Half the Picture
Half the Picture is hosted by Billy Barnell, who has relaxed and revealing conversations with filmmakers, actors, and artists. Each episode explores the guest's career path and the creative work behind their projects. Listeners hear candid stories, insights into the creative process, and detours into film and pop culture. Episodes can also be watched on the podcast's YouTube channel.
Episodes
Phoebe Fox talks War, favourite pregnancy snacks & how to be happy at work as an actor (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Phoebe Fox, the actor perhaps best known for starring as Serena in the slick and combustible new HBO legal drama War as well as her work as Marial in The Great, Eve in The Woman in Black: Angel of Death and Queen Anne in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of The Roses amongst so many others.
Phoebe joined Billy on the pod' to chat about her experience making War a
Greg McHugh talks Fresh Meat, Gary: Tank Commander & why taste is so crucial to comedy (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Greg McHugh, the actor, writer and comedian responsible for bringing Howard to life in the beloved comedy 'Fresh Meat' as well as for writing and starring in the hit BAFTA winning show 'Gary: Tank Commander' and fronting the warm and wonderful 'Only Child' amongst so many others.
Greg joined Billy on the pod' to chat about his memories of making Fresh Meat
Lara Pulver talks Mobland, Sherlock, and not feeling enough for the industry (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Lara Pulver, currently starring as Bella Harrigan in the second season of Guy Ritchie's 'MobLand', now streaming on Paramount+. The Olivier-nominated actress is also well known for her unforgettable turn as Irene Adler in 'Sherlock', as well as her work on projects as diverse as 'Spooks', 'Maternal', 'The Split', 'Da Vinci's Demons' and 'Edge of Tomorrow',
Alan Moore talks Long London, Watchmen, The Simpsons & why he walked away from comics (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is none other than Alan Moore, the extraordinary writer responsible for some of the most original and daring fiction of the last few decades such as The Long London series, Jerusalem, Voice of the Fire, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell and Marvelman amongst so many other great works.
Alan joined Billy on the pod' to chat about his process writing The Long
Steve Stamp talks People Just Do Nothing, Kurupt FM, Alan Partridge & making Ed Sheeran laugh (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Steve Stamp, the acclaimed writer and actor responsible for scripting and performing as Steves in the cult comedy smash People Just Do Nothing as well as his brilliant work on projects such as Peacock, The Curse and The Witness amongst so many others.
Steve joined Billy on the pod' to chat about his time making People Just Do Nothing, the long and strange j
Jamali Maddix talks punching up vs punching down, comedy idols & documenting society's extremes (4K)
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Jamali Maddix, the hilarious and insightful comedian perhaps best known for his stand-up, his appearances on shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats as well as his work on bold documentary series such as Hate Thy Neighbor and Follow The Leader amongst so many others.
Jamali joined Billy on the pod’ to reflect on how he got his start in c
Mark Gatiss talks Doctor Who's future, Bookish S2 & what he'd do next with Sherlock (4K)
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Mark Gatiss, the wonderful actor and writer perhaps best known for his work on projects such as 'Doctor Who', 'Sherlock', 'The League of Gentlemen' and now the latest series of 'Bookish' amongst so many other gems.
Mark joined Billy on the pod' to chat about the second series of 'Bookish', his explorations of the post-war British psyche through the show and
Pulp Kitchen talk 'Perfect Cinema' moments, greatest needle drops & why The Flash is underrated
Half the Picture's guests this episode are James Briefel and George Pundek, the guys behind the brilliant Pulp Kitchen podcast, dedicated to the love of Film & TV and creating a space to share and develop an interest in film, whilst offering reviews, news, rankings, impressions and so much more!
James and George joined Billy on Half the Picture to chat about their shared love of film and the big-
Karla Crome talks writing Possession, playing Jess in Misfits & exploring history with horror
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Karla Crome, the brilliant writer responsible for scripting the new Sky Atlantic horror show ‘Possession’ as well as lighting up the screen as an actor with her memorable turns as Jess in ‘Misfits’, Nell in ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’, Pattie in ‘Toxic Town’ and Bella in ‘Lazarus’ amongst so many others.
Karla joined Billy on the pod’ to chat ab
Josh Radnor talks How I Met Your Mother, making peace with Ted Mosby & the pressures of fame
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Josh Radnor, the actor, writer and filmmaker perhaps best know for his iconic turn as Ted Mosby in the sitcom phenomenon ‘How I Met Your Mother’ as well as his work on projects as diverse as ‘Hunters’, ‘Happythankyoumoreplease’, ‘Liberal Arts’ and ‘Rise’ amongst so many others.
