 00:13:03,819

like him puts in so much legwork

Um, he's producing several things

260

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at once and writing several things

261

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Marc Preston: I never understood how some

of those folks do that where they can

262

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have multiple plates spinning at once I'm

like, okay, it would take up all my energy

263

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just to think of one, you know Yeah, as

curious is kind of going back Were you an

264

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only kid or did you have a big family or

kind of kind of where'd you fall in there?

265

00:13:21,140 --> 00:13:25,714

Dimitri Leonidas: So, um, I've got three

sisters It's the title of a Chekhov plate.

266

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Um, so I guess I was destined to

be an actor, but, um, yeah, two of

267

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my sisters act as well, actually.

268

00:13:30,655 --> 00:13:34,075

Steph, my older sister,

and Georgina, the youngest.

269

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She was in Harry Potter.

270

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Oh, really?

271

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Okay.

272

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And yeah, yeah, and Steph has done,

you know, loads of sort of cool movies.

273

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Well, was

274

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Marc Preston: this part of

your life for your family?

275

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Was the theater or was acting part

of what you were up to when you

276

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were, uh, when you were young?

277

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Or was this something y'all

just all happened into?

278

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Dimitri Leonidas: It was quite weird.

279

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My sisters were, were sort of into

like singing and dancing and were

280

00:13:57,865 --> 00:14:02,275

going to these lessons and, and they

eventually got into acting with,

281

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I think the dancing stuff stopped

and acting became the next fad.

282

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And, and so they were going to, it was,

I, when I say sort of classes, it was,

283

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um, it was a room above a pub in Wembley

and the lady that run the class, you could

284

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sort of, you know, drop your kids off.

285

00:14:20,215 --> 00:14:25,355

Um, after school and leave them there

for an hour or two and uh, and the lady

286

00:14:25,355 --> 00:14:29,995

that run the class would sort of teach,

you know, basic drama skills at that age.

287

00:14:29,995 --> 00:14:34,515

It was, it was more sort of acting games,

um, sort of improvisation and stuff.

288

00:14:34,515 --> 00:14:37,534

And I, I didn't really,

I had no interest in it.

289

00:14:37,944 --> 00:14:40,515

Um, but my mom was sort

of encouraging me to go.

290

00:14:40,515 --> 00:14:43,925

I think she felt quite bad that I was just

sort of hanging around the back of his

291

00:14:43,925 --> 00:14:47,505

pub, kicking a ball around for an hour

and a half while my sisters were doing,

292

00:14:47,505 --> 00:14:48,735

you know, their These drama classes.

293

00:14:48,755 --> 00:14:54,495

So I eventually went to one of them

and, and it just, it just clicked.

294

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I loved it.

295

00:14:55,595 --> 00:15:02,034

Um, I found I had a confidence doing

sort of improvisation, um, that I

296

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didn't know where that came from.

297

00:15:03,264 --> 00:15:08,054

It just, it just was something I really

enjoyed and, uh, used to think about.

298

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It was only once a week after school on

a Thursday and I'd spend the rest of the

299

00:15:11,545 --> 00:15:15,865

week sort of wondering, Oh, what would

happen, what's going to happen next week?

300

00:15:15,865 --> 00:15:17,355

You know, the, this excitement of.

301

00:15:17,430 --> 00:15:24,215

The spontaneity of improvising and,

and, um, This sort of stored energy that

302

00:15:24,215 --> 00:15:28,955

you have as a kid suddenly all clicking

and just requiring you to, to, to

303

00:15:28,975 --> 00:15:29,365

Marc Preston: work.

304

00:15:29,585 --> 00:15:32,625

Well, kids all, you know, all kids

have that sense of play already kind

305

00:15:32,625 --> 00:15:34,155

of built in, you know, it's an avenue.

306

00:15:34,365 --> 00:15:38,445

Well, you said this was taking place,

uh, in a, in the back of a pub, you say?

307

00:15:38,895 --> 00:15:40,904

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, it was,

uh, initially it was just a

308

00:15:40,905 --> 00:15:43,175

room above a pub in Wembley.

309

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Um, and as, as the sort of years

passed, They found slightly more, I

310

00:15:48,314 --> 00:15:50,925

guess, appropriate venues to host.

311

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I was about

312

00:15:51,555 --> 00:15:53,754

Marc Preston: to say, that's gotta

be really interesting given the,

313

00:15:53,854 --> 00:15:57,064

uh, uh, things that happen at a pub,

you know, to be able to have a lot

314

00:15:57,064 --> 00:16:00,054

of, it's quite festive, you know?

315

00:16:00,064 --> 00:16:00,365

Yeah.

316

00:16:00,574 --> 00:16:00,824

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

317

00:16:00,824 --> 00:16:01,155

Yeah.

318

00:16:01,374 --> 00:16:01,604

Marc Preston: No.

319

00:16:01,605 --> 00:16:05,164

When you were in school, were you, uh,

was this, was this kind of like your

320

00:16:05,165 --> 00:16:09,435

outlet or were you also doing like sports

or other kinds of activities as a kid?

321

00:16:10,445 --> 00:16:14,154

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, I guess I w I

wouldn't say I was the sportiest kid.

322

00:16:14,155 --> 00:16:20,459

I mean, I played football and, and,

uh, Um, you know, I, I, the, the

323

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acting thing kind of, I had a few

jobs when I was a teenager, but I

324

00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:28,939

never really wanted my friends at

school to know about it too much.

325

00:16:28,939 --> 00:16:33,259

It was one of those things that

was more a reason that you might,

326

00:16:33,979 --> 00:16:38,709

you know, get picked on or, um,

it just wasn't something that I, I

327

00:16:38,709 --> 00:16:40,239

wanted people necessarily to know.

328

00:16:41,060 --> 00:16:45,399

Um, and then obviously I was away

for sort of six, seven weeks.

329

00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,139

There was a TV show I

did called Grange Hill.

330

00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,439

Which is a, um, a school show.

331

00:16:51,470 --> 00:16:53,260

It's a, it's a, it's about a high school.

332

00:16:53,370 --> 00:16:57,620

It's very well known in the UK cause it

was a sort of working class high school

333

00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:03,180

show, um, that had been running for when

I was in, it had been on for 25 years.

334

00:17:03,180 --> 00:17:03,519

Kind of thing.

335

00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:04,800

It was this long standing show.

336

00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:09,640

And, and, uh, and so I was, we'd film

most of it over the summer holiday, but a

337

00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,160

few weeks would run into the school year.

338

00:17:11,819 --> 00:17:15,020

And so when I went back to school, some

people would ask what I was doing and

339

00:17:15,339 --> 00:17:17,109

rumor got out that I was in this show.

340

00:17:17,109 --> 00:17:17,240

And.

341

00:17:18,155 --> 00:17:20,974

And I remember one kid

saying, you're just lying.

342

00:17:20,984 --> 00:17:23,055

You're just saying it so

that people respect you.

343

00:17:23,055 --> 00:17:26,244

And I kind of thought, good,

let everyone think I'm lying.

344

00:17:26,595 --> 00:17:29,645

Um, because it just, it just

kept people off your back.

345

00:17:29,675 --> 00:17:32,024

You know, attention in high school,

that sort of attention was not.

346

00:17:32,124 --> 00:17:32,294

Was

347

00:17:32,295 --> 00:17:35,574

Marc Preston: the show already

out or was this, uh, or was

348

00:17:36,085 --> 00:17:36,225

Dimitri Leonidas: it?

349

00:17:36,274 --> 00:17:39,985

The show was long running, but the

stuff I had filmed wasn't out until

350

00:17:40,125 --> 00:17:42,225

the sort of next term kind of thing.

351

00:17:42,264 --> 00:17:45,995

So we'd film over the summer

holidays and into the, the, the,

352

00:17:46,145 --> 00:17:47,275

the beginning of the school year.

353

00:17:47,899 --> 00:17:52,560

And then it would come out sort of, I

guess, I guess in a few months time and,

354

00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,740

uh, and then once it was out, it was

kind of this weird thing where people

355

00:17:55,740 --> 00:17:59,460

were watching it and, and there's a

sort of weird response to, to being.

356

00:17:59,780 --> 00:18:03,450

In a show when you're at school like that.

357

00:18:03,450 --> 00:18:04,714

How

358

00:18:04,714 --> 00:18:05,979

Marc Preston: old

359

00:18:08,660 --> 00:18:10,540

were you roughly when,

when you were shooting?

360

00:18:10,550 --> 00:18:10,630

I

361

00:18:10,630 --> 00:18:12,349

Dimitri Leonidas: mean, I

would have been about 12 or 13.

362

00:18:12,420 --> 00:18:12,640

Oh,

363

00:18:12,650 --> 00:18:12,900

Marc Preston: okay.

364

00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:13,140

Dimitri Leonidas: Okay.

365

00:18:13,450 --> 00:18:14,480

I was, I was quite young.

366

00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:15,719

So it was kind of weird thing to do.

367

00:18:15,719 --> 00:18:20,179

And, and, and, uh, you do feel

like you're sort of coexisting in

368

00:18:20,180 --> 00:18:24,639

two different worlds, you know,

high school life and, and all the,

369

00:18:24,779 --> 00:18:26,579

the trimmings that come with that.

370

00:18:26,619 --> 00:18:31,620

And then a professional

environment, um, that is.

371

00:18:32,654 --> 00:18:36,834

Uh, that, that has its own sort

of peculiarities, really, of

372

00:18:36,834 --> 00:18:44,564

being on Tenny and a certain,

um, whirlpool of, of that world.

373

00:18:44,745 --> 00:18:50,435

Um, and seeing sort of kids, you know,

having their eyes sort of, like, open to

374

00:18:50,435 --> 00:18:52,575

the idea of maybe, you know Being active.

375

00:18:52,575 --> 00:18:55,505

I mean, I never saw it that way, but

I remember some people, you know, you

376

00:18:55,505 --> 00:19:00,145

could easily get carried away in, in,

in that it, you know, some of the kids

377

00:19:00,145 --> 00:19:04,535

that went, that were in the show were

from more drama school background.

378

00:19:04,595 --> 00:19:06,714

So this was something they

would have been planning.

379

00:19:06,754 --> 00:19:06,865

I

380

00:19:06,865 --> 00:19:09,734

Marc Preston: always imagine over

there that it's more people start

381

00:19:09,735 --> 00:19:12,575

in theater, you know, kind of,

that's kind of the cliche idea.

382

00:19:12,675 --> 00:19:17,200

Everybody's studying Shakespeare

out of the gate, you know, Was

383

00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,350

it received like, or people

thinking, Hey, this is really cool.

384

00:19:20,350 --> 00:19:22,820

Or were they, you know, being

that age, things are awkward

385

00:19:22,820 --> 00:19:25,280

enough as it is, where they kind

of, were you getting singled out?

