Jason Isaacs on How He Was Enlisted Into Creation Stories

Performers join acting projects through a number of avenues, whether that be through traditional casting processes or because a part was written specifically for them. When it comes to Jason Isaacs and his involvement in the new film Creation Stories, the actor revealed that he wasn’t so much cast in the role so much as he was recruited by director Nick Moran due to their longstanding friendship and an unexpected obstacle emerging during production. Isaacs was clearly happy to get involved in the endeavor, not only to assist his friend but also out of his interest in the narrative. Creation Stories premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16th.

“First of all, I didn’t take the part, I wasn’t offered the part,” Isaacs confirmed with ComicBook.com about joining the project. “Nick’s a very old friend of mine and somebody was not available. Somebody dropped out all of a sudden and he called. He said, ‘You’re in my film. It starts on Monday morning.’ And I went, ‘Well, no. I haven’t read it.’ He said, ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll send it to you. You’re doing it. We’ll pick you up at eight o’clock.’”

He continued, “I read it and I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing in common with this character, and the other actors were better casting than me, and I don’t know what to do with it.’ Then I got to the set and Nick let me completely off the leash, and it occurred to me only in the performance that I’ve met a million people exactly like Ralph, and I’ve been down those very, very dark roads Alan [McGee] goes down.”

Creation Stories charts the true story of the rise and fall of Creation Records and its infamous founder, Alan McGee; the man responsible for supplying the “Brit Pop” soundtrack to the ’90s, a decade of cultural renaissance known as Cool Britannia. From humble beginnings to Downing Street soirées, from dodging bailiffs to releasing multi-platinum albums, Creation had it all. Breakdowns, bankruptcy, fights, and friendships… and not forgetting the music. Featuring some of the greatest records you have ever heard, we follow Alan through a drug-fueled haze of music and mayhem, as his rock’n’roll dream brings the world Oasis, Primal Scream, and other generation-defining bands.

Despite how different Isaacs’ character was from his own persona, he knew it was all part of the overall vision of this specific point in time.

“It’s worth mentioning that the script is written by Irvine Welsh, who wrote Trainspotting and many other important cultural milestones, and he has a surreal, grotesque take that is utterly grounded in reality, and yet also slightly hallucinogenic, as well,” the actor pointed out. “So it’s a surreal fix of this man’s life, and in that sense, my character, Ralph, appears for five minutes and he’s there in some ways to represent Alan’s huge drug journey and his journey to a very dark side, which went on throughout a lot of his life.”

Creation Stories premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16th.

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