Josh joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about starring in the stage show ‘The Hit
#47 - SWEDEMASON
Half the Picture's guest this week is the brilliant editor, remixer and YouTuber Swedemason, the mind behind the viral hits 'Masterchef Synesthesia', 'Trump vs Talking Heads' and 'Paul McCartney Rabbit Hole' amongst so many others gems.
Chris (AKA Swede) joined Billy on the pod' to chat about his process crafting such stone-cold online classics as Buttery Biscuit Bass and how his meticulous craft
#46 - KIMBERLEY NIXON
Half the Picture's guest this week is Kimberley Nixon, the actress and writer perhaps best know for her brilliant turns as Josie in 'Fresh Meat', Slaggy Lindsay in 'Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging', Kate in 'Wild Child' and Shell in 'Under Salt Marsh' amongst so many others.
Kim joined Billy on the pod' to chat about her new one woman show 'Baby Brain', all about her experience navigating postpar
#45 - BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Bobcat Goldthwait, the brilliant comedian, actor and filmmaker renowned for his barnstorming standup comedy, his iconic roles such as Zed in the 'Police Academy' franchise and his mercurial directing on projects as diverse as 'Willow Creek', 'Windy City Heat' and 'World's Greatest Dad' amongst so many others.
Bobcat joined Billy on the pod' to chat about hi
#44 - TYLER BATES
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Tyler Bates, the film composer perhaps best known for his remarkable scores for films such as ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘John Wick’, Watchmen’, ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and ‘300’ amongst so many other gems.
Tyler joined Billy on the pod’ to discuss what exactly makes a good film composer as well as to delve into his collaborations with filmmakers such as Zack Sn
#43 - PATRICK H. WILLEMS
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Patrick H. Willems, the brilliant filmmaker and video essayist behind the eponymous YouTube channel who is responsible for crafting some of the most insightful and well produced video essays of the last several years, including his pieces on directors as diverse as Francis Ford Coppola and Zack Snyder amongst so many other greats.
Patrick joined Billy on th
#42 - STEVEN MOFFAT
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Steven Moffat, the writer best know for his brilliant work on projects such as ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Sherlock’, ‘Coupling’, ‘The Adventures of Tintin’, ‘Inside Man’ & ‘Press Gang’ amongst so many other gems.
Billy joined Steven in his office to chat with him about his work on Doctor Who and his memories of writing such iconic episodes as ‘The Empty Child’ and ‘Bli
#41 - ADAM CARTER REHMEIER
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Adam Carter Rehmeier, the formidable director behind ‘Carolina Caroline’, his latest film starring Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner as well as the modern cult classic ‘Dinner in America’ and the sun-drenched coming of age movie ‘Snack Shack’ amongst many others!
Adam joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about the making of ‘Carolina Caroline’ and his experience
#40 - STEVEN PRICE
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Steven Price, the Academy Award-winning film composer best know for his phenomenal scores for ‘Gravity’, ‘Fury’, ‘The World’s End’, ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Attack the Block’ amongst so many others.
Steven joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about all things film music, looking back at his beginnings in the industry when he worked in recording studios with renow
#39 - ARTHUR DARVILL
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Arthur Darvill, the actor perhaps best know for his turns as companion Rory Williams in ‘Doctor Who’, Time Master Rip Hunter in ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’ and Reverend Paul Coates in ‘Broadchurch’ amongst so many others.
Arthur joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about his experience playing Rory on ‘Doctor Who’ and how Rory’s arc going from under-confident co
#38 - ANDREW LEWIS CALDWELL
Half the Picture’s guest this week is Andrew Lewis Caldwell, the actor responsible for bringing the villainous Megawatt to life in the new Amazon Prime superhero series ‘Spider Noir’ starring Nicolas Cage.
Andrew joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about his experience making ‘Spider Noir’ and how much he delighted in working with Cage both as a co-star and as a lifelong fan. He also touched on his w
#37 - JOHN OTTMAN
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is John Ottman, the Oscar-winning film editor and composer who has cut and scored some of the most popular and biggest blockbusters of the last 25 years such as Bohemian Rhapsody (edited), X-Men: Days of Future Past (edited/composed), The Nice Guys (composed), Superman Returns (edited/composed) and The Usual Suspects (edited/composed) amongst many others.