386

00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,650

Like, okay, this, this punk over here

thinks he's something special, you know?

387

00:19:28,750 --> 00:19:31,950

Dimitri Leonidas: Well, I remember getting

out of the train station one day and going

388

00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:38,230

to school and some guy, these guys in

hoodies saw me and were like, you know,

389

00:19:38,230 --> 00:19:42,840

swore at me and you're that, you know,

guy off the telly, give me your phone and

390

00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,789

sort of tried to, to sort of surround me.

391

00:19:44,789 --> 00:19:47,590

And, and, I kind of

just carried on walking.

392

00:19:47,590 --> 00:19:52,450

But so for me, it really wasn't

something that I, I was proud of it.

393

00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:57,010

I was, I felt great about being in

it, but the sort of social status that

394

00:19:57,010 --> 00:20:00,919

came from it, um, was not something

that I was in an environment where that

395

00:20:01,330 --> 00:20:03,349

would necessarily put you up higher.

396

00:20:04,035 --> 00:20:04,875

in the hierarchy.

397

00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:10,425

I mean, um, it felt great to be in the

show and it was a sort of privately.

398

00:20:10,425 --> 00:20:14,684

I was beginning to sort of see

that there was an opportunity

399

00:20:14,685 --> 00:20:16,075

here for a career in it as well.

400

00:20:16,084 --> 00:20:19,364

I was like, okay, it came out of nowhere

that, you know, getting this job.

401

00:20:19,824 --> 00:20:25,114

Um, the lady that run these drama classes

above the pub, she had these connections

402

00:20:25,115 --> 00:20:29,495

to certain casting directors and, and

she'd said to my parents, look, I would

403

00:20:29,495 --> 00:20:31,625

like to put Dimitri up for some stuff.

404

00:20:31,625 --> 00:20:32,289

I think he'd be great.

405

00:20:32,570 --> 00:20:33,280

You know, do it.

406

00:20:33,530 --> 00:20:34,300

How would he feel about it?

407

00:20:34,460 --> 00:20:35,770

How would you guys feel about it?

408

00:20:36,159 --> 00:20:38,590

And, um, I was, of

course, like, Yeah, great.

409

00:20:38,629 --> 00:20:40,179

You know, so I did some extra work.

410

00:20:40,690 --> 00:20:44,370

Um, often there's sort of like

crime shows that were on telly.

411

00:20:44,629 --> 00:20:48,520

They would want, you know, sort of

street, more urban kids as extras in the

412

00:20:48,530 --> 00:20:53,380

background, and they would go to this

this, um, this sort of drama class after

413

00:20:53,380 --> 00:20:57,420

school because she had a lot of kids from

local estates that she had just helped

414

00:20:58,045 --> 00:21:03,525

Prepare to go into, you know, almost, you

know, credit to her, but through osmosis,

415

00:21:03,575 --> 00:21:05,435

just being at those lessons, you kind of.

416

00:21:05,820 --> 00:21:09,460

You did have this sort of preparation

to go in, even if it's just to do a

417

00:21:09,460 --> 00:21:11,999

few days of extra work, you know, was

418

00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,109

Marc Preston: your mind shifting in

the direction of like, okay, this

419

00:21:14,110 --> 00:21:17,939

may be what I want to do when I'm a

grownup, you know, or were, were you

420

00:21:17,949 --> 00:21:19,589

still thinking this is cool for now?

421

00:21:19,589 --> 00:21:23,280

And, uh, there's something else on

the agenda that you were thinking that

422

00:21:23,319 --> 00:21:25,100

would be really cool to do for a living.

423

00:21:25,229 --> 00:21:27,090

What, what was your aspiration?

424

00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,150

I know it's only 12 and 13 years

old, but we're thinking there was

425

00:21:30,150 --> 00:21:32,540

something else you wanted to do as well.

426

00:21:32,590 --> 00:21:36,155

Dimitri Leonidas: No, I think,

I think I, I started to realize,

427

00:21:36,225 --> 00:21:40,375

like, that I, I really enjoyed it.

428

00:21:41,345 --> 00:21:46,834

I, I think it's hard because

looking back, I go, what point

429

00:21:46,844 --> 00:21:49,415

did I really solidify in my mind?

430

00:21:49,895 --> 00:21:51,725

And it's hard to identify exactly.

431

00:21:51,755 --> 00:21:58,285

But I think at that time, I remember

thinking there is a potential, you know,

432

00:21:58,285 --> 00:22:02,175

because it's so, when you, at that,

at that time, going into acting felt

433

00:22:02,255 --> 00:22:05,345

like something that other people did.

434

00:22:05,785 --> 00:22:09,200

Um, I'm Putting yourself in an

environment where you're doing it and

435

00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,400

then you're watching yourself on telly

and you're going, Oh, this is what it is.

436

00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,610

It's like the process is already

something I'm undergoing.

437

00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:20,700

You learn your lines and you turn up

and you have long days of filming,

438

00:22:20,729 --> 00:22:22,980

but these, this is what the job is.

439

00:22:22,980 --> 00:22:29,630

And so it kind of pulled away the mystique

of, of, you know, film and television and

440

00:22:29,630 --> 00:22:31,880

actually felt like something quite real.

441

00:22:32,270 --> 00:22:36,980

Um, and I think that

calcify in my head as, as.

442

00:22:37,564 --> 00:22:38,885

something I really wanted to do.

443

00:22:39,105 --> 00:22:44,915

And so I continued to sort of pursue

it and, and, you know, move up through,

444

00:22:44,955 --> 00:22:46,764

through different agents and stuff.

445

00:22:46,764 --> 00:22:47,965

And I didn't go to drama school.

446

00:22:47,965 --> 00:22:50,624

And as you say, that is the

traditional route very much still

447

00:22:50,915 --> 00:22:55,674

in the UK is, is learning your, your

craft through, um, through drama

448

00:22:55,675 --> 00:22:57,384

school and through theater training.

449

00:22:57,924 --> 00:23:01,475

And so having not done that, I always

felt a little bit like, am I missing out?

450

00:23:01,765 --> 00:23:05,085

What, what am I not, you know, I'm, I

haven't gone through formal training.

451

00:23:05,105 --> 00:23:06,795

I'm just sort of winging it.

452

00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,159

But I guess I had the advantage of having

some experience and knowing what the

453

00:23:13,159 --> 00:23:15,820

ins and outs of the day on set entail.

454

00:23:15,879 --> 00:23:17,620

Marc Preston: Yeah, but it

definitely was a job in your mind.

455

00:23:17,620 --> 00:23:20,530

You could kind of see this as being

a vocation because I hear, you know,

456

00:23:20,530 --> 00:23:24,530

some younger kids, some child actors

I'd spoken with over the years,

457

00:23:24,919 --> 00:23:28,250

they've said, you know, they, it was

kind of fun for them, but they didn't

458

00:23:28,260 --> 00:23:32,190

really perceive it as, Oh, I can make

a living doing this thing, you know?

459

00:23:32,190 --> 00:23:34,359

So that was, that's kind

of a nice little epiphany.

460

00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:36,360

And did you stay in school?

461

00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:40,080

Like, as things progressed, you know,

12, 13, did you stay in school or did

462

00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,200

you start getting a lot of, a lot more

work and we're doing the kind of the

463

00:23:43,750 --> 00:23:45,590

onset where they call the tutoring?

464

00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,629

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, I mean, I mean,

there was, whilst we were doing the

465

00:23:48,629 --> 00:23:52,209

show, there was, there was tutoring,

but I was, I was in school, you

466

00:23:52,209 --> 00:23:55,800

know, um, I, I did college as well.

467

00:23:55,940 --> 00:24:04,060

Um, so I kind of went through as far as I

felt was, was sort of, I should in terms

468

00:24:04,060 --> 00:24:06,089

of formal education, you know, academic.

469

00:24:06,089 --> 00:24:06,139

Right.

470

00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:07,300

education.

471

00:24:07,490 --> 00:24:11,880

Um, I went to college, but I sort of

knew in the back of my mind, I was

472

00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:13,550

going to try and take a swing at acting.

473

00:24:13,590 --> 00:24:17,670

I was going to try and get a slightly

better agent off the back of having done,

474

00:24:18,020 --> 00:24:19,760

you know, a few bits of television work.

475

00:24:20,390 --> 00:24:25,859

Um, and, and, you know, at that point

it's, it is, they're the hardest years

476

00:24:25,860 --> 00:24:33,270

really, where you're sort of like, you

know, trying to figure out how realistic

477

00:24:33,270 --> 00:24:38,455

it is, knowing that there's an element of

it's, Up to the sort of gods in a way, you

478

00:24:38,455 --> 00:24:41,905

know, there's so much your uncertainty.

479

00:24:42,004 --> 00:24:42,405

Yeah.

480

00:24:42,844 --> 00:24:47,264

And, and, and, you know, my dad, you

know, as I explained the sort of in the

481

00:24:47,274 --> 00:24:52,104

background of all that is sort of building

his, his business and, and I think was

482

00:24:52,135 --> 00:24:56,694

quite keen for me to sort of go in into

that and take over what he'd started.

483

00:24:56,694 --> 00:25:01,315

And so, you know, uh, I had to

sort of try and juggle those things

484

00:25:01,674 --> 00:25:05,145

and, uh, I mean, he's extremely

supportive now, but understandably.

485

00:25:06,125 --> 00:25:11,495

You know, telling my Greengrass, the

dad that I want to go into like acting.

486

00:25:11,504 --> 00:25:14,624

Marc Preston: What did your mother,

was she also a Cypriot or did

487

00:25:14,624 --> 00:25:15,924

he meet your mother in the UK?

488

00:25:15,985 --> 00:25:17,095

Dimitri Leonidas: They met in the UK.

489

00:25:17,155 --> 00:25:21,584

Um, and, and you know, it was my

mom, I guess, who really was sort

490

00:25:21,584 --> 00:25:26,265

of encouraging us to sort of try

these things, you know, try and go

491

00:25:26,265 --> 00:25:29,075

to these extra curriculum activities.

492

00:25:29,075 --> 00:25:34,594

And so my sisters were doing bits of

singing and dancing, as I said, and, um,

493

00:25:35,324 --> 00:25:36,864

And she passed away when I was young.

494

00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:40,484

My mom passed away when I was 13.

495

00:25:40,765 --> 00:25:44,904

Um, so it was kind of mad, you know,

like three sisters and myself and my dad,

496

00:25:44,904 --> 00:25:49,364

all trying to figure out how to proceed,

you know, because you're, you're, you're

497

00:25:50,334 --> 00:25:55,345

beyond the sort of tragedy of it is,

is the absurdity of it, which is like.

