As the second series of the BBC hit comedy The Outlaws returns to our screens, we chat to Bristol-born Gamba Cole about pursuing dreams and learning from the greats…
Fresh off the screen, rising star Gamba Cole is fast becoming a household name. Having recently starred in Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws, alongside Hollywood royalty Christopher Walken, Cole’s meteoric rise is showing no signs of levelling off.
After The Outlaws became the BBC’s biggest comedy launch of 2021, season two has attracted millions of views since its release in June. This month, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the Bristol-born actor to talk all about his time on set, his extensive résumé, learning from the greats, and his love for the city.
Growing up in St. Paul’s before moving to London to complete his schooling, Cole spent “every single school holiday” in Bristol, where most of his family still reside. “That’s where Christmas always was; you knew you were going to be with your cousins and your aunts during the holidays,” Cole recalls. “The city was so fun when I was growing up. It’s a real special place. Slowly now it’s getting gentrified in certain areas but I feel like the essence of Bristol is still there. Every time I go back, it feels like home to me.”
A keen footballer, acting was never Cole’s focus until the age of 16 when he decided to pursue a BTEC in Performing Arts at Richmond on Thames College. “Even though I was good academically, I wanted to do a practical subject; I wanted a change,” he says. “When I saw the BTEC in Performing Arts, I wanted to give it a go. Once I tried it, I loved it. Actors always say you get the bug, and it’s true.”
As Cole begins to talk of his first times on stage, it is clear these moments had a profound impact on his life. “Once you start exploring self and script and sitting down with a group of people and turning it into something, there’s just something magical about that. I fell in love with that aspect – for me it was escapism. I was able to forget about everything that I was going through at the time. I could be somebody else – experience emotions that I didn’t normally get to feel. I was allowed to be happy and stress-free – I was able to adopt those characters’ lives; I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do.”
After finishing college, Cole chose not to go on to drama school and began working full time: “For me personally, because of my circumstances at the time, I didn’t think going to drama school and taking out student loans would have been beneficial to me. I ended up working for a security company and it was good at first because you get familiar with working life but I always knew that I wanted to act. When you’re working day and night shifts, it’s hard to keep your eyes on the prize. I remember I wrote a list of everything that I wanted to achieve and the first thing was ‘I want to get signed’ and the second thing was ‘I want to get a professional acting job’.”
I remember having conversations with Idris Elba when we were doing Guerrilla and we would sit down and talk and it makes you feel like you’re on the right path. It’s been the best learning experience, I feel like I’m so blessed to have worked with them
While attending a play rehearsal in London shortly after, Cole met renowned director and Deputy Artistic Director of The Royal National Theatre Clint Dyer, who spotted his talent and invited him to audition for a play he was working on, Kingston 14, which was set to appear at Theatre Royal Stratford East a few weeks later. “I went down and I got a recall,” Cole explains. “About half an hour later he calls me and says, ‘You’re booked for the role and I’ve called an agency; they want to meet you’. I couldn’t believe it.
“It was definitely nerve-racking but I felt like I was spoilt because of the cast – everyone took me under their wing. I think that’s probably why to this day I’m not afraid to ask questions because during rehearsals the cast made sure that I felt comfortable and felt safe enough to explore. It kind of snowballed from there.”
From Kingston 14, Cole’s IMDb page is packed full of productions starring some of the most well-respected actors of our time, many boasting decades-long careers and multiple Academy awards. The likes of Samuel L Jackson, Michael Keaton, Matthew Goode, Idris Elba all appear in the credits and Cole certainly likens his time working with them as his drama school.
“I like to observe when I’m in a room with people of that ilk. I like to be quiet and watch them get into character. I was able to spend time with these actors who have been to the top of the mountain and ask them how to get there. They’ve all been normal people, very approachable, very kind, they are more than happy to spend time with you; that is the most special thing. I remember having conversations with Idris Elba when we were doing Guerrilla and we would sit down and talk and it makes you feel like you’re on the right path. It’s been the best learning experience. I feel like I’m so blessed to have worked with them.
