Ryan Sampson: We ask men to be one thing but also revile them for being the same
Ryan Sampson and Danny Dyer star as two estranged brothers meeting after a long time in Mr Bigstuff, a comedy show that is streaming on JioCinema Premium. The core theme of the show is about men wanting to live up to a certain standard of masculinity because of societal pressures. Ryan’s character Glen has an erectile dysfunction problem. On the other hand, Danny’s character Lee lived all his life trying to look tough so that he could impress his late father. The show thrives on the camaraderie between the two characters, although it also has Harriet Webb and Adrian Scarborough in pivotal roles. Here are some excerpts from the conversation with Danny and Ryan, where the cast discusses the main themes of the show, their preparation for it, and more.
Before the show even spells out that your characters are estranged brothers, it is implied in the dynamics between the two. What is the key to establishing such a dynamic?
Ryan: We had a period before the shoot where we rehearsed many different scenes in the show. And we focused mostly on nailing the spoon dance, a dance routine that our characters have known since they were teenagers. Lee and Glen did it first on a talent show as teens. It had to look like we knew it in our bones even after all these years.
Danny: We spoke about our scenes together a little bit and sort of trusted each other. And we mainly concentrated on nailing the spoon dance. For me, as an actor, it is all on the page. Ryan, being the writer, is like the chef serving it up on a plate, and I am like the guy taking it to the table. Even if it were a poor chef, and I have been part of projects where things were like that, you still have to take it to the customer.

Maybe it is in the way you deliver certain lines in the show. For instance, when Harriet's character Kirsty tells Glen that she came back from work early, you can tell that she is not being honest.
Ryan: Yeah, you know that there is a little mystery there, straightaway.
Danny: We all lie about something in life. It is like who lies the worst. My character Lee is running from his responsibilities and lies about what sort of trouble he is in. Glen is lying when he says that he is fine; he is stressing over a lot of things and trying to put a brave face on it. This sort of stress explains his erectile dysfunction. Ian (Adrian Scarborough's character) is in a marital relationship that is also a bit of a sham. So they are all very flawed and bounce into each other throughout the show, but that is okay. Maybe if they were more honest earlier in Mr Bigstuff, we would not even have a show.
One of the core themes of the show is the pressure that men feel to live up to a certain standard of masculinity. What is the bigger issue—the pressure they face or the constant desire they show to do it?
Ryan: I think it is a bit of all these things. It is like a vicious cycle. Ironically, we are asking men to be one thing but then also reviling them for being the same. As a result, you feel a bit tapped between feeling like a big, swaggy, alpha male and a nice, tame man. These two brothers are polar opposites and go about being men in opposite ways, and it gets to both of them.
Danny: They are both sort of stuck and need their eyes open for very different reasons. That is the beautiful thing about the show: the fact that these two brothers, who are so opposite and have their different journeys in life, need each other at the end of the day.
There is a nuanced angle in the screenplay about a salesperson who struggles to make a pitch in his professional life but then makes a convincing case at a pivotal point in his personal life. Thoughts?
Ryan: This is a really good angle in it that I have not even thought about to be perfectly honest with you. I like the idea of this small man who has consigned himself to being a carpet salesman every day but who then gets thrust into a drama and ends up having to use his same power to save his brother a little bit.
Will there be a Mr Bigstuff season 2 or future seasons?
Danny: That is why we are here. We are plugging the life out of this show because we feel that it is brilliant and that there are so many places we can go with it. I think it is set up perfectly for a second season and potentially third and fourth seasons. I don't want to sound greedy, but if Ryan’s brain can hack it, we can go anywhere we want with it.