J
#36 - DANIEL GOLDHABER
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Daniel Goldhaber, the filmmaker behind ‘CAM’, ‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ and most recently ‘Faces of Death’, a modern update on the notorious 1970’s horror movie that claimed to show real death onscreen, now remade for the age of TikTok, streaming and content moderation.
Daniel joined Billy on the pod to chat about how he and his writing partner Isa Mazze
#35 - EDDIE HAMILTON
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is film editor extraordinaire Eddie Hamilton, the man responsible for cutting some of the biggest movies of the last fifteen years such as Top Gun: Maverick, four Mission Impossibles, Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass amongst so many others.
Eddie joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about his experiences working closely with Tom Cruis
#34 - JOANNE MITCHELL
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Joanne Mitchell, the actor turned director whose singular horror film ‘Broken Bird’ opened FrightFest back in 2024 to great fanfare before going on to shock and surprise audiences at festivals across the world.
Joanne joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about the making of ‘Broken Bird’ and her experience working with it’s star Rebecca Calder along with the t
#33 - RACHEL PORTMAN
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Rachel Portman, the Oscar-winning composer whose beautiful scores have complemented such films as Emma, Chocolat, Never Let Me Go, One Day and Life is Sweet amongst so many others.
Rachel joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about her memories of winning the Oscar for best score in 1997 (the first female composer to ever do so) as well as her close working rel
#32 - ROBERT SHEEHAN
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the amazing Robert Sheehan, the actor renowned for his iconic turns as Nathan Young in the cult TV series ‘Misfits’, Klaus Hargreeves in the Netflix smash ‘The Umbrella Academy’ and Darren Treacy in the critically acclaimed ‘Love/Hate’ amongst so many others gems.
Robert joined Billy on the pod’ to reflect on his time on Misfits as well as the Nathan lines
#31 - MICHAEL SOCHA
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Michael Socha, the actor renowned for his brilliant turns as Harvey in ‘This is England’, Tom in ‘Being Human’, Will Scarlet in ‘Once Upon a Time’ and Matty in the upcoming BBC thriller ‘The Cage’ amongst so many others.
Michael joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about making ‘The Cage’ alongside the great Sheridan Smith as well as his time on ‘This is Engla
#30 - MINK STOLE
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the one and only Mink Stole, the actor famed for her multitude of movies with John Waters, The Pope of Trash, such as ‘Pink Flamingos’, ‘Female Trouble’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Serial Mom’ amongst so many other gems.
Mink joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about her live show Idol Worship created with her friend/co-star Peaches Christ and currently touring the UK
#29 - JACK DAVENPORT
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Jack Davenport, the actor best known for his fabulous performances in movies such as Pirates of The Caribbean as Commodore Norrington, as Peter Smith-Kingsley in The Talented Mr Ripley and Lancelot in Kingsman: The Secret Service. He’s also lit up the small screen with his breakout role in This Life which changed the face of 90’s British television and his
#28 - CLÉMENCE POÉSY
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Clémence Poésy, the actress renowned for her brilliant performances in works such as the Harry Potter franchise, Tenet, Gossip Girl, In Bruges, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Essex Serpent amongst so many others.
Clémence joined Billy on the pod’ to chat about her experience breaking into acting as a young woman, her memories of bringing Fleur Delac
#27 - EDDIE MARSAN
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is Eddie Marsan, the brilliant actor known for his standout performances in Hancock, Happy-Go-Lucky The World’s End and Ray Donovan, among many others.
Eddie joined Billy on the pod to chat about his latest film No Ordinary Heist, as well as the essential importance of nurturing working-class artists, his experiences working with directors such as Martin Scor
#26 - BRUCE CAMPBELL
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the one and only Bruce Campbell, the iconic actor renowned for bringing Ash Williams to life in Sam Raimi’s cult Evil Dead franchise as well as starring in Bubba Ho-Tep, Burn Notice and My Name is Bruce amongst so many others.
Bruce joined Billy on the pod to chat about his experience making his latest directorial effort, ‘Ernie & Emma’ which he also stars
#25 - MURRAY GOLD
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is none other than Murray Gold, the remarkable composer behind such shows as Doctor Who, It’s a Sin, Queer as Folk and Vanity Fair amongst so many others.