498

00:25:56,114 --> 00:26:00,384

Now what like and and you know coming

to terms with it in just a sort of

499

00:26:00,384 --> 00:26:08,514

everyday way And it and and so, you

know In that sort of chaos, I think

500

00:26:08,514 --> 00:26:10,284

you grow up quite quickly in your head.

501

00:26:10,315 --> 00:26:10,964

You sort of go.

502

00:26:11,014 --> 00:26:11,854

Okay Well the

503

00:26:11,855 --> 00:26:14,224

Marc Preston: acting that that was right

about the time you were doing this show

504

00:26:14,224 --> 00:26:18,154

me the acting had to been somewhat of

a Escape for you at least a little bit.

505

00:26:18,194 --> 00:26:18,665

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

506

00:26:18,755 --> 00:26:21,340

Yeah, it was Yeah, it was.

507

00:26:21,370 --> 00:26:28,060

And, and I think it was like kind

of schizophrenic in my head in

508

00:26:28,060 --> 00:26:33,689

a way that I was already trying

to not bring the acting part.

509

00:26:33,839 --> 00:26:36,320

It was not something I was

bringing into the school too much.

510

00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:38,889

And then in the background of

that, with my mom, there was

511

00:26:38,899 --> 00:26:41,109

like a third narrative going.

512

00:26:41,110 --> 00:26:45,760

And so I think I got used to, I think

as you get older, you used to, you do

513

00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:47,760

naturally have several parts of yourself.

514

00:26:49,189 --> 00:26:49,730

operate.

515

00:26:50,170 --> 00:26:53,370

And I think quite quickly, I

sort of had to dissect parts of

516

00:26:53,370 --> 00:26:55,840

myself and go, this isn't useful.

517

00:26:56,110 --> 00:26:59,600

You know, I mean, I remember my sister

saying to me, she was like, try and

518

00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:04,170

not let what's going on with us at home

affect what you're doing on the job.

519

00:27:05,225 --> 00:27:07,534

And I thought it was a really

mature thing for her to say.

520

00:27:07,544 --> 00:27:12,885

It was like, and I totally understood why

she was saying it, but, um, you know, so

521

00:27:12,885 --> 00:27:19,435

it was a lot of like, very quickly learn,

learn to, to, to adapt to environments

522

00:27:19,435 --> 00:27:21,745

that are changing and, and, um,

523

00:27:22,965 --> 00:27:23,145

Marc Preston: Yeah.

524

00:27:23,145 --> 00:27:25,395

And that, that time of life

is awkward enough as it is.

525

00:27:25,405 --> 00:27:26,504

So that had to be, you know,

526

00:27:26,675 --> 00:27:26,804

Dimitri Leonidas: at

527

00:27:27,784 --> 00:27:30,594

Marc Preston: least you had your, your,

your father, your sisters there did, you

528

00:27:30,594 --> 00:27:34,834

know, you know, you haven't me growing

up as an only child, I have three kids.

529

00:27:34,834 --> 00:27:36,165

I live vicariously through them.

530

00:27:36,174 --> 00:27:37,504

What's it like to have siblings?

531

00:27:37,504 --> 00:27:40,435

You know, because as an only

kid, I had a dog, you know, that

532

00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:42,014

was about as close as we got.

533

00:27:42,344 --> 00:27:43,135

One last question.

534

00:27:43,135 --> 00:27:46,485

I, I always ended up talking to

food at least once every episode.

535

00:27:46,844 --> 00:27:50,095

And one of my, some of my favorite

food is from that, uh, Part, you

536

00:27:50,095 --> 00:27:55,045

know, the, the ri the, the cuisine

is very, very much similar to Greek.

537

00:27:55,045 --> 00:27:55,345

Don't they?

538

00:27:55,345 --> 00:27:57,985

Don't they have like li long lifespans?

539

00:27:57,985 --> 00:28:00,535

Isn't that kind of a cprt thing

because of the way they eat, or, yes.

540

00:28:00,715 --> 00:28:01,315

Dimitri Leonidas: No, you're right.

541

00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:05,695

There's, there's a Greek island where

it has the oldest living inhabitants.

542

00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:08,905

They're all living till like 110, 115.

543

00:28:08,905 --> 00:28:10,735

And, and it's exactly what you say.

544

00:28:11,610 --> 00:28:12,490

It's olive oil.

545

00:28:12,490 --> 00:28:13,530

It's fresh fish.

546

00:28:13,879 --> 00:28:15,429

It's seasonal vegetables.

547

00:28:15,509 --> 00:28:18,554

Marc Preston: Is your father a

cook or was that something he did?

548

00:28:18,554 --> 00:28:20,379

I mean, does he know how

to make some of these?

549

00:28:20,399 --> 00:28:21,229

No, it's the answer

550

00:28:21,770 --> 00:28:22,149

Dimitri Leonidas: to that.

551

00:28:22,189 --> 00:28:25,769

I mean, he, you know, he,

um, he loves his food.

552

00:28:25,919 --> 00:28:30,300

My dad, um, he's not, he's not

necessarily a good cook, but he's sisters.

553

00:28:30,329 --> 00:28:35,640

So my aunties, um, would always sort of

bring Greek food around, you know, Easter.

554

00:28:36,310 --> 00:28:37,760

Marc Preston: He'll provide the groceries.

555

00:28:37,770 --> 00:28:39,290

Dimitri Leonidas: He'll

provide the groceries, yeah.

556

00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:39,630

I

557

00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:42,166

Marc Preston: was curious, have you

stayed, uh, have you always kind of lived

558

00:28:42,166 --> 00:28:46,389

in the UK, or have you tried living in

LA, or have you kind of moved around,

559

00:28:46,390 --> 00:28:47,850

or has this always been your home base?

560

00:28:48,190 --> 00:28:51,129

Dimitri Leonidas: This has always been

my home base, although over the last, I'd

561

00:28:51,130 --> 00:28:55,880

say, sort of 10, 12 years, I've probably

spent half of that time working abroad.

562

00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:01,559

I always seem to get jobs that are like

6, 7 months abroad, and I've been really

563

00:29:01,559 --> 00:29:03,029

fortunate that it's been you know.

564

00:29:03,409 --> 00:29:07,539

I spent like a year in Malta

filming a TV show and really

565

00:29:07,669 --> 00:29:09,439

six, seven months in Berlin.

566

00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:14,560

Um, uh, a few months in Barcelona,

the job, the jobs that I I'd

567

00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,350

landed over the last decade or so

were predominantly filmed abroad.

568

00:29:18,359 --> 00:29:21,559

So it was, it was always

nice to come home.

569

00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:21,929

Actually.

570

00:29:21,929 --> 00:29:25,879

I, I, I love traveling love, you

know, it's, it's something that

571

00:29:25,889 --> 00:29:28,639

I do even in, in my off off time.

572

00:29:28,649 --> 00:29:33,260

But, um, Getting to do that with

work is, is, is a real privilege.

573

00:29:33,510 --> 00:29:33,980

Oh, that's,

574

00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:34,940

Marc Preston: that's pretty awesome.

575

00:29:34,940 --> 00:29:38,359

I mean, that's one of the things I always

wanted to do is, is have a gig where I

576

00:29:38,359 --> 00:29:42,380

can be able to travel, you know, and being

able to go, you're not just traveling

577

00:29:42,460 --> 00:29:46,719

to like, like LA or again, we'll say

like Atlanta, Georgia and the U S you're

578

00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:48,570

going to some kind of nice exotic places.

579

00:29:48,579 --> 00:29:51,270

So it's, you know, those about to die.

580

00:29:51,270 --> 00:29:52,540

Where did y'all shoot that?

581

00:29:52,590 --> 00:29:55,580

Dimitri Leonidas: So we shot

that in, in Italy, in Rome.

582

00:29:55,750 --> 00:29:56,230

Oh, really?

583

00:29:56,230 --> 00:29:56,730

Okay.

584

00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:57,540

Yeah.

585

00:29:57,689 --> 00:29:57,979

Yeah.

586

00:29:57,979 --> 00:30:04,045

And they have, um, the studios there,

Chinichita, and uh, and also some sets

587

00:30:04,065 --> 00:30:05,765

that was, were outside of the studio.

588

00:30:07,375 --> 00:30:12,375

There was a remake of Ben Hur a

few years ago, and for that film,

589

00:30:12,375 --> 00:30:14,685

they had built Circus Maximus.

590

00:30:15,045 --> 00:30:17,825

Um, and that set is still there.

591

00:30:18,244 --> 00:30:21,574

And so Yeah, it's an

amazing set, actually.

592

00:30:21,574 --> 00:30:27,074

And for the chariot racing and training

that I had to do, and also for filming,

593

00:30:27,074 --> 00:30:30,430

we were using That Circus Maximus set.

594

00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:31,510

Um, yeah, it's

595

00:30:31,510 --> 00:30:32,800

Marc Preston: funny you say

that cause I was watching it.

596

00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,850

I was thinking, well, of course there,

I'm sure there's some element of CGI

597

00:30:36,850 --> 00:30:39,870

cause you can't just recreate Rome,

you know, can't rebuild Rome, but,

598

00:30:40,170 --> 00:30:43,570

but I'm going, okay, this guy really

looks like he's doing some horse stuff.

599

00:30:43,915 --> 00:30:47,385

You know, so, you know, so the, what

kind of training did you have to go

600

00:30:47,385 --> 00:30:51,215

through to kind of prepare yourself

to have a team of four horses?

601

00:30:51,245 --> 00:30:51,715

Yeah.

602

00:30:51,785 --> 00:30:52,175

Yeah.

603

00:30:52,465 --> 00:30:53,665

You know, how did, how did you do that?

604

00:30:53,695 --> 00:30:55,725

Dimitri Leonidas: So we, we were

called out, the sort of charioteers

605

00:30:56,735 --> 00:31:01,475

were called out to Rome a little

earlier and, and were given a sort of

606

00:31:01,475 --> 00:31:06,045

intensive training, which involved a few

things at first, it was like going to

607

00:31:06,055 --> 00:31:08,635

stables and spending time with horses.

608

00:31:08,635 --> 00:31:14,610

And, and, uh, my character has,

um, There's a few scenes with,

609

00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:18,090

with a horse in the show called

Inchitatus, which is a real horse.

610

00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:22,569

It was a famous horse in Rome and, uh,

so because of that, they were like,

611

00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,759

we need to sort of match you with the,

with the right horse for these scenes.

612

00:31:26,690 --> 00:31:29,729

And, um, so one of the first things

I had to do was go and like spend

613

00:31:29,729 --> 00:31:30,920

time with a few different people.

614

00:31:31,310 --> 00:31:33,620

potential in Chitatus horses.

