Ill Manors: An Interview with Actor Mem Ferda

In Ill Manors, actor Mem Ferda plays Vladimir. He is an Eastern European immigrant who finds a new life on the seedy streets of East London. It is here that he runs brothels and traffics in women. Ill Manors will release in theatres later this year and Ferda has sat down to answer some questions on the film here:


(Michael Allen) How did you prepare for your role as Vladimir, who seems to be one of the major villains in the film?

(Ferda) "Vladimir wasn’t too much of a stretch for me as I often play Eastern European characters. However, I always give each part total commitment, engaging in as much research as possible. I believe if you are going to play a role you need to fully understand and develop the character, their mannerisms psychology, motivations, physicality, the lot.

There’s nothing worse than starting filming with trepidation and doubt. You must know your character almost as well as you know yourself."

(MA) Can you describe your character, Vladimir, for readers. What is his background?

(Ferda) "Vladimir is Russian. He is a pimp and a trafficker of young Eastern European girls. Driven by an unstoppable need to make as much money as he possibly can from the women he has working as prostitutes for him in seedy brothels and on the streets of East London. He is frustrated and angry when one of the girls, Katya, becomes pregnant and runs away to have the baby.

He gives chase along with his English sidekick Wild Bill, who he has a low opinion of. Vladimir sees Wild Bill as being incompetent."

(MA) What aspects of Vladimir’s character can you relate to?

(Ferda) "I’ve known some unsavoury characters in my past, so I relate on that level, certainly. How I go about relating to my character is through the research I do. This is often dependent on whether the character I am portraying is fictitious or not. If they are fictitious, often a great script will give you enough information for you to build a foundation to form your character and to relate to them as you develop them. You also draw a lot from life experience."

(MA) What scene do you think sums up your character the most?

(Ferda) "The very intense and disturbing scene where he is battering Katya. This shows total disregard and lack of respect towards women. He is a brute and a psychotic individual."

(MA) When can thriller fans expect Ill Manors to be released?

(Ferda) "Ill Manors will be released in all cinemas from the 6th June 2012."

Thanks Mem for conducting this interview and best of luck in your upcoming roles!

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