Murray joined Billy on the show to chat about his process scoring shows such as Doctor Who, as well as his own favourite of all the musical themes he’s written, his favourite episode of Doctor Who he’s comp
#24 - ZAK FENNING & TONY COOK
Half the Picture’s guests this episode are writer/director Zak Fenning and actor Tony Cook, the minds behind the new British crime thriller ‘A Gangster’s Life’ currently on release in the U.K. and beyond.
Zak and Tony joined Billy on the show to chat about their experience making the movie and bringing a quirky, indie sensibility to the classic ‘Guns and Geezers’ British crime genre in the making
#23 - STIMSON SNEAD & SAM DUNNING
Half the Picture’s guests this week are writer/director Stimson Snead and actor Samuel Dunning, whose science-fiction comedy ‘Tim Travers and The Time Traveller’s Paradox’ is now on release in the U.K.
Stimson and Sam joined Billy on the show to chat all things Tim Travers, from the complexity of shooting the movie’s ambitious VFX on a low budget to the efficiency of process that comes from makin
#22 - MICHAEL LEHMANN & DANIEL WATERS
Half the Pictures guests this episode are director Michael Lehmann and screenwriter Daniel Waters, the minds behind the cult classic, blackly comic teen movie sensation 'Heathers' starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater in star making roles.
Michael and Daniel joined Billy on the pod to discuss the legacy of the film and their experience making it, from Daniel’s initial attempts to pitch the
#21 - MONTY BEN
Half the Picture's guest this episode is actor and karate world champion Monty Ben who recently graced our screens as Farouk, one of the primary villains in the most recent series of Slow Horses.
Monty joined Billy on the pod to chat about his experience making Slow Horses alongside such iconic actors as Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas and the lessons he learned from working on the set. They
#20 - BRET MCKENZIE
Half the Picture’s guest this week is Oscar-winning songwriter and comedian extraordinaire Bret McKenzie, one half of the New Zealand musical phenomenon Flight of The Conchords with Jemaine Clement and whose irresistible earworms feature on such Hollywood hits as The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted and A Minecraft Movie.
Bret joined Billy on the pod to chat about his latest album Freakout City as we
#19 - BRYAN & MARY TALBOT
Half the Picture's guests this episode are Bryan & Mary Talbot, the comic book power couple behind such brilliant titles as 'Dotter of Her Father's Eyes', 'Sally Heathcote: Suffragette' and the upcoming 'Lo! An Amazon! The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Mary Wollstonecraft' amongst many others. Mary's work in academia is widely respected and Bryan's comics as a solo artist such as The Advent
#18 - PETER CAPALDI
Half the Picture's guest this episode is national treasure Peter Capaldi, the actor responsible for bringing The Twelfth Doctor to life in Doctor Who as well as legendarily foulmouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, Gideon Shepherd in 'The Devil's Hour' and Danny Oldsen in 'Local Hero' amongst many, many others!
Peter joined Billy on the show to chat about his appearance at Glasto
#17 - OLIVER MURRAY
Half the Picture's guest this episode is Oliver Murray, the acclaimed filmmaker behind such documentaries as Bill Wyman: The Quiet One, Keith Richards: My Life as a Rolling Stone and The Beatles - Now And Then - The Last Beatles Song. His latest project is a brand new ninth episode of The Beatles Anthology, featuring unseen interviews with Paul, George and Ringo from when they were working on the
#16 - GRANT MORRISON (RETURNS!)
Half the Picture’s returning guest this episode is Grant Morrison - the iconic comic book writer behind such iconic titles as All-Star Superman, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Animal Man, The Invisibles and New X-Men amongst so many others!
Grant joined Billy on the podcast again to chat about their latest title, ‘Batman & Deadpool’ illustrated by the great Dan Mora and to break down their process writi
#15 - SIMON CELLAN JONES
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is director Simon Cellan Jones, whose new film The Family Plan 2, starring Mark Wahlberg, Kit Harrington and Michelle Monaghan is currently on release on screens both big and small! Simon joined us on the pod to discuss working with Mark Wahlberg as star and producer of the Family Plan movies as well as the joys of working with the wider cast and the improvis
#14 - OWEN LIKES COMICS (Part 2/2)
Half the Picture’s returning guest this episode is the eponymous Owen from Owen Likes Comics - a mainstay in YouTube's comics and pop culture criticism scene!
In Part 2, Owen rejoins Billy to reveal the final two entries in their Top 5 Favourite Comics and to dig deep into why these stories have so much personal significance to each of them. Plus, Billy gives his take on DC: The New Frontier, one
#13 - OWEN LIKES COMICS (Part 1/2)
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the eponymous Owen from Owen Likes Comics, a mainstay in YouTube's comics and pop culture criticism scene!
