Exclusive interview with Toby Rolt, UK & US Actor 

By Jean-Paul Eliard
The  12 December 2024

Hi Toby, I'm glad to do this interview

Can you introduce yourself to the visitors of cinema-movietheater.com?
Hi Jean Paul, 
It is a pleasure to “virtually” meet you and  your readers or viewers. 
I’m lucky that I get hired to pretend not to be Toby Rolt, from time to time! 

What do you like in your character Mike McKenzie and in the script when you read it? 

Christmas In Scotland is charming. The whole family or any gathering, can enjoy it and no one could possibly be offended. Until the CIS script arrived I had not appreciated this particular rom-com market, but fans support the genre enthusiastically … and to be honest now I’m kind of hooked. 

How did you prepare for your role? 

There is/was a sweet love story between Mike and Ruth, the hotel/pub landlady (Jane MacFarlane). Mike McKenzie is a widower, Emma’s (Jill Winternitz) as mother, had died leaving Mike consumed in grief.
While Ruth helps him uncover his aristocratic background as a legitimate Laird, they fall in love 

Preparation for CIS was as simple as accepting Mikes world. Then finding his courage to let go his grief and open his heart to the providence of love again 
ts the happy ending we all want.

How is the shooting with Jill Winternitz (You daugther in the TV movie), Dominic Watters, Jane MacFarlane .......... and the director David Lumsden?
Ha! Jill is a good humoured walking masterclass in ‘one take’ professionalism. She is everything a director or producer could wish for, she has prepared so well that hour in hour out she delivers exactly what is written and asked of her.  She was a joy to work with. Dominic Watters, is good fun.
Though we didn’t have much screen time together, I got to see how much effort with care he puts into all he does. Our Director, David Lumsden is a gentleman, his manners are faultless. He knows exactly what he needs and has a way of getting it with the least drama posable.Always patient and calm, so his set is calm focused and productive. 
One of the horrible facts of film making is that sometimes good work must be cut. Christmas’ was 25 minutes longer on screen than the page.
So, the Mike & Ruth love story got cut.

Which meant that almost all Jane MacFarlane’s engageing performance was cut. It’s disappointing for her of corse but also sad for the film …
I think that Cinema-movietheater.com readers need to petition the Canadian distributers to release a Directors Cut version! Audience demand to see the full script! (And Toby Rolt gets blacklisted for causing problems. Ha!) 

Where is the movie shot in Scotland, the castle is beautiful and when?
We were filming in Febuary and March, based at Queens Ferry where the stunning new Forth Road suspension Bridge & old Queensferry Iron bridge's are. The castle is still privately owned, I think and is available to hier for events. I assume the upkeep of a castle makes it a bit more expensive than any one family can afford.
Its off the road to Dundee, about 40 mins from Queensferry, and I can’t remember its name - Dundas Castle? - Scotland is littered with Castles, over 2,000 apparently. (Part of the cut story was Mike discovering he owes a castle but its really more of a shed... Oups, maybe I’ll get into trouble now from the excellent producers, I might have just broken a secrecy agreement.)
 
What do you like at Christmas?
 My birthday is in December … so its always been tricky competing with God for attention! 
I like the fact that the vast majority of people make a genuine effort to go out of their way a bit for others. Its fun to pause and think of all the terrific people in the world. For us in the UK, our health system is staffed by thousands of extraordinarily kind people, Farmers, Teachers … Humans can be great, can’t we? 

When and why did you choose to be an actor?
 I was in my last term of school .

I’m dyslexic and after two goes at trying to get Ordinary level exams  … the school coundn’t hold me back another year again, I had already excelled in being one of 3 unteachable kids in the whole school, now I was the most backward of the 3 backward ones so was about to be booted out of school  at the same time a friend suggested I try out for the school play.

Apparently he had had to put up with my non stop opinions on how it ’should be done’ show in show out. So he offered to beat me up if I didn't audition, get the lead and do a really good job.

So, the short answer is ’so i wouldn’t get beaten up!'. Thats true.

I discovered that for the first time in my life to that time I instinctively knew what
I was doing and in all the pretend, I felt less fake. It was a comedy, it was a unique thrill to be a part of causing spontaneous joy in so many people.
I thought I wanted to make my living doing that. 
        
Do you have Scottish origins?
I do, at a stretch. My Grandmother was part Scottish … I have a number of proud Scot friends, so I play up my Englishness or American for fun.
 

what is your next challenge / project?
I’ll be on stage. The play Ghost Fruit, by Max Wilkinson. It is very clever. He pokes fun at everyone and everything except mental illness.
We open with Franz Kafka meeting his publisher in the 1920’s … only he is not Franz Kafka, he’s a mental paitent. His publisher is his exasperated Doctor, and its 2025. 4 Actors play 21 different character's to tell this absurdest story. 

I play 7 people including his Doctor, … oh and at one point Elisebeth Taylor.   We tested it a couple of years ago and discovered all ages enjoyed it, surprisingly, many people for who English is a second or 3rd language loved it. Though it was a very short run, we even had some people come back.
 

Do you wish to add something ?
Thank you for inviting me to contribute to your project of www.cinema-movietheatre.com, 
 Let me wish you and your readers / Viewers a Joyful Christmas and wonderful new year. 

Thank you very much for your interview  Toby  I wish you all the best An for you too Merry Christmas and Happy new year

More information about Toby on Aba Agent  and on IMDb