UK TV Insider: What Man United Need in New Show & Who to Cast As Sir Alex Ferguson, George Best & Ryan Giggs 

Speaking to CoinPoker after news broke that the top brass at Old Trafford have signed a deal to create a dramatised series about the club’s history, based on The Crown, UK TV insider Hulme also explained the pitfalls to avoid in bringing the show to life. 

Read his full interview below.

---

Q: What was your reaction to the news? How big of an opportunity is this for local actors in your position? 

It’s definitely a big opportunity, a production like this. There’s going to be a lot of buzz around it because of the history of Manchester United which is fascinating. It’s a football club that has had a lot of characters and a lot of drama. It’s a great idea to create a TV show around that, especially one with a big enough budget to do it justice, which it sounds like that’s the plan with this one. 

---

Q: Tina And Bobby was a drama based on football without much football action. How do you think they would have to approach this show based on Manchester United? 

It would depend on what route they wanted to take. If it’s more of a character study then football is not going to be the main focus but expect a show about Manchester United to capture the big highlight moments across the years in some way. With a bigger budget I think you have a good opportunity to recreate some of those big moments. 

In football shows I’ve done in the past it’s been difficult when the budget hasn’t been big because you’ve still got to sort of try and create the illusion that you’ve got a packed stadium full of people and that often relies heavily on editing techniques and special effects and CGI stuff. It can be a bit hit and miss.

It’ll be interesting to see what they do with it. 

---

Q: Could they film some match day scenes during half-time inside Old Trafford like we’ve seen with other films based on a sport where they’ve captured moments before or during games? 

I think that would be exciting to be involved in as an actor. It’s definitely a possibility but with bigger budgets, it’s better to have a controlled environment for that sort of thing.

You can actually give people direction as opposed to trying to control a crowd that’s not necessarily prepared for that sort of thing. 

---

Q: How important are shows like Coronation Street, Emmadale or even Peaky Blinders for creating quality acting jobs and keeping the sector thriving outside of London? What do you think this show could do for talent in the north west? 

The great thing about shows like Peaky Blinders and Game of Thrones is they have global appeal and so you would have the opportunity to get A-list actors to come in and play these iconic roles in these legendary sportsmen.

That would be interesting for audiences in America and all over Europe to see these stories brought to life and hopefully they can pull it off. 

Corrie has been going for 60 years and it’s still going strong but it’s not necessarily so well known outside the UK but it’s a staple in our British heritage and having a show about our history is important. 

A show about Manchester United can make Manchester the star as much as the club. 

---

Q: Do you see this as a massive ‘levelling up’ moment for North West actors and extras who are usually in the background of Hollyoaks or Emmerdale? 

I think casting people from Manchester will give it that authenticity. People can tell when an accent is off. It can really pull you out of believing in that character but you’ve already got the accent if you’re from the local area. 

It’s a great opportunity for people from the North West to step up show they can flex their muscles on a big production like that. 

---

Q: How did you get cast as Jimmy Greaves? What’s your advice for actors who will be looking for a role in this show? 

It’s a role that came to me through my agency. I think it was about seven or eight years ago. They were basically just looking for someone who resembled Jimmy Greaves when he was in his late 20s and I seemed to fit the bill, back when he had a bit more hair on top. 

I enjoyed that role, as brief as it was. It was a lot of fun stepping into that role in a 1960s setting with the neat outfits and uncomfortable clothes. 

My advice is to do the research on the role. What are the parts of the character you can bring out in your performance? People will be expecting, especially if they’re already familiar with the person you’re playing. They’re looking out for mannerism. You’ve got to study the person you want to portray, no matter how big or small the role may be. 

---

Q: What’s more important for casting? Looking like the person you’re portraying or looking nothing like them but having their exact energy? 

It depends on how big the role is. For me, for Tina And Bobby, all that was required was that I looked the part because I didn’t have any dialogue, really. It was just being chummy with Bobby in scenes.

If you do have more of the meaty role, I guess it doesn’t really matter if you resemble the character as long as you bring that energy that they have in real life because the audience will be expecting that. 

They want these big characters to be brought to life in an authentic, recognisable way. It’s an actor’s responsibility to deliver on that and bring the role to life. 

---

Q: Some say the United hierarchy is the real-life Succession. Do you think North West actors are ready for those ‘high-finance’ Shakespearean roles within a football context? 

Everyone is always looking for those big, meaty parts. We want to see the stories of the drama behind the scenes, the stuff that isn’t necessarily reported in the news. That’s the stuff that people tune in to see because it’s interesting. It’s dramatic. 

You want to see a window into those worlds that they couldn’t imagine. It’s definitely a great opportunity for someone we might not even know about yet who can hopefully perform and emerge in a breakthrough role. 

---

Q: Speaking of Succession, would Brian Cox be the perfect candidate to play Sir Alex Ferguson? 

