THERE was only one character on The Inbetweeners who came out with more outrageous lines than Jay – his dad, Terry.
Now, 15 years since the hilarious Channel 4 show first aired, actor David Schaal who played Mr Cartwright lifts the lid on what it was like behind the scenes.
David Schaal played unforgettable Inbetweeners character Terry Cartwright
The former Office star, 59, is due to star alongside Maisie Smith in a new project
Speaking to The Celeb Report, North Londoner David, 59, admits he’s still amazed by The Inbetweeners‘ popularity.
The coming-of-age sitcom, which launched the careers of Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison, has won multiple gongs including the Audience Award at the British Academy Television Awards in 2010.
The Inbetweeners Movie was a box office hit, grossing £70.5million, and set a new record for the most successful opening weekend ever achieved by a comedy film in the UK.
David says: “I remember finding The Inbetweeners funny but who would have guessed it would become such a phenomenon? I didn’t that’s for sure.”
Prior to playing devilish dad Terry, David portrayed warehouse manager Glynn, aka ‘Taffy’, in Ricky Gervais’ hit comedy The Office, Tom Hargreaves in Grange Hill and had a cameo in EastEnders.
When he auditioned for The Inbetweeners – then called Baggy Trousers after Madness’ 1980 hit – he says he was initially turned down for the part.
“I didn’t get it so I thought, ‘Ok, fair enough,’” David recalls.
“They must have done the pilot and it didn’t work, so later I went for a recall in front of loads of people.
Among David’s most hilarious scenes was the Caravan Club episode
David played ‘Taffy’ in The Office alongside Ricky Gervais
“I remember feeling that I knew Terry because I have a lot of uncles from Essex, all West Ham supporters, who laugh at everything and find everything funny.
“I latched onto that, along with bits from my childhood where my dad wouldn’t talk to me while watching TV.
“It struck a chord with people. That p***-taking, laughing at everything, sort of character, who loves his son but has a funny way of showing it.
“I’m a West Ham season ticket holder and supporters tell me, ‘That’s the kind of relationship I have with my son,’ but I’m sure they are as mean as Terry.
“I do feel for Jay because he’s hiding his own vulnerability – from being slaughtered for years by his dad – by exaggerating his sexual prowess as a way of boosting his self-esteem.”
Terry’s brutal but hilarious lines include telling Jay he had a “c*** like a McDonald’s chip” and the quote: “Women are like fairground rides… f*****g mental.”
While David would never utter such remarks himself, he says fans find them funny because they are “ridiculous jokes said in good fun”.
‘Roasting’ fans
David says his character was inspired by his West Ham supporting uncles
To this day David is still asked for selfies on the Tube and often gets requests in public to record cheeky messages for fans.
He’s on Cameo – a site where stars are paid to record videos for fans – but admits he still delivers his infamous lines to those bold enough to approach him on the street.
David says: “It was constant before, but now it’s a little bit less. On Cameo I have to be a bit careful and have vetoed some of the lines that I think are offensive.
“Often they want a roasting, but in a fun way. I won’t do anything sexist.
“Normally it’s a video for blokes, which I’m more comfortable with, but you still have to be careful in this day and age.
“People often ask me, ‘Can you say my mate John has a c*** like a McDonald’s chip?’ and also want the line about the dog being ‘a s***ting machine’.
“I think the key thing is Terry Cartwright is an idiot, quite like Peter Griffin from Family Guy, and he’s trying to have a laugh with his son but really it’s a ribbing.”
He recalls one stressful moment he was collared by security at the US Embassy while trying to renew his passport – because staff recognised him.
“I was called into a room and thought, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ and the person was like, ‘Did you play Spencer’s Dad in Grange Hill?'” David chuckles.
“I thought I was going to be arrested for something because I was called in by security.
“It turned out they loved the character, but I thought I was going to get interned by the CIA!”
Dodged injury
Terry infamously rinsed his son Jay at every opportunity
David regularly gets requests from fans to film himself saying Terry’s iconic lines
One of David’s most infamous scenes came during the Caravan Club episode – but the day he filmed it had a dramatic ending when he crashed his car on the way home.
He tells us: “It was absolutely hilarious and we had a right old laugh, but it went really cold and I froze my proverbials off during the bathroom scene.
“I remember thinking, ‘What am I doing stark b*****k naked in this freezing cold weather?’
“I kept going from hot to cold and while driving home, I briefly nodded off at the wheel for a micro-second because of the change in temperatures – and banged into the back of a van.
“Four burly guys came out and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get my head kicked in,’ but they lifted my bumper off their tow-bar and drove off.
“It was the weirdest moment, and from that moment on, I never drove myself to filming locations.
“I literally lived right around the corner from the set so I thought I was ok to drive.”
He adds: “After being semi-naked for the peeing, farting and taking the Mickey scene, I was ill for a week after… showbiz isn’t always as glamorous as it seems.”
Comedies mustn’t be ‘dumbed down’
Simon Bird (left) and James Buckley (right), who played Terry’s son Jay Cartwright
David believes it would be a shame if comedies continue to be toned down
David says he got on “really well” with the main four Inbetweeners’ stars but admits they are a “strange mix” of personalities in real life.
He explains: “Simon and Joe were Cambridge graduates, who were quite erudite and confident; James was younger and quieter offscreen, and Blake was bright and breezy.
“So it was a strange mix, but it worked amazingly. They were all really nice guys and it’s been amazing to watch them grow up and evolve into stardom.”
Despite its nationwide success, David believes it’s unlikely such a controversial show would be made today.
“I think there is a bit of a problem where people take comedy out of context,” he explains.
“Society is always changing and evolving, and that’s the hard thing for comedy. It has to try to test the temperature of society and tell a joke in a way that’s clever.
“That’s what makes people like Ricky Gervais so smart, he tells risky jokes but they always reflect him or his character being an idiot for thinking that.”
Underlying message
He believes it would be a shame if comedies are toned down because they often have an important underlying message.
David adds: “I think everybody understood The Inbetweeners was a comedy and the characters were deliberately d***heads, but it has good strong messages beneath it.
“The thing I love the most is when The Inbetweeners are young, none of them get any girls because they are so rubbish and inept.
“The only time they do get girls is when they stop treating women like sex objects, which happens in the movies, and I think that’s a powerful message in the end.”
More recently, David says he seems to have transitioned into “darker” and “gangster-type” but many of his characters still have a comedic edge.
Recent projects have included Sky’s Domina, the film Miss The Kiss with Sadie Frost, and the comedy-horror Member’s Club. Next month he starts filming Bermondsey Tales alongside Maisie Smith.
But he admits Terry and Taffy are the parts he’ll probably be remembered for.
“It’s been an absolute privilege,” he adds. “Most actors get one good gig in their life, one show that makes their name if they’re lucky.
“I’ve had two. Everything after feels like a stroke of luck. I’ve had more than my five minutes of fame, so I’m happy and forever grateful.”
David says Terry and Taffy are the parts he’ll forever be remembered for
David says there’s a powerful message behind the show some viewers don’t pick up on