615

00:31:34,170 --> 00:31:40,919

Um, and you know, the first one I,

I, I met was this veteran actor horse

616

00:31:40,919 --> 00:31:44,249

that had been on a bunch of like

films and television shows and was a

617

00:31:44,249 --> 00:31:49,200

bit older and a little bit more, um,

you know, a little bit more subdued.

618

00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,820

He was used to being around people.

619

00:31:51,239 --> 00:31:52,350

He was used to being on set.

620

00:31:52,350 --> 00:31:55,030

So it was kind of easy to

groom him and deal with him.

621

00:31:55,650 --> 00:31:58,020

But something about it

just didn't feel right.

622

00:31:58,050 --> 00:32:00,590

It was like, it felt

too easy or something.

623

00:32:00,590 --> 00:32:04,775

And then it In the end, you know, we

went for this other horse called Silaro.

624

00:32:04,785 --> 00:32:09,505

My first encounter with him was just,

I was in complete awe, it was huge,

625

00:32:09,505 --> 00:32:15,905

this huge muscular horse that, um,

seemed completely like unimpressed.

626

00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:17,096

And, uh, and

627

00:32:17,096 --> 00:32:20,549

Marc Preston: it seems like an interesting

matchmaking thing they're doing here.

628

00:32:20,830 --> 00:32:22,290

You know, with you and a horse,

629

00:32:23,180 --> 00:32:24,830

Dimitri Leonidas: you know,

they wanted it to feel right.

630

00:32:24,860 --> 00:32:25,270

I think.

631

00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:30,310

And, and, you know, when I got back,

you know, after the day I, Roland, the

632

00:32:30,310 --> 00:32:32,550

director, he was asking me, he was like,

so what happened with those horses?

633

00:32:32,590 --> 00:32:34,900

And I said, there's this one

horse that is just so terrifying.

634

00:32:35,250 --> 00:32:36,830

It's like super intimidating.

635

00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,600

It's like this sort of dragon sized horse.

636

00:32:39,950 --> 00:32:44,050

Um, that, uh, it's never done

any sort of television work.

637

00:32:44,050 --> 00:32:44,320

It's.

638

00:32:45,345 --> 00:32:49,645

So it's not, um, accustomed to sort of

being on set or anything, but the horse

639

00:32:49,645 --> 00:32:54,045

is so sort of intimidating, um, and

impressive looking that I just thought

640

00:32:54,045 --> 00:32:56,495

it has to be, it has to be this horse.

641

00:32:56,765 --> 00:33:01,154

And that's, that's who we went with and,

um, yeah, and then, and then, you know,

642

00:33:01,154 --> 00:33:03,065

slowly getting us used to the chariots.

643

00:33:03,095 --> 00:33:08,785

We started off on, on carriages and

just where you sort of sit and go on the

644

00:33:08,785 --> 00:33:10,435

carriage and go around Circus Maximus.

645

00:33:11,345 --> 00:33:15,575

Then upgraded to actual chariots,

which, which were terrifying at first.

646

00:33:15,575 --> 00:33:17,435

It's like standing on a skateboard.

647

00:33:18,165 --> 00:33:22,414

Um, Roland really wanted to sort

of go with a sort of more sporty

648

00:33:22,445 --> 00:33:24,124

design chariot that was very small.

649

00:33:24,825 --> 00:33:29,705

Um, and very sort of fast looking

and therefore not the safest.

650

00:33:29,785 --> 00:33:35,295

Um, so, you know, it's like standing on

this sort of little, little skateboard.

651

00:33:35,675 --> 00:33:36,585

With, I would say it

652

00:33:36,585 --> 00:33:40,065

Marc Preston: sounds kind of like, even

in just kind of watching the, they,

653

00:33:40,075 --> 00:33:42,724

they weren't these really robust things.

654

00:33:42,725 --> 00:33:46,114

They were just kind of like just a couple

of wheels, a little thing to stand in.

655

00:33:46,115 --> 00:33:47,375

And it's, yeah.

656

00:33:48,125 --> 00:33:50,845

Dimitri Leonidas: Um, and then

four giant Hungarian stunt horses

657

00:33:50,865 --> 00:33:54,950

that are like, You know, when they

want to go, they just want to rip.

658

00:33:55,010 --> 00:34:01,219

It's like, it's the feeling of, of those

horses at full power is, is phenomenal.

659

00:34:01,339 --> 00:34:05,850

It's like, it's, it's like an

earthquake at the end of your hat.

660

00:34:05,860 --> 00:34:08,599

It's, it's just, I mean,

those guys are crazy.

661

00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,439

The stunt guys are absolutely crazy.

662

00:34:10,439 --> 00:34:13,479

Those Hungarian boys that

actually were doing the races.

663

00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:18,450

And then you think like, they're crazy,

but the guys in Rome 2000 years ago,

664

00:34:18,490 --> 00:34:22,500

doing the races without all the specific

equipment that they have for the horses

665

00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:23,740

today that make it a little more.

666

00:34:23,790 --> 00:34:24,010

Marc Preston: Yeah.

667

00:34:24,010 --> 00:34:24,850

And paramedics,

668

00:34:27,429 --> 00:34:28,299

there was one quote.

669

00:34:28,299 --> 00:34:34,930

Somebody said that, uh, that horse meats

worth more than an injured racing guys.

670

00:34:34,930 --> 00:34:40,455

Like the cool thing for me was in

watching this was that it was a, um, It

671

00:34:40,455 --> 00:34:41,875

reminded me a little bit of the history.

672

00:34:41,875 --> 00:34:44,465

I probably should have paid a little

bit more attention to in school,

673

00:34:44,765 --> 00:34:46,585

but it was, what was the life?

674

00:34:46,585 --> 00:34:47,585

What was the daily life?

675

00:34:47,585 --> 00:34:50,585

What was the ebb and flow for the,

from the peasant folk all the way up

676

00:34:50,585 --> 00:34:54,704

to the, to the Anthony Hopkins types,

the emperor, you kind of saw it in a

677

00:34:54,854 --> 00:34:58,174

three dimensions as opposed to just, you

know, something that seems historical.

678

00:34:58,874 --> 00:35:02,605

Did you have any epiphanies in doing

this or learn something or anything

679

00:35:02,615 --> 00:35:06,285

about the ecosystem of the Roman life

or whatever you want to call that?

680

00:35:06,314 --> 00:35:07,795

I mean, was there

something you picked up on?

681

00:35:07,795 --> 00:35:11,295

You, you were just kind of like,

Pleasantly surprised, uh, to learn.

682

00:35:11,425 --> 00:35:12,935

Dimitri Leonidas: I mean,

there was this great podcast.

683

00:35:12,965 --> 00:35:16,885

The friend gave me before I started

called the history of Rome podcast.

684

00:35:17,515 --> 00:35:20,375

And, uh, it really is phenomenal.

685

00:35:20,375 --> 00:35:24,224

It started out as a, as a pet

project for him and it, it started

686

00:35:24,295 --> 00:35:25,945

to build a quite a large audience.

687

00:35:25,945 --> 00:35:29,325

And then he just commits fully

to, and he quits his job and just

688

00:35:29,345 --> 00:35:30,835

commits to making this podcast.

689

00:35:30,835 --> 00:35:30,975

And so.

690

00:35:31,765 --> 00:35:37,265

I was listening to that whilst, you

know, shooting and, um, there's so

691

00:35:37,285 --> 00:35:44,744

many really interesting little stories

that, um, I mean, Vespasian was an

692

00:35:44,744 --> 00:35:46,514

emperor that created public lavatories.

693

00:35:47,365 --> 00:35:51,674

Uh, and so in, in Rome, in Italy,

they call them Vespasianos, I

694

00:35:51,675 --> 00:35:52,805

think is the public lavatories.

695

00:35:52,915 --> 00:35:54,725

He, he, he created those things.

696

00:35:54,735 --> 00:36:00,515

So there's all these really sort of tiny

little stories and nuggets of, of, Call

697

00:36:00,515 --> 00:36:06,205

it cool pieces of info that come out,

um, you know, in, in, in researching

698

00:36:06,205 --> 00:36:10,314

the show and that, that period of time,

I think for me, it was trying to get

699

00:36:10,315 --> 00:36:14,435

my head around, just they see the world

slightly different to us in many ways.

700

00:36:14,634 --> 00:36:18,865

You know, we talk about Rome being the

basis of our civilization today, and it

701

00:36:18,874 --> 00:36:23,705

is in so many ways, the idea of bread

and circus, the politics, the class

702

00:36:23,735 --> 00:36:29,645

system, all of it is, you know, we can

draw a line from that time to today.

703

00:36:29,645 --> 00:36:31,264

And so many of these sort of large.

704

00:36:32,025 --> 00:36:36,015

Um, this sort of large things that

still exist today, but there's

705

00:36:36,015 --> 00:36:38,715

also an element where they saw

the world so differently to us.

706

00:36:39,255 --> 00:36:44,354

And that was, was kind of fascinating

that we, we sort of are far more, I

707

00:36:44,385 --> 00:36:50,344

think, atheistic and, and, and post

sort of cycle, you know, psychotherapy.

708

00:36:50,345 --> 00:36:50,674

We.

709

00:36:50,935 --> 00:36:55,815

We analyze our behavior in certain

ways that you have to, you know,

710

00:36:56,175 --> 00:36:59,265

for a show like this in particular,

you have to be very careful.

711

00:36:59,265 --> 00:37:03,195

You don't, you're not too clinical

with your approach to these characters

712

00:37:03,245 --> 00:37:07,615

because somewhere you can sort of squeeze

the ghost and the mystery out of them.

713

00:37:07,704 --> 00:37:11,044

Marc Preston: There is a quote, um, that

I thought was really interesting, uh,

714

00:37:11,045 --> 00:37:13,699

that, that they could see the artifice.

715

00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:17,930

But that's actually what they wanted,

you know, in other words, that's part

716

00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,450

of the theater of the whole thing.

717

00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:21,190

I think it was with the scene

when you were kind of like

718

00:37:21,190 --> 00:37:23,430

pulling back and in the race

719

00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:25,829

Dimitri Leonidas: and then,

you know, and everybody kind of

720

00:37:25,829 --> 00:37:27,900

Marc Preston: see, okay,

this is some BS, man.

721

00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:29,060

And we know what he's about to do.

722

00:37:29,329 --> 00:37:31,879

And it's like, you know, it's

almost like pro wrestling in a way.

723

00:37:32,580 --> 00:37:32,820

Right.

724

00:37:32,830 --> 00:37:34,810

But that's part of the theater of it.

725

00:37:35,220 --> 00:37:36,650

There's so many parallels.

726

00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:40,610

I mean, you know, it is cool ways,

but also some kind of scary ways.

727

00:37:40,610 --> 00:37:43,779

You start talking about the ebb

and flow of a, of an empire.

