I'm With Stupid by Danny Peak
Mark Benton plays Sheldon
"I'd describe I'm With Stupid as an odd couple comedy crossed with Steptoe and Son. It's quite a traditional comedy and it's very warm," says Mark.
"The tone of it and the warmth reminded me of Early Doors.
You like all the characters even though some of them are buggers! We all
get into various scams and adventures along the way."
Mark plays Sheldon, a homeless man who strikes up an unlikely
relationship with Paul (Paul Henshall), a wheelchair user.
Paul is
feeling lonely and despondent and so he offers Sheldon a place to
stay at Bramble Lodge, the sheltered accommodation where he lives.
However,
Paul continuously tries to outdo Sheldon and lay the blame with
Sheldon when his various schemes land him in trouble.
"Paul is the divisive one, he's a bit devious and he's always landing Sheldon in it. It's Sheldon who tries to make things right and he ends up having to do the dirty work," explains Mark.
"At
the heart of it are two people who really need each other
which is why it's really warm. They argue and they're always niggling
at each other, but in the end they need each other.
"It's like Arkwright
stood outside the shop in Open All Hours, I hope the audience
will feel like they want them to win through."
The warden of Bramble Lodge, Jean (Ruth Jones), takes pity on Sheldon and offers him odd jobs around the Lodge.
"Sheldon has been on the streets and he's finally found a place where he's happy because Jean has given him a job looking after the place. Even though he's rubbish at it, it's given him a sense of worth."
Unlike his character, Mark never seems to be out of work. His TV roles have included Early Doors, Northern Lights, Planespotting and Vic and Bob in Catterick.
Despite having appeared in such successful series, he is
often recognised in the street for his role as a bank clerk in adverts
for the Nationwide building society.
"Well, they're good adverts and people like them! They're like little comedies in themselves. I think all actors, from a vanity point of view, would like to be recognised for the roles which you're really proud of, but it's just lovely that people take the time to say they enjoyed your performance."
Mark was inspired to go into the profession by his uncle who is an actor. "I was always one to do plays and basically show off! My uncle used to come back from drama school and I wanted to be like him.
"In my teenage years I was always in bands or in local
plays and youth theatre. I didn't want to do anything else. When I spoke
to the careers officer he just didn't have a clue what to say to me.
He suggested being an engineer instead! Where I come from, at the time,
acting was an odd thing to do."
Mark was born in Guisborough and grew up in Grangetown in the North East. "It was basically a big council estate right between British Steel and ICI. My dad was from round the corner in a place called Southbank, which also spawned such luminaries as Paul Daniels and Chris Rea, so I'm in good company!"
Mark took parts in as many plays as possible, performing with Middlesbrough Youth Theatre and Stockton Youth Theatre. He went on to train at technical college and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
"I tried to get into RADA at 18, but I wasn't accepted. When
I was 20 I was in a bit of a no man's land, I was on the dole, so I thought
I'd try once more and if I didn't get in then I'd be a teacher instead.
I was accepted and I expected everyone to be dead posh and all kind of
'Merchant Ivory' but they weren't at all.
"It was a really brilliant course
and really down to earth. I loved it. I learnt a bit of humility
at college and that it's the work that I love. I've got no ambition to
be on Celebrity Duets!"
Mark was lucky enough to find work before he left drama school. He did a tour with the National Theatre, Accidental Death of an Anarchist with Alan Cummings. He also appeared in a short film for Channel 4 called Milking the Chocolate Man.
"I'm a big fella and there's always work for big characters! Somebody at college said I'd be typecast but I thought that if I'm typecast, at least I'm working! When I started off I was playing comedy coppers and I had a semi-regular comedy cameo in Boon, as the security guard.
"But I always tried to take serious parts as much as
I could. Lots of people think I come from a comedy stand-up background,
but I didn't. I always try to do both drama and comedy."
Mark may not be a professional comedian, but there have been plenty of capers on set to keep his fellow cast members amused. "There is one scene where a goose walks across the back of shot," explains Mark.
"Sheldon and Paul are not supposed to notice it. But the
goose kept coming towards us! It was every man for himself, Paul ran straight
over my feet with his wheelchair and crashed into the door!"
Mark also wears some interesting costumes, from his tramp's clothing to fancy dress garb. "I've
got a Cats the musical t-shirt, a scouts outfit, Henry VIII... generally I never
look good in things, so I quite like dressing up and putting on silly frocks!"
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