Brian Cox would be a great choice to play Sir Alex Ferguson. He’s got that pathos. He has an authoritative nature. He’s got the intensity. He’s got the right sort of accent too. He’d be awesome. 

---

Q: Would actors jump at the chance to play a character like Roy Keane or Sir Alex to really dial up the energy like Al Pacino in Heat? 

I think there’s a case that it could be the bigger the better when it comes to performing those parts. Actors love to be able to really stretch their muscles and flex them and give a big performance. 

Obviously you don’t want it to go too big because then it gets a little bit melodramatic but if it helps to bring it to life then those are the sort of performances people love to watch. 

Karl Urban has that look in his eye which would be a good match for Roy Keane as well as his physical attributes to play him later in his career. Guy Pearce might also be a good choice too. 

---

Q: Who is your pick to play Sir Alex? 

I’d look at Peter Capaldi. He can give you a really intense performance. He can shout poetically! Malcolm Tucker in the dugout. He would be my pick. 

Maybe Gary Oldman. He can play anyone. 

---

Q: Who would be your dream casting for George Best?  

Paul Mescal has to be in contention.

I like the idea of Jamie Dornan though. He’s from Northern Ireland. He wouldn’t have to do too much on the accent. He has a physical resemblance and a real intensity in his eyes. 

James Norton could be another good choice too. I think he’d give a very physical take on the role. 

Sharlto Copley would be a good choice to play an older George Best. His rugged facial features bear a resemblance to George and he can bring to life his larger than life personality.

---

Q: Who has to play Sir Bobby Charlton?  

Charlie Hunnam is the actor I thought of to play Sir Bobby Chartlon. His role in Monster was very different but I think he showed us he can reinterpret a real life character in a dramatic way, and this would be such a pivotal role. 

Tom Hiddleston? I thought of him as well. He’d bring real pathos to the role. 

---

Q: Who is the perfect casting for Sir Matt Busby? 

I thought of Sean Bean, actually. I think he brings so much authority to his roles. 

Robbie Carlisle? He’d be fantastic too if they wanted to take it another way. 

Hugo Weaving has a stern presence as an actor that would be well suited to Busby, plus there’s the iconic receding hairline which matches his appearance. 

---

Q: Who would be the perfect actor to play Wayne Rooney? 

Thomas Turgoose would be able to bring something to it. 

I’ve worked with an actor called James Nelson-Joyce who I did some work with on Little Boy Blue. He’s a very talented actor and has done a few roles since then. He’s from Liverpool so he can do the accent and I think he has the physical attributes to pull it off too. I think he’d be a really good Wayne Rooney. 

---

Q: What about David Beckham?  

David Beckham is the hardest role to cast, I think. 

I really struggle to think of anyone other than David Beckham himself who resembles him as an actor or who can bring the performance to capture him. 

Taron Egerton maybe? I think the job he did in playing Elton John was outstanding. He’s a fantastic actor and he brings an interesting energy to playing Beckham as this working class kid who grows up into a global superstar. 

---

Q: Who could play Ryan Giggs? 

Kit Harrington has got the resemblance and the acting chops so I think he’d be a good choice. 

---

Q: Would it take away from the production for Eric Cantona or David Beckham to be in the show as themselves? 

It would be quite meta. A bit too much of a wink-wink at the camera to play themselves. 

Maybe a walk-on cameo in a different role and then they’re gone, but it would be nice to see them pop up on the show as these guys are icons in the history of Manchester United. I think people would enjoy seeing them appear like that. 

---

Q: Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Hollywood to launch his own acting career but would a move back to Manchester to get involved in this project make even more sense? 

Hollywood would be an interesting career move. He seems to be getting younger and younger as he ages so maybe he could pull it off playing himself even when he was a teenager arriving at the club? We’ll see. I don’t think we have ever seen any real acting from him. 

---

Q: Given his versatility and local roots, surely Steve Coogan has a role to play somewhere? 

I think Steve Coogan would be another good fit to play Fergie. 

He’s an excellent mimic so he will definitely be able to bring the right energy that Sir Alex Ferguson has. He’s great at improvising too. That might work well.

I did a scene with Steve Coogan when he was playing Jimmy Saville and I couldn’t look him in the eye. It was just too much. It felt like I was actually in the room with Saville. His presence was very bizarre. I was only playing a barman in the scene but it was insane. 

If he can capture the essence of a character like Saville in that way, he can play anyone and it takes a lot of balls to play a role like that. You need balls to play Sir Alex Ferguson the way he has to be played too. 

---

Q: Louis van Gaal is one of the most complex characters among recent Manchester United managers so who could pull off all the aspects of him as a person? 

I love Stellan Skarsgård. He brings something to his roles that no one else on the planet can. He would bring 100% to that role too. Whether he could recreate Louis van Gaal as a character, I have no idea. He’d do something interesting with the opportunity, that’s for sure. 

---

Q: Who would be the perfect casting for David Moyes and Jose Mourinho?  

