It's On... John Simm
		Publication	More!
		Text by	Jason Solomons
		Date	2 - 15 June 1999

'I'm sick of seeing my face everywhere,' says a preoccupied John Simm before the first ever screening of Human Traffic. Everyone seems to want a piece of the star of this summer's hottest new movie - already hailed as the new Trainspotting - but John isn't exactly bathing in the glory. 'It's just blown me away,' he says. 'It's been surreal. Suddenly journalists are asking me what underpants I wear. It's really weird.'

In the movie, John plays Jip, the central member of a gang of mates who live for Friday nights, clubbing and ecstasy. Jip's other obsession is how to cure his 'Mr Floppy' tendency; and that's where Lulu (played by fellow rising star, Lorraine Pilkington) comes in. Cue some of the sweetest, funniest love scenes ever filmed. 'They weren't fun to make, I swear to God,' John protests. 'You try doing a love scene when you don't even know the girl, with 30 people around you and a reflector up your arse.'

Tight-lipped on the subject of his personal life (he's got a girlfriend and that's all anyone needs to know, apparently), John says his own clubbing days are virtually over. With two more BBC dramas coming up and the Cannes film favourite, Wonderland, under his belt, he barely has time for watching his beloved Manchester United, or playing in his band, Magic Alex.

So, what if Hollywood was to beckon? 'I'd love it, but I wouldn't do shit,' the thesp says seriously. Quickly adding: 'Well, unless they paid me £1 million. Then I'd do any old shit.'