The Clown
Is the clown a ghost, a nightmare, a guardian angel, or just an homage to David Bowie? Take a look at the video for Bowie's Ashes to Ashes and see where the clown may have gotten his start.In the show, the part of the clown is played by Andrew Clover. In addition to acting, Andrew's jobs include father, comedian, and author. He is the author of the cult classic, Dirty Angels, available on Amazon.com
In some rare free time, Andrew answered some questions about his role in Ashes to Ashes, experiences on the set, and what life has in store for him in a post-Ashes world.BBCAMERICA.COM: So, what do you think the clown symbolizes?
ANDREW: Well, I do not know, and that’s part of the enigmatic quality of the series, that you can’t know for sure. So what I would tell you would merely be only speculation. But I would say what’s exciting about Ashes to Ashes is that it's half in the mind of Alex, the Keeley Hawes character. And therefore the clown is a terrifying figure from her subconscious because we all have terrifying figures from our subconscious. We have witches lurking in the shadows of our mind and for her, the clown is that figure.
BBCAMERICA.COM: The clown comes up when Alex, is involved in some kind of disaster or bad situation. Is he tormenting her or is he maybe even protecting her?
ANDREW: That’s a good question and we’re never exactly sure. I would say he’s kind of like a Hannibal Lecter figure, structurally he’s an ally but he looks like a villain. He’s an absolutely terrifying baddie who’s actually there to help. Or if he’s not there to help, he knows what his fate is and what must happen: her parents must die. And he’s there to ensure that it’s going to happen or perhaps he just knows it’s going to happen.
BBCAMERICA.COM: Right.
ANDREW: I’ve only half-answered your question, but it can’t really be fully answered.
BBCAMERICA.COM: Right, but that’s a great comparison with Hannibal Lecter.
ANDREW: Well I did try and suggest that to Matthew, the head writer and exec producer of the series. I said, “You know for series four, you really have a Hannibal Lecter figure on your hands.” He said, “I really did enjoy working with you and would love to another time.” I knew at that point I wasn’t going to be in series four.
Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 of our interview with Andrew Clover!