For Jose Mourinho, I went for Jude Law. He’d just need to nail the accent. 

For David Moyes, John Hannah. I think he resembles him a bit and he’s got the accent. 

---

Q: Have you worked with any sports stars turned actors? Who would you love to see bring that authenticity to the show?  

I haven’t had the pleasure to work with any footballers-turned-actors. I’ve been in an advert with a famous footballer but he filmed his scenes before I was brought in so he did maybe 30 minutes whereas I did eight hours of filming.

Vinnie Jones is the only actor I can think of who was a footballer. He’s a very interesting personality and brings a very direct energy to all the roles he plays. I don’t know whether he would consider doing a show about Manchester United though! 

---

Q: What is the one mistake to avoid when you’re playing a footballer? 

Don’t pretend you can play football if you can’t. 

Footballers have a certain way of moving. They have a presence and a swagger on the football pitch. If you don’t have that, people won’t take you seriously playing a footballer, especially some of the greatest footballers of all-time. 

I think I could get away with it with Jimmy Greaves because my role wasn’t too big. If you are to film some big set pieces, you have to either know how to pull off that physical performance or give way to a stunt double who can. 

---

Q: You might not be a football fan yourself but what is interesting to an actor coming into a show about football to find in the drama and story? 

I think it’s the opportunity to get to know the person behind the footballer. 

You’re getting a window into their lives away beyond what we see on the pitch because it’s a side that you don’t get to see. People are really interested in that sort of thing, especially the big characters out on the football pitch. 

It’s a great opportunity, even if you’re not a football fan yourself, to play a character who is larger than life away due to their talent but who could be a very different character away from the cameras, the newspapers and the press.

---

Q: Given how the club have struggled in recent years, is there a risk this show could start well and end badly like Game Of Thrones?  

When you start a show, you don’t know how it’s going to turn out and then all of a sudden it’s this huge success and there’s a pressure to keep it going, maintain that but a lot of the time shows just run out of stories to tell.

I think it’s different when you’re working on something that tracks real life people because you’ve got a lot more to draw on than you would with a fictional show, and then there’s a natural cut off. Once you get to the modern day, that’s it. You put it on hold for another 10-20 years or whatever and then you tell more stories.

You’ve got a little bit more leeway in that way which is why The Crown was such a great success, and if you take long enough and dwell on different parts, you might never reach the modern day. 

There’s something to be said about certain periods being more compelling than others too so they’ll obviously want to focus on the periods rich in drama or certain figures. I think the world of Manchester United and their history is their oyster. They can do as much or as little as they want. 

---

Q: If they cast the 1960s era, and they need a Jimmy Greaves for the Chelsea or Spurs matches, are you putting your name in the hat to reprise the role? 

I really enjoyed stepping into his shoes. Roles like this don’t come around very often. I’d definitely throw my hat in the ring if they wanted Jimmy Greaves in the show. Whether I stood any chance of playing him again, who knows. 

---

Q: Lionsgate is known for high-octane action in films like John Wick. Are we about to see a more ‘cinematic’ version of football matches?  

They definitely know how to do action, that’s for sure. If they can bring in the right stunts and film the action in a way that’s compelling, that’ll add an extra level of gravity and authenticity to the show. It’s a show about a football club, after all.

If they can pull it off with football scenes that have the proper energy, that would make it a real spectacle because we haven’t really seen that before on TV with lesser budgets. 

It would be an interesting angle. Whether that’s the angle they’re going to choose or not, I’m not sure. 

---

Q: As someone who knows the ‘extra’ circuit well, how many local lads do you think are currently hitting the gym or the training pitch hoping to be in the background of a Jed Mercurio locker room scene? 

I don’t know too many actors who are also good footballers but I’m sure they do exist and I’m sure they would jump at the chance for an opportunity like that.

It’s definitely important to have the same physique as the person that you’re portraying. 

Maybe they should watch back Soccer Aid matches and pick out which actors actually impressed with their performances on the pitch? 

---

Q: Could the casting of who plays Victoria Beckham or Coleen Rooney have an even bigger impact than the casting of the players? 

It’s often the female roles that have more meat than the male ones so getting the casting right is so important in a show like this. 

It’s these roles that could bring the best drama so it’s key that they get the female leads right as well as the male players and managers.

I would pick Jodie Comer for Coleen Rooney. She’d definitely bring a lot of energy to the role and she’s got the accent. 

Gemma Arterton could be a brilliant Victoria Beckham, I think. 

---

Q: What else have you been up to in your career away from the screens? 

I’ve written a trilogy of books. They came out last year and they’ve been selling quite nicely. 

It’s called the Magnus Powell trilogy. It’s a sci-fi action adventure. Think Harry Potter meets The Matrix meets X-Men. All the things that I was obsessed with when I was a teenager.

I’ve also written a musical about pirates which I’m currently in the process of getting out there. I always have plenty going on to keep me busy 

---