728

00:37:43,779 --> 00:37:46,639

And if you look at the U S right

now, and there's some, there's some

729

00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,370

interesting parallels, you know?

730

00:37:48,430 --> 00:37:49,220

Yeah, absolutely.

731

00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:49,540

Yeah.

732

00:37:49,955 --> 00:37:52,665

But I'm imagining, I know my

daughter just got back from Rome

733

00:37:52,665 --> 00:37:54,195

and she went to Umbria as well.

734

00:37:54,205 --> 00:37:57,335

And, uh, she got back, I was just asking

her all, all the food she had to eat.

735

00:37:57,375 --> 00:38:00,445

You know, she, she apparently is not going

to want to have any pasta for a little

736

00:38:00,445 --> 00:38:02,755

while, but what was food service like?

737

00:38:02,755 --> 00:38:05,655

What was the craft service like

when you were there in Rome?

738

00:38:05,805 --> 00:38:06,405

It's incredible.

739

00:38:06,434 --> 00:38:11,815

Was it kind of your standard TV show

stuff or that was it like some real deal

740

00:38:11,815 --> 00:38:12,255

Dimitri Leonidas: Italian?

741

00:38:12,355 --> 00:38:16,665

Marc, honestly, it's like

the food, you know, the food.

742

00:38:17,445 --> 00:38:23,505

It's the cliche, but it is true,

you know, bad food is insulting to

743

00:38:23,505 --> 00:38:30,785

Italians and, and they, they really,

you know, they really took care of us.

744

00:38:31,245 --> 00:38:34,845

The catering team out there

was, I mean, it was just superb.

745

00:38:34,905 --> 00:38:38,545

I can't, you know, I've been on

some sets where it's like, should

746

00:38:38,554 --> 00:38:39,985

we just like Uber eat something?

747

00:38:39,985 --> 00:38:42,524

Because I really don't

want to eat this set food.

748

00:38:42,525 --> 00:38:46,420

It's just not, it just feels sort of

scary that you might, you know, Eat

749

00:38:46,450 --> 00:38:50,520

something and not be able to work

for the rest of the day, you know,

750

00:38:50,530 --> 00:38:52,390

but this was not the case in Italy.

751

00:38:52,390 --> 00:38:56,950

It's like, and the funny thing is, you

know, as well, not just on set, it's, it's

752

00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:03,830

the, the sort of places, the restaurants

that, um, sort of a quiet little place

753

00:39:03,830 --> 00:39:08,180

down an alleyway that you find and you

go in and you're like, doesn't seem to

754

00:39:08,190 --> 00:39:11,840

be anyone there, but maybe because of the

time of day and then the pizza they give

755

00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:13,640

you is the best pizza you've ever tasted.

756

00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:17,800

And it's like, it's all

these tiny little cafes that.

757

00:39:18,230 --> 00:39:20,030

Um, they just

758

00:39:20,030 --> 00:39:20,230

Marc Preston: do.

759

00:39:21,350 --> 00:39:21,560

Yeah.

760

00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:25,760

Isn't there like a whole thing,

a whole idea that they may do one

761

00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:29,380

thing amazingly well, and one place

is known for one thing and you got

762

00:39:29,380 --> 00:39:30,689

to go over there for that one thing.

763

00:39:30,689 --> 00:39:35,685

I mean, I would, I would get lost and pick

up, put on, I mean, Ridiculous amount of

764

00:39:35,685 --> 00:39:37,885

pounds, you know, spending time there.

765

00:39:38,315 --> 00:39:39,865

So, so what are you working on right now?

766

00:39:39,895 --> 00:39:41,485

You know, what is coming up for you?

767

00:39:41,595 --> 00:39:43,345

So you're shooting a series like this.

768

00:39:44,165 --> 00:39:45,335

Same thing with a foundation.

769

00:39:45,345 --> 00:39:48,635

Do you ever kind of need like a break or

do you get a little antsy when you're not

770

00:39:48,635 --> 00:39:51,295

shooting something when you're kind of

like, geez, I want to get back to work.

771

00:39:51,705 --> 00:39:53,465

Dimitri Leonidas: Working is always great.

772

00:39:53,475 --> 00:39:58,545

It's always nice to have, to have that,

but I've learned to sort of use the

773

00:39:58,545 --> 00:40:01,185

time off as productively as possible.

774

00:40:01,185 --> 00:40:01,525

I think.

775

00:40:02,075 --> 00:40:06,435

You, especially when you're first

starting out, it's very easy to

776

00:40:06,435 --> 00:40:11,995

let that time sort of ever way with

anxiety about what's coming next.

777

00:40:11,995 --> 00:40:13,565

And is anything coming next?

778

00:40:13,925 --> 00:40:19,625

Um, and, um, when you, you know, when

a job does come along, you sort of

779

00:40:19,625 --> 00:40:23,575

go, I wish I just sort of did the

things that I want to do in that time.

780

00:40:23,575 --> 00:40:24,695

I wish I read more books.

781

00:40:24,695 --> 00:40:29,675

I wish I, you know, went running more, you

know, I like to do some indoor climbing

782

00:40:29,685 --> 00:40:32,565

and, um, Brazilian jujitsu and, and.

783

00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,600

You kind of don't do any of those

things, especially when you're starting

784

00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,260

out because you've got no money and

you're like, you're trying to sort of,

785

00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:42,370

I don't know how long this sort of pay

packet has to last to pay your rent.

786

00:40:42,380 --> 00:40:47,129

So you sort of don't branch out into

your other interests until you somehow

787

00:40:47,129 --> 00:40:49,429

feel a little more secure and you're

never going to feel totally secure.

788

00:40:49,430 --> 00:40:49,709

I think.

789

00:40:51,250 --> 00:40:51,440

Um,

790

00:40:51,550 --> 00:40:53,120

Marc Preston: yeah, I remember

a long time ago, I think I

791

00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,320

was speaking to John Favreau.

792

00:40:55,410 --> 00:40:56,870

This is going 20.

793

00:40:57,260 --> 00:40:58,590

I don't even think of

how long ago that was.

794

00:40:59,120 --> 00:40:59,740

I'm getting older.

795

00:41:00,010 --> 00:41:02,539

Um, but he said something that's

like, yeah, you know, whenever a

796

00:41:02,539 --> 00:41:04,239

movie or a show raps, I'm out of work.

797

00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:05,940

I never really framed it like that.

798

00:41:05,940 --> 00:41:06,489

Like, Oh really?

799

00:41:06,490 --> 00:41:08,059

I guess you're, I guess you're right.

800

00:41:08,230 --> 00:41:11,280

As far as projects go, what, what

kind of things do you have coming up?

801

00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,940

Or even, you know, what kind of

things are you looking to want to do?

802

00:41:15,150 --> 00:41:17,720

You know, coming up here, uh, is

there anything you haven't done that

803

00:41:17,730 --> 00:41:21,700

you're like, I would really like to

grab ahold of a project like this.

804

00:41:21,730 --> 00:41:22,510

What would that be?

805

00:41:22,630 --> 00:41:27,820

Dimitri Leonidas: Um, I mean, I, I feel

very fortunate in the last few years

806

00:41:27,820 --> 00:41:33,720

to have been on a range of, of projects

and shows that are all quite different.

807

00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:40,810

Um, you know, from sort of sci fi

to war dramas, um, to, to sort of

808

00:41:40,830 --> 00:41:45,710

modern day to like ancient Rome, I

kind of had to sort of stop when this

809

00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:46,860

job finished and look back and go.

810

00:41:47,555 --> 00:41:52,405

If I, someone had told me 10 years ago

that I would have done these things, it,

811

00:41:53,045 --> 00:41:56,745

I, I would have, you know, grabbed, I

would have said, yes, please, you know, if

812

00:41:56,745 --> 00:41:59,125

that is, is where I could be in 10 years.

813

00:41:59,135 --> 00:42:04,235

So, so I kind of like, I've tried

to sort of go a little more inwards

814

00:42:04,235 --> 00:42:07,995

and, and figure out what it is I

personally want to do and, and the

815

00:42:08,025 --> 00:42:12,745

things that really sort of draw sort

of sources of inspiration for me.

816

00:42:12,745 --> 00:42:16,525

And then it's really bizarre because

that sort of can lead you down.

817

00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:22,160

Um, a path of like, you know, you

end up with five, six, seven books

818

00:42:22,180 --> 00:42:26,319

that you're going reading all at

once and, uh, and, um, and that opens

819

00:42:26,319 --> 00:42:27,780

up more doors to something else.

820

00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,310

And then there'll be some, you know,

eccentric artists that you, you

821

00:42:31,310 --> 00:42:35,330

discover through that process that you

momentarily become sort of obsessed with.

822

00:42:35,330 --> 00:42:39,470

And, and so I'm in that world of

just, you know, there's lots of

823

00:42:39,470 --> 00:42:41,160

things that sort of appeal to me.

824

00:42:41,170 --> 00:42:41,840

And, and.

825

00:42:42,345 --> 00:42:48,545

Um, finding time to do it all and, and,

and, you know, read the books that I want.

826

00:42:48,545 --> 00:42:54,355

And, um, I, I, I bought a, a camera

recently and have been, you know,

827

00:42:54,445 --> 00:42:59,055

shooting and, and getting to know

the, the intricacies of it and, and

828

00:42:59,055 --> 00:43:02,200

the sort of the, the, the few lenses

that I bought and playing with them

829

00:43:02,325 --> 00:43:05,895

and going onto Da Vinci Resolve and,

and learning the editing software.

830

00:43:05,895 --> 00:43:06,585

And so like.

831

00:43:07,070 --> 00:43:10,090

For me, it's like I could,

I could do that forever.

832

00:43:10,490 --> 00:43:14,160

Um, cause I love, I love, I'm

starting to really enjoy that.

833

00:43:14,570 --> 00:43:21,220

Um, but of course, you know, work,

work is, is, is essential and the

834

00:43:21,220 --> 00:43:24,760

process of, of like being with

other people and doing it is great.

835

00:43:24,829 --> 00:43:24,929

Marc Preston: Yeah.

836

00:43:25,140 --> 00:43:26,079

I know what you mean about that.

837

00:43:26,079 --> 00:43:26,789

Eventually resolve.

838

00:43:26,790 --> 00:43:29,630

You can kind of go down a little

rabbit hole, like as if you've got

839

00:43:29,630 --> 00:43:30,840

a creative mind you want to go.

840

00:43:30,850 --> 00:43:31,150

Right.

841

00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:33,825

Dimitri Leonidas: You've got into the

fusion element elements of DaVinci.

842

00:43:33,825 --> 00:43:33,826

The,

843

00:43:34,460 --> 00:43:37,160

Marc Preston: I haven't even

gotten into the things, the

844

00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,230

real horsepower of the thing.

