Jason Watkins “I’m better playing other people than parts closer to myself”

A wronged man who suffered terrible public vilification, a madcap teacher in the big Christmas movie and a store boss in a telly sitcom.

The three roles couldn’t be any different, they’re all screening now and they’re all Jason Watkins.

He’s the star of ITV’s big new drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, is in festive film treat Nativity 3 and is a leading light in Sky 1’s Trollied.

And Jason has told The Sunday Post how he’s quite happy to be an acting chameleon.

“I’m better playing other people than parts closer to myself,” confides Jason, 50.

“I admire actors such as Hugh Grant who plays someone quite close to himself, but I find that quite difficult.

“My imagination starts working when I’m in another character. I’ve realised that as I’ve got older, so there’s no point fighting it.”

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, which is screened on Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm this week, tells of the retired schoolteacher whose life changed in an instant when he was arrested for the murder of landscape architect Jo Yeates.

She vanished from her Bristol flat in December, 2010, and after a massive police manhunt her body was found on Christmas Day.

Landlord Jefferies was an early suspect and he was pilloried by certain newspapers whom he later successfully sued before the real culprit, Dutch neighbour Vincent Tabak, was caught.

“The one thing we all wanted to do was make sure we got it right,” says Jason. “I was quite nervous about meeting Christopher but he was nothing like he was depicted in those dark days. He’s a strong person, very eloquent and not without a sense of humour.

“I found myself watching him when we were speaking, looking at how he moved his fingers or played with his hair. He actually watched us filming the scene where he gets arrested but he didn’t say much.”

The resemblance between Jason and Christopher was so uncanny it had Bristol residents having to look twice.

“I shaved my head, dyed my hair and wore a wig where required,” explains Jason. “At one stage we were using the entrance to his flat and a neighbour shouted over and waved at me as he thought it was Christopher. And when we went to dinner a couple of times it was like there were two of him.”

Jason insists Jo’s family have fully backed the drama, which was careful not to film near the entrance to her flat.

“The terrible tragedy suffered by Jo Yeates’ family was very much in everybody’s mind.”

Nativity 3 is a huge change of pace with Jason reprising his role as rival teacher Gordon Shakespeare. Filming had to be rearranged round his ITV schedule to ensure he could once again be involved.

“I’m so glad the dates were moved and I’m very grateful Mr Shakespeare lives again,” laughs Jason, who cut his early acting teeth at the Edinburgh Festival and Glasgow’s Tramway Theatre.

“It’s so different as it’s all improvised on camera with the kids, just made up on the spot. That’s such a contrast with the painstaking research for Christopher. Shakespeare is utterly silly and shallow but I love playing him.

“The films are a bit rough round the edges but they’re populist and they have a wonderful heart to them. We’ve made three and there’s talk of a fourth.”

Trollied is on its fourth series and Jason is also set to start filming a new series of BBC comedy W1A alongside High Bonneville and Sarah Parish.

He plays BBC bigwig Simon Harwood. “He’s very true to life,” admits Jason. “Everything is positive and you come out of a meeting thinking what a great guy he is only to realise he’s stitched you up.”

Despite the rich seam of roles he plays, the one he’s happiest with is as a dad.

He’s on his second marriage “both happy” and when he’s not working he’s supporting wife Clara with her jewellery designer business and looking after the kids.

“I’ve got four kids, Freddie, 19, Pip, 16, Bessie, seven, and Gilbert, who’s two-and-a-half,” adds Jason.

“It can be quite difficult juggling everything, and constantly picking up a toddler when you’re 50 is quite a challenge!”