“I hope one day, if I manage to forge a career half as good as any of them, that, when I get to work with people that are up-and-coming, I am able to give to them what was given to me.”
The Outlaws saw a slew of compelling performances from a cast of talented actors. What’s more, it provided Cole with an opportunity to explore a more “three-dimensional” role in Christian Taylor. “The show is so funny but it’s also got real dark elements. I remember Stephen [Merchant] saying that’s a reflection of real life, you can have these moments of fun and joy but it can always be met with moments of darkness and tragedy. To make such a realistic show and make it work the way he does is what drew me immediately.
Working with Christopher [Walken] was amazing. Everyone sees how funny he is and he is like that off screen as well – he always came to sit with us and he’s got so many stories
“The character that I play is one that I can identify with, especially being from Bristol. Christian’s a bouncer at a club, I was doing security before I started acting. He’s an older brother, I’m an older brother. In the first season, there was talk of the Brooke Hill crew and there’s a road in Montpelier called Brooke Hill – my Grandma lived just off there. It just felt like there were so many similarities, it felt like the stars were aligned, it just made sense.
“With my character it’s very easy to just be the stereotype and leave it there but what I love about Stephen’s writing is that he wanted to take it further. In season two, you start to see what Christian’s dreams are, what he wants to do and how he’ll do anything possible to get himself and the one he loves away from their sort of lives.
“The show is seen as a comedy and a tragedy but, for my character, it’s so much more than that – it’s a love story too, there’s so many different elements and being able to play that is super special. I’m really grateful to Stephen.”
As for working with the cast, Cole described it as “so much fun.”
“You can see how incredible the cast is. When we were working together, we had so much fun. Jessica [Gunning] is incredible – she’s a scene stealer. When it was her, Stephen and Christopher [Walken] improvising, it was just magical. There are probably hours of bloopers where we’ve come out of character because it’s been so funny.
“Because we were filming during the pandemic, we couldn’t see anyone else. I was living in Bristol, my family were down the road and I couldn’t even see them. The people on set became family. The crew as well, we all sort of leant on each other and that made us closer in a way. Working with Christopher was amazing. Everyone sees how funny he is and he is like that off screen as well – he always came to sit with us and he’s got so many stories. I definitely took something from each of those actors that I can implement into future roles for sure.”
The Outlaws was very much a Bristol production, from spotlighting Bristol talent on screen to welcoming the next generation of aspiring directors, producers and camera operators off screen. The series certainly celebrates Bristol and its people.
“They hired a lot of young Bristolians and they all got to see how a show gets put together. From the set department to camera operating, they were just absorbing and learning. The creators made a conscious effort to teach; it was great to have them there.”
When asked about his advice for aspiring actors, Cole keeps it simple: “My advice is to figure out what you love doing and pursue it. If you don’t have anything that you love and will fight for, then you can sometimes end up in an endless loop of eating, sleeping and working and before you know it your golden years have passed.
“I just want people to be happy so I always say figure out what it is you love. I wasn’t able to go on set when I was younger so my exposure to the industry was through acting. It’s not until you’re on set and you get to see all these different things and you think ‘wow, where do you even study for that role?’. There are so many people that might be fantastic directors but don’t know how to get into it. But by doing what you love, doors open and you’re able to say yes. I love acting and would also love to explore different avenues within the business. It’s good to grow and evolve; so just go with it.”
As our conversation draws to a close, it becomes abundantly clear that Cole is grateful for the opportunities he’s had, eager to help young people find their way into a competitive industry, passionate about what he does, but most of all, brimming with great promise; it seems the best is yet to come.
Watch seasons one and two of The Outlaws on BBC iPlayer now
Featured image credits:
Photography: Lee Malone; web: cargocollective.com/leemalone; Instagram: lee_malone_photography; Twitter: leemalonephotog
Styling: Michael Miller @ Stella Creative Artists; web: stellacreativeartists.com
Grooming: Nadia Altinbas; web: nadiaaltinbas.co.uk
Article images courtesy of BBC and Amazon Prime Video
