One of the perks of being a film critic and movie enthusiast is that I sometimes get to chat with filmmakers and actors whose work I admire. This year, I had the privilege of interviewing British actor Jeremy Swift. I’ve been a fan of his work since he played Septimus Spratt, the proper, finicky butler to Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. I’ve just finished the latest season of Ted Lasso earlier this month, and I love Swift as Leslie Higgins, the Director of Communications and Football Operations for AFC Richmond. I’m glad to see Higgins got a much larger and more central role in season 4.

This past weekend, Jeremy was in town promoting his road-trip comedy Welcome to the Fishbowl, which has its Midwest Premiere at TCFF. It was so fun meeting Jeremy at TCFF headquarter—special thanks to Courtney Bloom Malkin of Bloomerang PR and producer Iana Dontcheva of By and Large Media for arranging the interview!

Here’s my Q&A with Jeremy:

R: Before we get into your memorable acting roles… I read that you had quite a musical background; can you share a little bit about that?

J: Yeah, I grew up around music. My parents passed a long time ago, but yeah, they were music teachers. And, um, they ran choirs, and my dad played, uh, the organ in church and things like that. And so they were always bringing instruments back to the house. I play a few different instruments, but, you know, some of them have dropped down the ladder a bit, because, you know, you can’t… I can’t juggle it all. The best is probably the best thing I do. I went to play the violin again recently, and it was like, whoa. Very painful.

R: There’s this memorable scene in Ted Lasso season 3, where Leslie Higgins played jazz double bass in Amsterdam. Was that your idea?

J: Uh, well, I did; you see him play once in season one and season two. But no, that came out of a conversation with Jason (Sudekis) because, well, it’s a longer story, but I mean, he sort of kind of found out that I played. And they’re like, ‘Hey, read them the story. Let’s use it on the show!’

R: That’s awesome! So I just want to kind of bring you back to Downton Abbey for just a moment, You had so many scenes with Dame Maggie Smith, who played the iconic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. I was heartbroken when she passed… How was the experience working with her?

J: Yeah, she passed, actually, when we were filming this, Welcome to The Fishbowl. Director Sheryl (Glubok) was the one who told me when we were filming about 2 years ago. Well, she was, um, a pretty testy person. I had met her on Gosford Park (which was written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes), where I had a small part, and she was amazing in it. You know, she was a lot of fun and herself, and Penelope Wilton was very warm and accommodating to me. But also, she could be quite, you know, it’s no secret that she was quite grumpy.

R: Kind of like Violet then.

J: Yeah, in a way. But it was great. It was great fun to work with her. The more I think about it, retrospectively, I think, gosh, I guess the show was huge, really, but, you know, it just seemed like another job at the time. You’ve got lines to learn, and scenes to finish.

R: Now, shifting to Ted Lasso. I read that so many people wanted to play Higgins, like Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, and Brett Goldstein; they auditioned for that role. But then they saw your tape, and they immediately wanted you for Higgins. So, how was the audition process for that series?

Swift with Hannah Waddingham in Ted Lasso

J: Well, I didn’t know that until years later. I think I only knew that Brett was up for the role, but I think I didn’t know that Nick and Phil had gone up for it as well until about 3 years ago or something. I went up for that role and was hoping to get it because I always wanted to be in an American sitcom because they’re my favorite sitcoms.

R: Interesting, really? What is your favorite sitcom?

J: Hmmm, it’s a really difficult one. I mean, the American version of The Office, the first 5 seasons, is just so good!

R: Interesting that you actually liked the American version with Steve Carell, because the British original is so beloved.

J:  Yeah, I thought it was stunning. And I’ve started rewatching bits of it. I’d drop into it now and again. But yeah, I love Frasier, I love Parks and Rec, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is my kind of go-to series, because that’s just like, it does what it says on the tin. It’s just fantastic. So many gags per minute. So fast. And the technique that they film is just amazing.

R: Yeah, that’s a fun show, but I think Ted Lasso is brilliant. So funny, but also meaningful and heartfelt. I love that you also got to work with your own wife too, Mary Roscoe, in the show. How did that come about?