In Part 1 of this conversation, Owen joined Billy on the podcast for a deep dive into their top five favourite comics, with titles ranging from acclaimed mainstream hits to unsung gems and venerable classics. They discuss what these comics mean to th
#12 - MARC WARREN & PAUL HILLS
Half the Picture’s guests this episode are actor Marc Warren and filmmaker Paul Hills, star and writer/director of the cult ‘90’s British coming of age film ‘Boston Kickout’, celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this year!Marc and Paul joined us on the pod to reflect on their memories of making ‘Boston Kickout’ as well as to chat about the friendship and shorthand they forged on the film, their exper
#11 - YASMIN PAIGE
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is actress Yasmin Paige, star of Richard Ayoade's cult classic coming of age movie, 'Submarine', celebrating it's 15th anniversary this year!Yasmin joined us on the show to reflect on her experience playing Jordana in the film, what it was like working both with co-star Craig Roberts and director Richard Ayoade and the importance Gavin and Stacey had in helpin
#10 - MIKE LEIGH (ft. MARION BAILEY)
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is British national filmmaking treasure Mike Leigh, the man behind such social-realist classics as Secrets & Lies, Naked, Another Year, Vera Drake and Life is Sweet.Known for his improvisational method of devising his films with a murderer's row of British actors, Mike’s approach to filmmaking is organic and utterly unique, resulting in works that are unfl
#9 - JAMES MARQUAND
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is writer-director James Marquand, the man behind the new WW2 action thriller ‘The Partisan’ based on the life and exploits of Krystyna Skarbek.James joined us on the show to chat about the making of the movie, his experiences working wit Morgane Polanski, Malcolm McDowell and the rest of the cast and his time spent working on his father’s (Richard Marquand) m
#8 - GRANT MORRISON (Part 2 of 2)
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Grant Morrison — the award-winning comic book writer behind such classics as Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Invisibles, New X-Men, WE3 and Animal Man.Join us for part 2 of our conversation with Grant as we dive headlong into their Kathmandu experience in the 1990’s when they were abducted by higher dimensional aliens, their strangest fan encounter
#7 - GRANT MORRISON (Part 1 of 2)
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Grant Morrison — the award-winning comic book writer behind such classics as Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Invisibles, New X-Men, WE3 and Animal Man.Grant joined us primarily to chat about their work on the iconic All-Star Superman that redefined the Man of Steel for the 21st Century and was a major influence on James Gunn’s new Superman film. Th
#6 - WALTER MURCH
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Walter Murch — Academy Award-winning editor and sound designer behind such cinematic milestones as The Godfather Trilogy, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now!Walter joined us for a wide-ranging conversation that delved deep into his groundbreaking work with directors including Francis Ford Coppola, his pioneering approach to film editing and s
#5 - PAUL MCGUIGAN
Half the Picture's guest this episode is the brilliant director Paul McGuigan, whose mercurial and vibrant talents have been gracing our screens, both big and small for over 25 years!Paul joined us primarily to discuss the making of his cult classic British crime gem, 'Gangster No.1' featuring barnstorming turns from Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and a star-making performance by a then unknown P
#3 - JASON REITMAN
Half the Picture's third guest is Jason Reitman, director of such modern classics as Juno, Up in the Air and his latest, Saturday Night: a visceral portrait of the 90 minutes leading up to the birth of the classic late-night comedy show!Jason joined us to chat the length and breadth of his career, ranging from his exuberant debut ‘Thank You for Smoking’, to the life-changing impact of making ‘Juno
#2 - TRISTAN OLIVER
Half the Picture's second guest is Tristan Oliver BSC, cinematographer extraordinaire and arguably the leading DOP working in stop-motion animation today! Tristan joined us to chat about his experiences working with Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr Fox and Isle of Dogs, making his start as an actor before switching to cinematography, shooting the iconic train chase in The Wrong Trousers and having lun
#1 - BRENDAN MCCARTHY
Half the Picture's first guest is Brendan McCarthy, Mad Max: Fury Road's brilliantly inventive co-writer and visual designer! Brendan joined us to for an in-depth chat covering all things Fury Road, from his experiences working closely with George Miller in pre-production on the scripting and storyboarding to Splendid's original (and much more hardcore) death scene that was cut from the film. He a
