One of the highlights at work this week was interviewing the comic actors, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, who play the characters Jack Jarvis Esq and Victor McDade in the show Still Game.
They were in Inverness to sign bottles of their Jack and Victor whisky and hundreds of fans turned out to meet them.
It was a fun interview to do and they were a pleasure to work with – I even cracked them up when I referenced an infamous drink from the series in one of my questions.
Jack and Victor meet fans
ACTORS Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill drew a crowd when they visited an Inverness convenience store this week.
Around 300 people queued around the Telford Street Co-op and in the car park.
The pair, better known as Jack Jarvis Esq and Victor McDade from the long-running comedy series Still Game, were there to sign bottles of branded Jack and Victor whisky. Ford said they had been all over Scotland.
“I think this is the second last one, we are in Inverness today and we are going to Balloch tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve been to Inverness quite a few times when we used to gig, at Eden Court and stuff like that, we’ve always fancied Inverness but it’s that wee bit out of the way so that’s why we made the point of definitely getting here before Christmas.”
Greg added: “We were desperate to come to Inverness, it wasn’t on the map the first time round, so we said ‘we need to get there’ so we are really excited to get up here.”
Fan Shannon Gallagher (27), from Portmahomack, said of their sitcom: “It’s very relatable. It is the characters and it wouldn’t be the same without both of them.”
From the Highland News on Thursday, December 22, 2022.
Actors are Still Game
TV favourites could add the infamous Midori to their growing range of branded alcoholic beverages it was revealed this week.
Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, better known as Jack Jarvis Esq and Victor McDade of Still Gamefame, drew a huge crowd when they visited Inverness this week to sign bottles of branded Jack and Victor whisky.
In the show Midori has a fearsome reputation with unwelcome side effects though in reality it is a pleasant melon liqueur.
When asked if they would consider adding it to their range of drinks – which also includes Still Gin – Ford said: “Aye, if we can handle the backlash. We might do.”
Speaking about the appeal of the show that brought them fame, Greg said: “It’s camaraderie. Everyone has a Jack and Victor in their life I think – especially grandkids – you know the closeness between the grandkids and the grandparents.”
Ford said: “There’s a warmth in it that everybody gets. People repeatedly watch it because there are other things that you can see if you watch it twice.”
Around 300 people queued around the Telford Street Co-op and out into the car park on Tuesday.
Ford said: “We’ve been to Inverness quite a few times when we used to gig, at Eden Court and stuff like that. We’ve always fancied Inverness but it’s that wee bit out of the way so that’s why we made the point of definitely getting here before Christmas.”
Meg Rodden (74), from Bunchrew, said: “It is excellent they are here – you don’t have many people like that coming here. The show is very Glasgow.”
From the Inverness Courier on Friday, December 23, 2022.
Ian Duncan Media 