845

00:43:39,470 --> 00:43:39,860

It's insane.

846

00:43:40,070 --> 00:43:44,630

Most I've done was this most rudimentary,

you know, just a basic editing as it were.

847

00:43:44,630 --> 00:43:46,190

But I mean, there's so much you can do.

848

00:43:46,250 --> 00:43:46,550

Yeah.

849

00:43:46,555 --> 00:43:46,705

Yeah.

850

00:43:47,060 --> 00:43:50,180

Do you find yourself, uh, like, oh,

next time I'm on set I wanna go hang out

851

00:43:50,180 --> 00:43:52,190

with a DP and ask him some questions?

852

00:43:52,430 --> 00:43:55,130

You know, what kinda lenses,

why are you using the lenses?

853

00:43:55,130 --> 00:43:55,310

You know,

854

00:43:56,575 --> 00:43:57,265

,

Dimitri Leonidas: exactly that.

855

00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:03,049

It really is that, yeah.

856

00:44:05,730 --> 00:44:07,520

Marc Preston: As we, you know,

head towards wrapping up here.

857

00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,990

One thing I do like to do, I have

my, what I call my seven questions.

858

00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,500

I always like to kind of throw

out and just, just a little

859

00:44:13,500 --> 00:44:14,779

fun, a little extra fun here.

860

00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:16,480

And we were talking food a moment ago.

861

00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:18,450

So, that always comes up a bunch.

862

00:44:18,970 --> 00:44:22,130

Um, of the seven questions,

first one's always, what is

863

00:44:22,130 --> 00:44:24,400

your favorite, uh, comfort food?

864

00:44:24,500 --> 00:44:26,930

Dimitri Leonidas: You

know, I love ribeye steak.

865

00:44:28,369 --> 00:44:29,480

I love ribeye steak.

866

00:44:29,619 --> 00:44:30,470

It's, um.

867

00:44:31,510 --> 00:44:36,180

It's, it's a, it's a meal that I

always feel very satisfied that

868

00:44:36,190 --> 00:44:39,530

the ingredient cooked properly with

some, maybe some, some broccoli, some

869

00:44:39,530 --> 00:44:43,709

garlic and a little bit of chili,

uh, with the broccoli that, that is,

870

00:44:45,059 --> 00:44:46,840

that is always super satisfied to me.

871

00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,920

And then, and then, um, you know, on

the slightly, maybe less healthier side.

872

00:44:51,245 --> 00:44:52,635

A good fried chicken burger.

873

00:44:52,635 --> 00:44:54,737

you said a fried

874

00:44:54,737 --> 00:44:55,788

Marc Preston: chicken burger.

875

00:44:55,788 --> 00:45:00,644

You know, the, the folks are the, the

folks, uh, at your neck of the woods I've

876

00:45:00,645 --> 00:45:06,764

spoken with, uh, I learned what spag bowl

is that's that's shown up more than once

877

00:45:06,855 --> 00:45:06,995

Dimitri Leonidas: I

878

00:45:06,995 --> 00:45:07,695

Marc Preston: can imagine.

879

00:45:07,695 --> 00:45:08,025

Yeah.

880

00:45:08,105 --> 00:45:09,245

But of course, being in Italy,

881

00:45:09,245 --> 00:45:10,374

Dimitri Leonidas: now

882

00:45:10,374 --> 00:45:13,945

Marc Preston: the second question is if

you're going to sit down, you're going

883

00:45:13,945 --> 00:45:19,955

to talk story like this, like a few

hours, coffee, you three people, Living

884

00:45:19,955 --> 00:45:23,295

or not, who would those three people be

that you would like to just have at the

885

00:45:23,295 --> 00:45:25,915

table with you, uh, for conversation?

886

00:45:26,035 --> 00:45:30,965

Dimitri Leonidas: Um, David Lean, who,

who directed, uh, Lawrence of Arabia and,

887

00:45:30,965 --> 00:45:33,434

um, all those, all those great epics.

888

00:45:33,435 --> 00:45:36,455

Um, I think he'd be fascinating.

889

00:45:36,485 --> 00:45:38,434

He's a sort of Kubrick

esque for going away.

890

00:45:38,644 --> 00:45:46,285

Um, and, um, Kubrick, you know, would

be, would, it's always hard with these

891

00:45:46,285 --> 00:45:50,155

questions because for me, I always go, how

can it not be Stanley Kubrick in a way?

892

00:45:50,165 --> 00:45:55,120

It's just, You know, his,

his work is, um, you know,

893

00:45:55,950 --> 00:45:59,190

Marc Preston: what is, what, what is

your, uh, if you have a Kubrick project,

894

00:45:59,250 --> 00:46:02,439

just like, okay, it's definitive, what

would that Kubrick film be for you?

895

00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,519

Dimitri Leonidas: I think Barry Lyndon,

you know, you sort of go through a process

896

00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:10,140

of all of them being at some point a sort

of favorite, but Barry Lyndon is maybe.

897

00:46:10,515 --> 00:46:17,165

Um, the one that I think is

just sort of stunning as a film.

898

00:46:17,255 --> 00:46:24,294

Um, and he famously designed, uh, he

worked along alongside NASA to develop

899

00:46:24,294 --> 00:46:30,094

these new lenses that could pick up light

in, um, that could pick up candlelight.

900

00:46:30,105 --> 00:46:34,845

So he wanted to shoot the whole film in

candlelight, which with the technology

901

00:46:34,845 --> 00:46:36,625

at the time just wasn't really possible.

902

00:46:36,635 --> 00:46:40,485

The lenses couldn't, Pick up

that level of, um, details,

903

00:46:40,545 --> 00:46:42,015

you know, it was just too dark.

904

00:46:42,305 --> 00:46:46,684

So he, you know, he, he, he gets

NASA to help him out and they

905

00:46:46,684 --> 00:46:50,144

design a whole new set of lenses

so that he can get what he wants.

906

00:46:50,424 --> 00:46:52,955

Marc Preston: And all the conspiracy

theories start that he went and, you

907

00:46:52,955 --> 00:46:54,715

know, shot the moon landing on a set.

908

00:46:54,764 --> 00:46:55,265

Dimitri Leonidas: That's right.

909

00:46:56,205 --> 00:46:56,564

That's it.

910

00:46:56,564 --> 00:46:57,315

Exactly that.

911

00:46:57,324 --> 00:46:57,614

Yeah.

912

00:46:57,654 --> 00:46:59,355

Marc Preston: For me, it was

full metal jacket for me.

913

00:46:59,355 --> 00:47:04,005

It was like a, like an interesting

journey to take, you know, Would you have

914

00:47:04,005 --> 00:47:05,325

another person at the table with you?

915

00:47:05,325 --> 00:47:08,205

You can think of that, you know, living

again, living or not, who would that be?

916

00:47:08,205 --> 00:47:11,655

Dimitri Leonidas: I'm going to

end up with three directors here,

917

00:47:11,715 --> 00:47:13,005

but I'm going to do it anyway.

918

00:47:13,064 --> 00:47:17,655

Um, Jonathan Glazer, who, who

directed, um, his first film was sexy

919

00:47:17,695 --> 00:47:21,685

beast, then birth, then under the

skin and recently zone of interest.

920

00:47:22,214 --> 00:47:30,365

Um, I just think he's, uh, you know,

each one of his films, they share no DNA.

921

00:47:30,405 --> 00:47:33,745

Like they don't, You don't know

that there's a Jonathan Glaser movie

922

00:47:33,785 --> 00:47:35,485

because there's nothing about them that

923

00:47:36,395 --> 00:47:36,725

Marc Preston: Really?

924

00:47:36,725 --> 00:47:36,985

Yeah,

925

00:47:36,985 --> 00:47:40,254

Dimitri Leonidas: I mean, he just

totally caters, even the form of

926

00:47:40,285 --> 00:47:44,995

the film, to suit the sort of themes

and the requirements of the film.

927

00:47:45,275 --> 00:47:48,444

I mean, he makes a film every ten years

or something and spends that decade

928

00:47:49,240 --> 00:47:54,140

I think totally focusing on what the

emergent needs of this project are.

929

00:47:54,220 --> 00:47:58,480

So by the time it comes out and sees

it, and you see it, they're like

930

00:47:58,530 --> 00:48:02,250

alien films in a way, because you're

like, there's nothing quite like it.

931

00:48:02,540 --> 00:48:08,169

He has designed the film in a way that

tells the story the exact way it needs

932

00:48:08,169 --> 00:48:13,915

to be told, you know, disregarding how we

sort of, You know, a mass audience sort of

933

00:48:13,915 --> 00:48:17,175

feels about a third act structure and, and

934

00:48:17,615 --> 00:48:20,784

Marc Preston: I don't know if I'd have

the patience to do a film once every

935

00:48:20,784 --> 00:48:22,475

10 years, I would be get too antsy.

936

00:48:22,475 --> 00:48:23,331

Like, I want to get there.

937

00:48:23,331 --> 00:48:24,616

Dimitri Leonidas: I know what you mean.

938

00:48:24,616 --> 00:48:25,129

Yeah, yeah.

939

00:48:25,570 --> 00:48:26,250

It's quite a marathon.

940

00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,380

Marc Preston: So, so that begs a question.

941

00:48:28,770 --> 00:48:30,520

Are you wanting to direct

at some point in time?

942

00:48:30,810 --> 00:48:31,490

I think so,

943

00:48:31,540 --> 00:48:31,970

Dimitri Leonidas: yeah.

944

00:48:32,010 --> 00:48:32,870

Yeah, I think I would.

945

00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:39,260

They'd probably be quite sort of small

things that, that I think, I think working

946

00:48:39,260 --> 00:48:43,989

on, on films with so many people and, and,

and they're kind of, you know, big epics.

947

00:48:44,609 --> 00:48:49,680

I quite like the idea for now

anyway of, of pairing it all down

948

00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:56,240

to something very small and, and,

um, and, and simplistic and, and.

949

00:48:56,980 --> 00:48:59,480

Maybe just for me, just playing

around, as you were saying, you

950

00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,140

know, with Da Vinci and stuff.

951

00:49:01,705 --> 00:49:05,375

With sort of more art installation

type things with narrative still,

952

00:49:05,415 --> 00:49:09,514

but, but just playing around with

image and sound and seeing how you

953

00:49:09,514 --> 00:49:12,325

can push that, that, that right now

is sort of quite appealing to me.

954

00:49:12,764 --> 00:49:15,424

Marc Preston: Well, I mean, with all the

locations you get to go, you know, you

955

00:49:15,424 --> 00:49:21,324

can take a camera around and you know, um,

now next question I got for you is going

956

00:49:21,334 --> 00:49:25,101

back when you were young, who was your

first celebrity crush when you were a kid?

