Peter Serafinowicz: ‘Having ADHD is like being a genius and a total idiot'
Peter Serafinowicz grew up in Liverpool, the eldest of three children. Starting off as an impressionist more than 30 years ago, he's had a varied career including voice-overs, video games, online shows, music videos, television, films and theatre. He starred in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Tick, South Park, John Wick: Chapter 2 and Parks and Recreation. Earlier this year, he was in the BBC series Amandaland and recently voiced one of the dragons, Spitelout, in How to Train Your Dragon. He lives in London and has two teenage children.
Best childhood memory?
I grew up in a comedy household, with lots of laughter, watching re-runs of Monty Python and Whose Line Is It Anyway? I remember sitting round the dining table reading from one of John Lennon's nonsensical books, In His Own Write, and A Spaniard in the Works, and just being unable to continue because we were laughing so hard. We three kids all work in comedy now – my sister, Helen, created Motherland and my brother, James, produced my sketch show, the comedy series Sick Note, and does Jack Whitehall's podcast. I think Helen's definitely the funniest out of us three. My biggest career hope is to get all three of us working together on the same project – that'd be really cool. We credit Mum for showing us the importance of a sense of humour in life.
Best experience of your career?
I'm lucky that I really love what I do and there's a lot of variety. I've been flat out for the past couple of years. I filmed The Gentlemen for Netflix, I've done two Brian Butterfield tours, toured around Europe with musician Brian Eno, and then I spent four months in Belfast filming the How to Train Your Dragon action remake, directed by the wonderful Dean DeBlois. That was one of the best experiences I've ever had. They built this entire Viking town, with a massive dragon arena, and we all had our houses in this Viking village. Both my kids came and visited me on set, and they absolutely loved it.
Best (and worst) thing about having ADHD?
Having ADHD is like being a genius and a total idiot. With the type of brain I have, it helps me be versatile and creative. I was diagnosed only in my early 40s and it's only more recently that I've realised just how severely it's affected my life. Some things I can do super well, and there are some really basic things that I find almost impossible, basic adulting tasks such as keeping track of bills, doing chores and keeping things organised and tidy around my place.
Best inspiration?
My mum. She's just incredible, so talented and creative. She taught machine knitting at night school, after giving us our dinner; 40 years later, she's still doing costume design, and now she designs the fat suits for my character Brian Butterfield. She's an amazing oil painter and she's a world-class forger. She's still curious and learning new things. Mum has always believed in me.
Best funny moment?
Wearing my fat suit to become Brian Butterfield. It's essentially like a very thick duvet, so after five minutes of running around on stage, I was drenched in sweat, I looked like I was melting, and bits of me were falling off, and I had to keep one finger on my fake moustache to keep it from falling off. The audience was roaring with laughter – but it was comically annoying for me because they were laughing at the wrong thing!
Best thing about AI?
The implications of artificial intelligence are staggering, and also terrifying. This is like the second-biggest revolution in human existence, I think. I started out as an impressionist and for me, the idea of having a technology which gives me the most realistic mask of somebody is just amazing. AI helped me do my live deepfake Elvis tribute show. I chose him because he's such a timeless icon even though he's been dead for almost 50 years.
Best band?
Boards of Canada, a Scottish electronic duo, composed of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin. I'm absolutely obsessed with them. They haven't released anything for quite a few years now, but apparently, they might be putting something out soon.
Worst habits?
Procrastination and overthinking. I'm aware of it a lot more now than I have been in my whole life. I get bored easily – I need that variety in my work. I don't think I could do a long run of a play in the West End, it would drive me crazy. However, liking variety is a double-edged sword – if you spread yourself too thinly, then you can't master one particular area.
Worst childhood memory?
When I was a kid, I remember being told by a teacher that I would go to hell if I were naughty. They described hell as this infinity of flames and torture and pain and horror. That's not a nice thing to say to a five-year-old.
Worst costume you've ever worn?
While I loved the quirky vulnerable nature of my character, by far the most difficult was the mechanical blue sarcophagus I had to wear in The Tick. It was amazingly expressive and operated by a talented puppeteer from the Henson workshop, Lara MacLean. But there were no earholes, there were steel rods down my back, and my whole body could feel the vibrations from the internal motors. I could barely hear anything in the costume because it was seamless. I passed out a few times while in it because it got so hot, only my eyes and mouth were exposed. I felt like it was an elaborate Japanese torture-based game show that I wasn't aware of, in a Truman Show kind of way. Any costume since then has been a breeze in comparison!
Worst political figure?
Donald Trump, he's an idiot. I created my character 'Sassy Trump' during the 2016 presidential campaign. For most of my life prior to that, I'd had no interest in politics. I overdubbed him and repeated what Trump says in a campy whine to show his ridiculousness and to stop what he's saying becoming normal. But because he continually says these ridiculous things, you become desensitised. He is the bitchiest person you've ever seen – he's so offended, so vain and so vicious.
Worst interaction with a member of the public?
Being punched in the stomach by a kid while filming The Tick. He was angry because we were filming on his block and the film crew was being a bit too disruptive for his liking. I tried to pacify the kid by letting him sit in one of the chairs and gave him some headphones so he could listen to the scene. At the end of the shoot, I went up to him in character and said, 'Well, sir, thank you for letting us film in your neighbourhood and can we shake on it.' I then held up my hand, and then he held up his hand and just punched me in the stomach. He was only little.
Worst skill (or lack thereof)?
Cooking, in that I can't. I'd love to be a good cook. There's nothing stopping me from learning. But I'm rubbish. And I'm f---ing terrible at minigolf.
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