J: That came about because in the first season, I suggested, not realizing how much divorce would be a sort of theme. I’d suggested that Higgins had a kind of toxic ex-wife lurking around the grounds. And, um, and then the showrunner, Bill Lawrence, came to me and said, uh, we’re thinking of casting your wife. And Mary went up for one part, and I said, Oh, do you mean mind reading for two other parts? So she read up for three different parts, you know, just one-episode kind of little guest part. And so, and they said, “Well, we’ve seen your wife, and we think she’s great, and so we’re going to cast her.”

Then they asked me, ‘So, is that all right?’ And I went, ‘Yeah, I think so, yeah. Then I start going, ‘ Oh my God.’ Bill and the team even asked, ‘Do you get on with your wife?’ [laughter]

And then when I got home, Mary always had something to tell me when I walked through the door every time, and she went, ‘Well, today…’ I was like, ‘Whatever. No, listen to this.’ Then I told her, and she was like, stoned.

R: What a great story! I love it. Now we have to talk about Welcome to Fish Bowl. How fun is it for you to play against type? Your character, Storm Grandquist (another epic name after Septimus Spratt), is a bit of a narcissist and not exactly the best kind of guy.

J: Well, he’s not an awful man. Yeah, he’s narcissistic, but he, you know, he learns a lesson along the way, but, but I mean, um, it’s always fun to play somebody who goes against the grain. And it’s not often I get to do that. Although Spratt was quite, you know, a very difficult character. But working with Nat (Natalie Gold) was so great, and we just laughed so much. I really enjoyed it, just being able to explore things, because I get to sort of do a lot of different stuff in it. I get drunk, and I have a makeout scene, which I’ve never really had before. Um, and uh, again, big, big emotional speech. So it was very enjoyable.

R: Is this your first feature that’s filmed here in the U.S.?

J: Um, yes, it is. I mean, I did a feature, a Disney movie, but I had a small part in it called Descendants: The Rise of Red. I had a small cameo as Merlin, the magician in there.

R: Just one last question. You were in a bathrobe pretty much the entire time. How was that? I’d imagine it’s a pretty comfortable wardrobe.

J: Yeah, it was comfy, but you have to, you know, not spread your legs too much; make sure everything’s covered up. And sound-wise, with a sound pack, it’s that challenge. Usually they go in pockets, or they go on your ankle, underneath your trousers, or something like that. So it was tricky.

R: It’s a fun road trip movie. Ok one more question… What is your favorite road trip comedy?

J: Oh, I’ve watched The Identity Thief about four times.

R: The one with Melissa McCarthy? She’s a comedic genius!

J: Yeah, yeah. It’s fabulous!

R: Thanks so much for this fun conversation, Jeremy. I really appreciate you taking the time.

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Starring: Natalie Gold, Jeremy Swift, Sendhil Ramamurthy, & Marin Hinkle
Directed by: Sheryl Glubok
Written by: Sheryl Glubok & Donald Rae
Produced by: Iana Dontcheva & Sheryl Glubok

With 40 receding in the rearview mirror, Elizabeth Ford (Natalie Gold), a Denver mother of two and an aspiring writer, gets an unexpected career-making opportunity. All she has to do is chaperone a spoiled, narcissistic literary legend by the name of Storm Grandquist across the Rocky Mountains to an awards ceremony in Telluride. What could possibly go wrong?

I love a good road trip comedy, and I also have a penchant for movies about writers. Welcome to the Fishbowl checks both boxes, plus it’s got a great cast! If you’re a fan of Succession, you’ll probably recognize Natalie Gold, who shares the lead with Jeremy Swift. And it’s cool seeing Sendhil Ramamurthy from HEROES, one of my favorite shows from the mid-2000s.

Billed as a “coming-of-middle-age” comedy, the movie digs into midlife identity, dreams that haven’t panned out, and women taking charge, proving you can totally reinvent yourself at any point. Glubok leans into classic screwball comedy bits: the cheeky wordplay, mix-ups, and takes on how society views gender.

Things get pretty ridiculous at times, especially that jail sequence, but Gold and Swift have a fun rapport together. Elizabeth and Storm end up figuring things out through their wild, messy journey. Shot on location in beautiful Colorado, this is an enjoyable and lighthearted movie. Sometimes we just need a good laugh, even when dealing with difficult subjects and when we’re stuck in a rut, and this movie has a zany, joyful energy.

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