957

00:49:25,101 --> 00:49:27,573

Dimitri Leonidas: Mine was,

um, mine was quite a weird one.

958

00:49:27,573 --> 00:49:28,946

I think about it now.

959

00:49:28,946 --> 00:49:30,319

Um, it was Gene Seberg.

960

00:49:30,990 --> 00:49:34,720

You know, the French actress, she was

in a Bouguere souffle, the French film.

961

00:49:34,780 --> 00:49:37,530

Um, she had a kind of crazy life.

962

00:49:37,530 --> 00:49:40,080

She, I think she ended up being

assassinated or something.

963

00:49:40,110 --> 00:49:48,010

She had had an affair with, um, she had

an affair with a politician, I think.

964

00:49:48,090 --> 00:49:51,260

And, uh, and there's a

mystery around her death.

965

00:49:51,269 --> 00:49:54,940

But, um, yeah, Jean Seberg,

the French, the French actress.

966

00:49:55,090 --> 00:49:56,270

She had really short hair.

967

00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:58,610

It's sort of Mia Farrow

esque in, in roses.

968

00:49:59,020 --> 00:49:59,350

Oh, okay.

969

00:49:59,350 --> 00:49:59,999

Okay.

970

00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:00,170

And

971

00:50:00,170 --> 00:50:04,165

Marc Preston: I just, And like,

what, what decade was she, I mean, I

972

00:50:04,175 --> 00:50:05,755

Dimitri Leonidas: guess it

was like French new wave.

973

00:50:05,755 --> 00:50:10,575

So it would be like, is that

the seventies, seventies, right?

974

00:50:10,635 --> 00:50:11,045

Yes.

975

00:50:11,055 --> 00:50:13,075

Marc Preston: That's about,

yeah, I'm learning things.

976

00:50:13,104 --> 00:50:14,980

I'm like, okay, I gotta go check this out.

977

00:50:14,980 --> 00:50:18,424

There are so many things that I happily

have not, you know, at my age, I'm

978

00:50:18,425 --> 00:50:19,455

like, you know, it's kind of cool.

979

00:50:19,455 --> 00:50:20,535

I haven't checked that out yet.

980

00:50:20,535 --> 00:50:20,805

Okay.

981

00:50:20,855 --> 00:50:24,405

Well, there's one more thing that I'm

not aware of and I get to go check out.

982

00:50:24,405 --> 00:50:27,185

So, uh, and I, and again, I learned that.

983

00:50:27,505 --> 00:50:32,245

Hey, you've, you, you know, the whole

connection with Han Solo and Hobremello.

984

00:50:32,415 --> 00:50:35,165

Uh, so that's part of the reason why I

like doing this because I learn things.

985

00:50:36,384 --> 00:50:39,605

Now, if you're going to be going to

live the next question, you're going

986

00:50:39,605 --> 00:50:43,495

to be on an exotic island somewhere,

somewhere you really want to be, but

987

00:50:43,495 --> 00:50:44,555

you're going to be there for a year.

988

00:50:44,565 --> 00:50:45,645

There's no internet.

989

00:50:46,144 --> 00:50:50,745

Um, so you need to bring one album

with you, a CD and one DVD, one movie.

990

00:50:50,775 --> 00:50:54,635

What would that one movie and one album

be that you could, that could ride

991

00:50:54,655 --> 00:50:56,055

out the year with you on the island?

992

00:50:56,110 --> 00:51:05,590

Dimitri Leonidas: The album that

springs to mind is, um, an album called

993

00:51:06,720 --> 00:51:10,770

Oakland Asylum by a band called Y.

994

00:51:11,339 --> 00:51:13,470

In fact, any one of

their albums I'll take.

995

00:51:13,990 --> 00:51:17,920

Um, it was an album, their music I

was listening to a lot in my twenties.

996

00:51:18,190 --> 00:51:23,265

Um, And it, it was just so different

to everything else I heard.

997

00:51:23,305 --> 00:51:23,565

And

998

00:51:23,605 --> 00:51:25,605

Marc Preston: like how, what

a genre does, do they fit

999

00:51:25,855 --> 00:51:26,845

Dimitri Leonidas: really hard to explain?

Speaker:

00:51:26,875 --> 00:51:28,185

I find it really hard to explain.

Speaker:

00:51:28,185 --> 00:51:33,995

Cause it's like, they kind of have

elements of, of like they developed

Speaker:

00:51:34,005 --> 00:51:38,524

something called like cloud rap,

this sort of hypnotic almost, Oh, you

Speaker:

00:51:38,524 --> 00:51:45,084

know, sounds over, um, over sometimes

incomprehensible, you know, lyrics that

Speaker:

00:51:45,084 --> 00:51:47,114

you just sort of almost meditative style.

Speaker:

00:51:47,255 --> 00:51:48,975

And then other times there's a sort of.

Speaker:

00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:54,380

You know, a kind of just, you

know, music band vibe as well.

Speaker:

00:51:54,380 --> 00:51:57,920

They're just sort of playing instruments

and, and, and singing, but they, they're

Speaker:

00:51:57,920 --> 00:51:59,970

from San Francisco, uh, I believe.

Speaker:

00:52:00,100 --> 00:52:05,119

And, uh, if you can get hold of any

of their albums, I, it's so cool.

Speaker:

00:52:05,119 --> 00:52:07,539

They're so sort of life affirming and fun.

Speaker:

00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:10,240

Marc Preston: Um, I definitely,

I definitely be checking out.

Speaker:

00:52:10,240 --> 00:52:13,220

Cause I like, again, I'm learning, you

know, and I've spent some time working

Speaker:

00:52:13,220 --> 00:52:18,100

radio and I got, there are very few genres

that I don't have some favorites in, but

Speaker:

00:52:18,100 --> 00:52:21,890

I like checking out things I've never

heard of before, you know, Cause I have

Speaker:

00:52:21,890 --> 00:52:28,180

a, I think some of my kids think I have

a weird taste of music, but I'm a weirdo.

Speaker:

00:52:28,180 --> 00:52:31,109

I like, I, you know, it's like, I got,

I got the things I like, you know,

Speaker:

00:52:33,070 --> 00:52:36,279

now the next question, if you were

to say, you know, we forgot actually

Speaker:

00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,380

what What the, what was the movie

going to be because we knew the album,

Speaker:

00:52:39,390 --> 00:52:40,700

I'm sorry, like brain farted there.

Speaker:

00:52:40,870 --> 00:52:41,970

What would the movie be for you?

Speaker:

00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:43,220

Maybe Chinatown.

Speaker:

00:52:43,590 --> 00:52:44,540

Ah, very good.

Speaker:

00:52:44,580 --> 00:52:46,570

Yeah, that, that, that's a good one.

Speaker:

00:52:46,670 --> 00:52:47,080

Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah.

Speaker:

00:52:47,220 --> 00:52:49,980

Marc Preston: I find myself sometimes

sitting on the sofa going, what

Speaker:

00:52:49,990 --> 00:52:51,779

have I not seen in a long time?

Speaker:

00:52:51,779 --> 00:52:53,810

I would like to go back and

check out like Chinatown.

Speaker:

00:52:54,260 --> 00:52:56,620

I haven't seen that in

20 years, you know, so

Speaker:

00:52:56,930 --> 00:52:58,850

Dimitri Leonidas: yeah, I

mean, it's, it's phenomenal.

Speaker:

00:52:58,850 --> 00:53:01,312

I'm, I'm definitely in the camp

of like one of the best sort

Speaker:

00:53:01,312 --> 00:53:02,329

of screenplays ever written.

Speaker:

00:53:02,620 --> 00:53:05,190

Marc Preston: Uh, now if you're

again for the next question, from

Speaker:

00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:08,430

the time you wake up to the time you

go to sleep, what are the component

Speaker:

00:53:08,430 --> 00:53:09,860

parts of a perfect day for you?

Speaker:

00:53:09,869 --> 00:53:14,010

What elements would be, you know, if

you said this was, this was a great day.

Speaker:

00:53:14,050 --> 00:53:14,590

Dimitri Leonidas: Okay.

Speaker:

00:53:14,830 --> 00:53:15,200

Okay.

Speaker:

00:53:15,240 --> 00:53:20,670

I like to get up and, and leave,

leave my flat quite quickly.

Speaker:

00:53:20,900 --> 00:53:25,085

Um, I just find getting up and

getting out is sort of an impulse

Speaker:

00:53:25,105 --> 00:53:29,475

for me that, that I, I like to do

it just sort of hanging around.

Speaker:

00:53:29,975 --> 00:53:34,085

I can, you know, get into a sort of

like waste an hour on the couch looking

Speaker:

00:53:34,085 --> 00:53:37,665

at my phone or, you know, so I like to

get out and go get a coffee somewhere.

Speaker:

00:53:38,405 --> 00:53:42,534

Um, a nice cafe, you

know, get my coffee in.

Speaker:

00:53:42,924 --> 00:53:47,595

Um, maybe, maybe do some

reading for an hour or so.

Speaker:

00:53:49,805 --> 00:53:54,535

And then, you know, I guess, I guess any

sort of combination or mixture of like,

Speaker:

00:53:55,145 --> 00:54:01,285

um, something active with whether it's

like indoor climbing or playing football

Speaker:

00:54:01,285 --> 00:54:06,344

at a certain point in that in the day,

um, some sort of physical activity, even

Speaker:

00:54:06,385 --> 00:54:07,854

half an hour at the gym or something.

Speaker:

00:54:08,475 --> 00:54:11,175

Um, get all the sort of

stuff done that I need to do.

Speaker:

00:54:11,175 --> 00:54:14,245

I like to get all that done early,

you know, if there's any emails or

Speaker:

00:54:14,245 --> 00:54:16,255

anything I've gotta send, um, right.

Speaker:

00:54:16,555 --> 00:54:17,335

Marc Preston: Yeah, I'm, I'm saying

Speaker:

00:54:17,845 --> 00:54:19,345

Dimitri Leonidas: that, you know, I

just, I just feel like it, it, it can

Speaker:

00:54:19,345 --> 00:54:22,135

linger in your head as the day goes

on, whereas if you get it sorted, I

Speaker:

00:54:22,140 --> 00:54:23,875

go the day the evening is now mine.

Speaker:

00:54:24,325 --> 00:54:27,325

Marc Preston: Um, you, you want

your day doing your thing and the

Speaker:

00:54:27,325 --> 00:54:29,425

only way you get there is getting

all the other stuff outta the way.

Speaker:

00:54:29,430 --> 00:54:29,490

Okay.

Speaker:

00:54:29,490 --> 00:54:29,810

Dimitri Leonidas: Well that's done.

