Cassius Hackforth has been blowing people away in theatre and film for a while now, and his career is only just getting started at the tender age of 23. He has been in TV shows such as Casualty and Doctor Who and was in the recent Indiana Jones movie in 2023. He is taking to the stage for a performance of “We Aren’t Kids Anymore” at the Savoy Theatre and for Cassius it is a return to his first love which began when he was 7.
Over the Shoulder was lucky to chat to him about We Aren’t Kids Anymore, his journey so far in the entertainment world and which people he would like to work with in the future.
Let’s get into the interview shall we:
You will be joining the cast for the one-off new concert performance of We Aren’t Kids Anymore, a new musical from Drew Gasparini, debuting at the Savoy Theatre on the 28th of April. Can you tell me a little about it, your role and how excited are you to take the stage?
I feel completely and utterly privileged to be a part of this project. I was a last-minute addition and I’m so chuffed to be joining this production and this truly stellar cast. And at the Savoy!! This show is like no other in terms of its structure and layout. I think what is so exciting is that more than most shows, we are bringing a specific reflection of ourselves, our own experiences and backgrounds into the characters. When I finished reading the production notes in the script, I felt like I’d had the best therapy self-session of my life… no joke. I won’t go into too much detail but the one sentence that stood out is that ‘we are all just doing our best’.
You were born in Massachusetts and raised in Wales. Do you have any memories of the USA and when did your love of performing begin?
My dad was working out there at the time so I was lucky to get Dual Citizenship, but I moved back home when I was 2/3 so cannot remember! I would love to go back one day and see where I came from! For me, North Wales is home. Growing up there was a joy- and where I really started to find my love for performing, around 7/8 years old!
Aged 14, you auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre, winning the title role in their UK Tour of The Piper of Hamelin. How nerve-wracking was the audition and do you get tense generally going up for roles?
One of my dear friends and inspirations Alex Cardell was a part of NYMT and I was just desperate to be a part of it. It sounded like a bit of a dream. I travelled up to London on my own for the first time which was scary enough, but I had an absolute blast auditioning. It was magic! I remember when I got the email offering me a place being so thrilled. For auditions, I love the chance to get in the room and meet people. It’s a treat and just a chance to do what I love, which I think is a good way to approach it, but nerves are important!
What was it like moving to London to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Was it a culture shock?
In my first term I used to get a giant bar of Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations and a bag of mixed veg every night and thought that was a balanced dinner (it is though, right?). Moving to London was a whirlwind. I was so excited. It was hard saying bye to my mum and watching her drive off, but once I was settled, I just fell in love with it. I’ve been here 6 years now and still love this city with all my heart!
After being lucky enough to work in Theatre, Film and TV do you have a favourite medium?
I think my heart will always be in theatre in terms of where I first found my passion, but any opportunity to do this as a ‘job’ still fills me with the joy I had as a child. Film and TV work is so fascinating because it gives me a chance to explore a different side to the technicality of acting, a chance to bring more paired back and naturalistic approach. It also gives me chance to travel and work on a whole variety of genres.
Are there any techniques you use performing in front of the camera compared with being on stage?
Always going for a truthful, instinctive and playful approach acting both on stage and screen is I think a good place to start. Remembering that we are playing a human being, empathizing with that character and trusting that we bring our authentic selves to every role we play. Also, we are all just figuring it out as we go along, constantly learning, observing, relating to people and characters, feeling like we have no idea what we’re doing, worrying we haven’t done enough, all very human things that we all experience. It’s at that point that I just must let go, trust yourself and react to what’s in front of you!
Before going on stage do you have any routines or superstitions?
Eat, drink lots, warm up if I’m singing! And always have Jakemans spare…
Are there any performers that have particularly inspired you and if you could work with anyone who would it be?
Who shoots to mind is Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Nicola Walker. Incredible versatile British actors who I’ve watched and been inspired by growing up. To work with them would just be crazy and I’d probably never make it back to earth.
As a Londoner now do you have a favourite football team from the capital?
Aston Villa fan all the way! I do feel Arsenal deserve a trophy soon.
What ambitions do you have for the future and are there any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
I’m currently shooting a new BBC1 8-part drama called ‘Two Weeks in August’. The cast is phenomenal, and the writing is hilariously British and honest. It’s going to be a special one. To be honest, every chance I get to do this as a job still feels surreal. Just to be able to do it is so exciting. If I were being specific, I’d love to do a play, a Shakespeare or a Sondheim one day!
Over the Shoulder will keep an eye out for his new BBC1 drama, which is sure to be a huge success, and we wish him luck for the 28th of April, he’s sure to smash it! A Shakespeare play will surely appear on the horizon for him, and it will be exciting to see what other projects he does in the future. The only disappointment is Cassius doesn’t support Fulham FC along with Over the Shoulder!
Thank you, Cassius, for taking time to speak with us and we hope to sit down with you again soon.