Neil Morrissey: 'I didn't like maths at school'

Neil Morrissey: 'I didn't like maths at school'
Neil Morrissey: 'I didn't like maths at school' (Image credit: SHED PRODUCTIONS)

Neil Morrissey - Waterloo Road's deputy headteacher Eddie Lawson - talks about being top of the class, loathing maths and his worst school dinner Hi Neil! So, tell us what school did you attend? "Thistley Hough High School, Stoke-on-Trent." What was the uniform like? "Grey, with a bottle green jumper and a purple tie with gold on it." Erm, nice... And were you a good pupil? "I was probably the same as most people. I was quite conscientious. I did get good exam results - grade ones across all subjects. I can't remember what my school reports said about me, though, too long ago!" Tell us about your worst school dinner... "It was liver, plus a thing we called 'brick'. It was a dessert - I have no idea what it was, but it was very sweet. That was a bad combination, liver followed by brick!" Did you have an inspiring teacher? "I had two. Sheila Steel who was my Drama and English teacher. Also, Brian Hadley who was Director of the Stoke Schools Theatre group." What did you enjoy most about going to school? "The school plays and drama classes. I also had lots of good friends." And what did you like the least? "Maths! It wasn't that I couldn't do it, but it was the least friendly department. The Maths head was very Edwardian in style and very strict." Did you stay on to study A-Levels? "I did but by then I had a non-conditional place at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, so that was my driving force." Would you like to teach? "Don't think I could teach! No, that's not for me. Since playing Eddie I don't think I've picked up a better understanding of teaching. I think most teachers would agree that it's too complex a subject to pick up in a short time!" Get exclusive access to your favourite stars. Subscribe to TV Times magazine

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.