He was hot stuff in The Durrells, but now Callum Woodhouse has Cold Feet

IF you can’t stand the heat, don’t land a part in ITV’s Corfu-shot The Durrells.

But Callum Woodhouse has told iN10 how the scorching sunshine on the Mediterranean island made him forget about the pressure of landing his first big part.

Especially when he found himself face-to-face with household names such as Keeley Hawes.

“My first day was really nerve-racking,” said Callum, 24.

“Suddenly, you are there alongside an actress you’d only ever seen on TV and thought was amazing.

“It was surreal. We had to do lots of shots in this old, black 1930s car and I was wearing a really thick shirt, a tweed jacket and a beige Mac on top.

“It was the hottest I’ve ever been. It was so intense that’s honestly all I could think about, and I didn’t have any time to focus on my anxieties or being nervous.”

Callum’s natural accent is very different to that of middle son Leslie in the tales of the Durrell family’s pre-war time on Corfu.

He’s from Stockton in County Durham and his TV fame has come remarkably quickly as the pivotal role was his very first job out of drama school.

“I knew I was going to be doing it, even before I graduated, so it was a lovely feeling to be leaving knowing this amazing job was there,” explained Callum.

“There was a great sense of security. I’d gotten an agent and when I got the script for the first three episodes of The Durrells I told him I could really see myself doing it.

“I think Leslie’s quite misunderstood and when he tries his hardest to please people it never quite works out for him. I could empathise with that.

“When my agent called me to tell me I had the part, it just would not sink in. I kept asking, time and again, if he was serious.

“It was only when I was telling my parents that I really came to terms with it.”

With acting a fraught business, Callum admits his parents had initially tried to suggest he kept other options open.

“They have always been incredibly supportive,” insists Callum.

“But when I was still at school and it seemed a pretty unachievable dream, they always wanted me to keep up with my other studies.

“It was a bit of a losing battle, though. I was always disinterested in anything else.

“I was lucky that a few of my friends got into the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) at the same time as me and it felt like we were all doing this together.”

Callum admits he’s been learning so much from the other cast and is now totally settled in on this, the third series.

He says he loves everything about it, including the close encounters with animals he’d never otherwise come across.

The Durrells is one of ITV’s big Sunday night staples and it’s not the only favourite he’s appearing in for the channel.

In the break between filming stints on Corfu, he’s back in the north of England shooting the latest series of Cold Feet, which returns later this year.

“I had a really weird moment when I started doing that,” confides Callum.

“About seven months prior to it Hermione Norris had come to my graduation at LAMDA. She’s an alumni and had come back as the guest speaker and hand out the diplomas.

“I got mine, obviously, and then just this short time later I was on set doing this really nice scene with a lot of dialogue with her.

“It was very weird. We spoke about it and she was really sweet and welcoming.”

Callum admits his screen profile is such that he does get noticed a lot more – at least when he’s out with his mum.

“Without telling me, she’ll invite her friends when we’re having a coffee and they’ll show up and want a photo and that gets us noticed.

“I can’t complain, though, because my mum’s definitely my biggest fan.”

The Durrells, ITV, Sunday, 8pm.