Sean O'Kane all ready to take on The Crews

Sep 10 2008 by Douglas Dickie, Rutherglen Reformer

CAMBUSLANG actor Sean O’Kane has completed what he describes as the most exciting projects he has ever been involved in.

Star Sean returned from his American home to appear in The Crews, a small-budget pilot programme from independent filmmaker Colin Ross Smith.

Forty-four-year-old Sean was immediately attracted by the powerful script and storyline of the gangster-based drama in which he plays DCI Strachan, the man charged with keeping the lid on gangland activities.

Despite The Crews enjoying a budget that equates to little more than a fraction of the projects Sean is more accustomed too, he was happy to lend his skills to the production.

He filmed all his scenes during a short trip back to Scotland and said it was great to be back: “It’s absolutely brilliant stuff.

“When I got the script I could not put it down. I read it four times and was completely shocked.

“The boys doing it are going to go places. It was great to see them using what they have. They had no money but the quality is up there with the likes of Taggart.”

The Crews is bound to attract comparisons with Glasgow’s best known detective, and not least because Sean has appeared in both.

The Crews features Stuart Hepburn, who wrote episodes of Taggart, as well as Mark McManus’ double on the show. The Crews shares the same, gritty Glasgow atmosphere but according to Sean it is more edgy and real than the cop show.

Sean is adamant that it can have the same impact. At the moment they are filming one pilot episode with six already written.

Produced by Foghorn Films, The Crews was written by Kolin Ferguson, a forensic pathologist who was spurred on to put his ideas to paper after a chance meeting with Sean a few years ago.

After words of encouragement from the Cambuslang man, Kolin wrote The Crews and always had Sean in mind for the head cop.

Sean, whose wife is doing make-up on the production, was full of praise for those behind the scenes for their enthusiasm and skill: “People I have shown it to in Hollywood can’t believe it’s guys from Glasgow in their 20s that are doing it.

“They have made it with the hope of making six episodes and I told them that they will get funding for it. They have a naivety about them that is a big plus, I think.

“The writer was a complete novice at this kind of thing but he has a plethora of film knowledge. He told me that he had me in mind the whole time he was writing the character.

“I don’t think there’s another character like mine on TV at the moment. He’s a no messin’ kind of guy who plays his cards close to his chest.”

As ever it’s an exciting time for Sean who has been kept busy for the last few years. Perhaps best known for his role as TV’s Interceptor in the late 80s, he has appeared in films such as Something for Nothing and Magic Island while he has provided voice-overs for Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby and Patriot Games.

Most recently he had a part in Senseless alongside popular American Jason Behr. The movie includes some graphic scenes of torture and has just found itself up for awards at the Raindance Film Festival.

Sean has also finally bought a house in the States after a quarter of a century renting.

Basing himself in Cumming, Georgia, Sean said: “I’ve finally bought a house. I was always renting but it’s a buyers market.

“It’s great. I’m just doing some writing over there just now but I’m still coming across to Scotland all the time.”