Brassic: The Final Farewell - Ryan Sampson (Tommo) Q+A

Dear ol’ Tommo is definitely a unique flower within the Brassic group. Initially seen as a loner and a little sex mad, it’s become clear he needs the gang just as much as they need him… especially when it comes to his unique BDSM business ideas.

But all good things must come to an end, and with Brassic promising to go out in style for its seventh and final series, the question remains what’s to come of them all, and what Tommo will get up to next.

Ahead of the final series, Ryan Sampson talks Tommo’s growth from the first to last episodes, what he’ll remember most from his time filming in Manchester, and what he’ll miss most about working with the cast.

It’s been a long ride. I was chatting with Michelle and yes, I remember the first read-through really well. Everyone was nervous, trying to prove that we were all funny [laughs]… I didn’t manage it. I’m still trying. [laughs]

I remember when we first started filming on location. It was out on the moors. We got rained on for months and months. I remember the first farm we filmed at – we used two different farm locations for Jim’s Farm. The first one stank – proper farm smells! There were loads of pets too.

I thought it was good – it might last a season. I remember the first scene, where Vinnie and Dylan are driving the stolen car, tearing through the countryside with the police after them. The gang are having a conversation about a pheasant stuck on the bumper.

I remember watching the whole monologue rant at the beginning and thinking, this show feels a bit like Trainspotting. I remember thinking, wow – this is weirdly fresh. It felt really, really fresh. I’m proud to have been in it. Brassic– it’s anarchic, it’s a bit punk, it’s northern, it’s very working class, it’s progressive, and I thought, wow... I like it.

It’s mad – we’ve all become friends over the years. I just mentioned to Parth, who plays JJ, that we might go on holiday together. It’s so fun that we’ve become like a family. I mean, I also know the worst sides of them all – and they know mine.

They’ve had to put up with me stomping down a hill in the rain in a bad mood [laughs]. They’ve all seen that – and vice versa – so it’s amazing just how well we’ve bonded and how well we know each other.

I’m going to miss them all, but I know I’ll see them every now and again. The main person I’m going to miss is my character, Tommo. I won’t see him again, and I feel like I’ll miss him the most. He was a fully fleshed-out character, and I’ve spent loads of time being him.

There are moments where it’s like I’m possessed – I would walk into the Ratt and Cutter and just become him. I’ve started saying things like him, and in my head I’m thinking, “What am I saying?” – but it’s just Tommo coming out. I’m striding around like I’m six foot two.

I’ll miss Manchester – a city built on 2-for-1 cocktails [laughs]. Getting about is difficult now though. People come up to you for selfies or want a minute of your time. It’s hard because you’ve already had to stop four or five times, and it makes you late. It’s mainly parents saying their kids love you on the telly when you’re just off to Tesco...

In Manchester it’s quite intense, but in London it’s different – you get the chaps, the Hugos, coming up to you and saying things like, “Ah yaaarh, we’re watching you in that there Brassique... we think it’s really funny actually, because like, northern people can be funny too.”

I also get people shouting ‘Avanti’ at me! That originally wasn’t in the script – it’s something I ad-libbed, and it became a catchphrase for Tommo. I was doing a lot of commuting and travelling up and down the West Coast train line for filming.

It’s called Avanti West Coast, and I remember looking up what ‘Avanti’ means. It means ‘Let’s go!’ in Italian. I thought that was perfect – something Tommo would shout. It’s great because it’s something you can say any time you want.

I keep a straight face – I’m not really a corpser because I get intense about it. However, I do find Joe really funny. We both try and make each other laugh. He’d often come out with something so leftfield and unrelated to the script that he’d make me laugh. He comes out with some incredible things. I can’t mention any of them though – Brassic has melted my brain.

For example, I once sat in the van with Joe, doing a scene, and improvised that Tommo had brought pegging to Lancashire and the North West – and now everyone’s doing it. It was gobshite – us ranting off and riffing. But then I saw they left it in the show.

That’s all – thanks for watching, don’t go changing, shine bright like a diamond, and as Tommo would say... “Get to f**k and I might see ya later!”