Speaker:

00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:35,170

Um, and it would end with a film,

I guess, you know, and he cooked

Speaker:

00:54:35,170 --> 00:54:39,320

some nice food and, and some kind

of film would be, would be great.

Speaker:

00:54:39,410 --> 00:54:39,770

Yeah.

Speaker:

00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:41,060

Um, so it's not

Speaker:

00:54:41,060 --> 00:54:41,860

Marc Preston: tea, it's coffee.

Speaker:

00:54:41,860 --> 00:54:44,579

Dimitri Leonidas: Actually,

Speaker:

00:54:44,580 --> 00:54:46,560

Marc Preston: that's why my

daughter brought me back from Rome.

Speaker:

00:54:46,950 --> 00:54:51,415

There's two, two bags of, um,

coffee, like a coffee bean.

Speaker:

00:54:51,415 --> 00:54:53,595

So I'm like, I'm raring to get into that.

Speaker:

00:54:53,725 --> 00:54:54,845

My coffee grinder broke.

Speaker:

00:54:54,845 --> 00:54:58,005

So I got to buy another coffee

grinder so I can enjoy that.

Speaker:

00:54:58,405 --> 00:55:00,865

Um, now if you weren't doing the next

question, if you weren't doing this

Speaker:

00:55:00,865 --> 00:55:05,475

for a living, if this wasn't your

vocation, what could you see yourself

Speaker:

00:55:05,485 --> 00:55:07,464

finding joy in doing besides this?

Speaker:

00:55:07,735 --> 00:55:08,105

Dimitri Leonidas: Wow.

Speaker:

00:55:08,184 --> 00:55:12,054

I mean, as, as we spoke about earlier,

you know, because this has been such a.

Speaker:

00:55:12,240 --> 00:55:18,680

Part of my life since I was young, it is

hard to sort of pull out of this time zone

Speaker:

00:55:18,680 --> 00:55:23,069

and this reality and go, what would be an

alternative sort of reality to live in?

Speaker:

00:55:23,070 --> 00:55:28,739

And, and, um, in some ways it's cheating

a little bit because I would like

Speaker:

00:55:28,739 --> 00:55:30,550

to still do something in, in film.

Speaker:

00:55:30,979 --> 00:55:37,739

Um, but maybe if, if I had

to remove the film industry

Speaker:

00:55:37,919 --> 00:55:39,549

entirely or like the process of.

Speaker:

00:55:40,220 --> 00:55:42,210

Making films in any capacity.

Speaker:

00:55:42,210 --> 00:55:42,390

I

Speaker:

00:55:45,550 --> 00:55:49,130

really don't know and that's

kind of scary a little bit.

Speaker:

00:55:49,190 --> 00:55:52,360

Marc Preston: Um, that's actually

affirming because uh, Reaffirming

Speaker:

00:55:53,410 --> 00:55:55,809

that you're in the right place, you

know, if you can see if you can't

Speaker:

00:55:55,809 --> 00:55:57,900

see yourself doing anything else,

you know You're in the right place.

Speaker:

00:55:57,910 --> 00:56:01,529

Yes Yeah, you know, um, which I think all

actors have to have because you have to

Speaker:

00:56:01,530 --> 00:56:06,475

go through such an arc of experience At

least early on it's not very lucrative.

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Let's say, you know, well, the last

question I got for you, if you were to

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jump into that quintessential DeLorean

and travel back in time, 16 year old

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you, you're going to sit down and

have, uh, you know, some advice you can

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00:56:18,125 --> 00:56:22,785

pass along to make that moment somehow

better or to make the, you know, set

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00:56:22,785 --> 00:56:23,995

yourself up a little bit different.

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00:56:24,434 --> 00:56:27,215

What would that piece of advice

be that you would offer yourself?

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Dimitri Leonidas: Um, it's always a

good question, you know, and it's like,

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I do sometimes think, you know,

what, what would, what would

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I do differently if you could?

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And, and in some ways I think because

of dealing with certain things when I

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was younger, I kind of had downloaded,

you know, certain experiences just offer

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an abundance of, of, of treasure in

terms of, of, you know, lessons learned.

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And so I think I've

always appreciated that.

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I've always had it in me to sort

of go, you know, don't always

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give yourself a hard time.

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00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:07,000

Don't like berate yourself

when things go wrong.

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Um, and so I think, I think my

advice would be just to get going a

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little earlier on the things I love.

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I wish I wrote more.

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Um, I wish I'd got into a

habit of writing earlier.

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Um, I think being able to write

means you're able to think and

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00:57:25,759 --> 00:57:26,839

you're able to communicate.

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And I think being able to communicate

puts you at such an advantage.

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Because you're just able to express ideas

to other people and share and, and, and

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I think writing is one of those things

that I kind of always wanted to do a

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00:57:40,225 --> 00:57:42,735

little bit and never really committed.

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I think I would jump into that

a little bit earlier if I could.

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Um, and maybe even a few other things

like, you know, I wish I, I discovered

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00:57:52,475 --> 00:57:53,865

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu quite late.

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I was, I was like 29 30

when I started doing it.

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And, um,

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Marc Preston: So it's kind of funny.

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Cause like, uh, I was a big fan of Anthony

Bourdain, you know, back in the day.

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I know he kind of came by that late

and then towards the end of his

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life, he was really great shape.

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I was like, maybe that's an idea for me.

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I'm like, I'm too lazy for that, but it's.

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00:58:14,105 --> 00:58:15,615

But it's a good on you for that.

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But, but I'll tell you what, uh, Dimitri,

I really appreciate you taking time.

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00:58:19,785 --> 00:58:22,855

I'm looking forward to getting,

getting further into those

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about to die as it comes out.

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Uh, July 18th.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I've, I've enjoyed it.

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I've gotten into it.

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And I kind of want to kind of

like pace myself because I have

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this habit of binging things.

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Yeah, yeah, I know that.

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Now it's gone, you know.

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Dimitri Leonidas: Yeah, that's it.

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Marc Preston: Well, thank you again.

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00:58:39,805 --> 00:58:40,915

I so appreciate it.

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00:58:40,965 --> 00:58:42,335

But, uh, take care.

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Dimitri Leonidas: very much.

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Marc Preston: All right, there you go.

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00:58:46,395 --> 00:58:47,675

Dimitri Leonidas.

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00:58:47,965 --> 00:58:50,725

It's the new show, Those About to Die.

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00:58:50,735 --> 00:58:53,905

It's on Peacock coming out July 18th.

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00:58:54,215 --> 00:58:55,165

Very good show.

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00:58:55,175 --> 00:58:56,425

Really enjoyed the series.

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00:58:56,835 --> 00:59:00,855

It's based again in the Roman

Empire and it is very expansive,

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00:59:00,865 --> 00:59:02,435

visually cool to check out.

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00:59:02,725 --> 00:59:03,695

Uh, great stories.

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00:59:03,735 --> 00:59:05,125

I mean, it's just a fun ride.

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00:59:05,135 --> 00:59:06,155

I think you'll enjoy it.

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00:59:06,385 --> 00:59:07,015

Hey, do me a favor.

Speaker:

00:59:07,015 --> 00:59:11,349

If you would, don't forget to follow Story

and Craft on your favorite podcast app.

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00:59:11,500 --> 00:59:14,460

App drop a few stars if

you would a little review.

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It helps people find the show.

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Plus, if you follow, you get notified

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have some great ones coming up here soon.

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And also you want to drop me

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Speaker:

00:59:24,980 --> 00:59:26,510

Go to story and craft.

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00:59:26,525 --> 00:59:28,305

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Great way to reach out.

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00:59:29,635 --> 00:59:30,455

Let me know what's up.

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00:59:30,465 --> 00:59:31,845

What are you thinking about the show?

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00:59:31,985 --> 00:59:32,795

What are you up to?

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00:59:32,885 --> 00:59:33,985

Just reach out and say howdy.

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00:59:33,985 --> 00:59:34,925

Always good to hear from you.

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00:59:35,135 --> 00:59:35,505

All righty.

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00:59:35,505 --> 00:59:36,645

That's it for today.

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00:59:36,775 --> 00:59:38,855

Again, thank you for coming by.

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00:59:39,155 --> 00:59:41,675

Enjoy having you with me every episode.

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00:59:41,690 --> 00:59:42,450

It means a lot.

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00:59:42,510 --> 00:59:43,800

So thank you very much.

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00:59:44,150 --> 00:59:45,870

I'm going to get on out of

here, grab a bite to eat.

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00:59:45,890 --> 00:59:49,210

You go have a great rest of

your day, evening, weekend,

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00:59:49,220 --> 00:59:50,340

week, whatever you're up to.

Speaker:

00:59:50,550 --> 00:59:54,030

Thank you so much for making Story

Craft part of what you got going on.

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00:59:54,140 --> 00:59:57,660

We'll connect next time,

right here on Story Craft.

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00:59:57,940 --> 01:00:00,270

Announcer: That's it for

this episode of Story Craft.

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01:00:00,590 --> 01:00:04,950

Join Marc next week for more

conversation, right here on Story Craft.

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01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:09,260

Story Craft is a presentation of

Marc Preston Productions, LLC.

Speaker:

01:00:10,255 --> 01:00:12,605

Executive producer is Marc Preston.

Speaker:

01:00:13,015 --> 01:00:15,415

Associate producer is Zachary Holden.

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01:00:15,775 --> 01:00:19,085

Please rate and review Story

Craft on Apple Podcasts.

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updates and stay in the know.

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See you next time.

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01:00:35,555 --> 01:00:37,965

And remember, keep telling your story.

Dimitri Leonidas Profile Photo

Dimitri Leonidas

Actor

Dimitri Leonidas is a British actor who has worked extensively on stage, television, and film. Up next, Dimitri will star in the Peacock series Those About to Die. Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) and helmed by Anthony Hopkins, all episodes will premiere on July 18 on Peacock in the US and on July 19 internationally on Amazon Prime Video. The show is described as an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.

Dimitri recently starred as Hober Mallow in season 2 of Foundation and in the hugely successful Amblin series Masters of The Air both for Apple TV.

Dimitri’s other TV credits include the Netflix series The One penned by Howard Overman, in which he played the lead role of James, alongside Hannah Ware. He co-led the first 2 seasons of Sky Atlantic's Riviera, opposite Julia Stiles.

Dimitri took to the stage in an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Oscar-winning film Through a Glass Darkly., starring opposite Ruth Wilson, directed by Michael Attenborough.

In 2014, following a worldwide search, Dimitri was cast alongside George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett in World War II drama, The Monuments Men, which followed an unlikely platoon on the greatest treasure hunt in history. He followed this with Rosewater, Jon Stewart's directorial debut, in which he starred opposite Gael Garcia Bernal. This led hi… Read More