Recognition Changes After Weight Loss
More than thirty years after the debut of Rab C Nesbitt on television, Gregor Fisher, the actor who famously portrayed the character, finds that he is not recognized as frequently as before.
Fisher, aged 72, is preparing to embark on a UK tour starting in March. Recently, he was diagnosed with diabetes, prompting his doctor to advise lifestyle changes.
"I've lost quite a lot of weight because I was told I was diabetic and it might good if I could lose a couple of pounds."
He humorously noted that only the more "eagle-eyed people in his local supermarket" now connect him with the alcoholic Glaswegian street philosopher he once portrayed.
"I quite like not being recognised by people noawadays, actually,"he admitted.
Career Highlights and Recent Work
Fisher is best known for his role as the title character in the comedy series Rab C Nesbitt. His film credits include Love Actually, Whisky Galore!, and The Merchant of Venice.
Written by Ian Pattison, Rab C Nesbitt originally aired for ten seasons between 1988 and 1999, with a revival from 2010 to 2014.
More recently, Fisher collaborated with Greg McHugh, known for Gary: Tank Commander, to portray a father and son in the BBC Scotland comedy Only Child.
The series, soon to return for a second season, examines inter-generational differences as Richard (McHugh) returns to northeast Scotland to care for his aging and headstrong father Ken (Fisher).
"It's quite thrilling to be a 72-year-old and still be required to make television shows,"Fisher said.
"Especially when it is with the wonderful Greg McHugh, who is my favourite actor on the planet at the minute.
"It's great to be working with him, although I think I do annoy him now and again."
Approach to Acting and Character Development
Fisher expressed enjoyment in embodying different characters and bringing them to life on screen.
While Rab and Ken may share physical similarities, Fisher emphasized that their characters differ significantly, particularly in the emotional depth he aims to convey in Ken.
"I try to make my characters as believable and as real as possible, even though sometimes, especially with Rab C Nesbitt, he was not very real,"he explained.
"You have to believe it because if the characters don't have some sort of beating heart or some sort of reality, people won't care about them.
"But if you do the characters like they are written, then that will give them the meaning and life."
Upcoming UK Tour and Live Performances
After decades of performing behind wigs, string vests, and exaggerated personas, Fisher is preparing to begin a UK tour where he will step away from acting to share stories from his life and career.
Initially uncertain about performing as himself in front of a live audience, Fisher decided to proceed after a trial run nearly eight years ago.
"When you work on television, there are no people and there is no feedback,"he said.
"It's not as if the audience clap, so there is no connection."
He likened a live show to a tennis match between himself and the audience, encouraging participation and questions.
"I like the immediacy of it and the back and forth,"he added.
"I have one or two topics to jump between but I haven't prepared anything and I don't know what the audience is going to ask during the Q&A.
"It'll be mostly personal with some show business, so that will be interesting."
