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Actor and writer Paul Casar is about to embark on an exciting project that will see him proudly playing an important role to honour Harry Potter actor Rob Knox, in the fun and inspirational feature film ‘Employee of the Dead’. Best known for his role as Paul Lee in the BBC’s BAFTA winning comedy series, ‘The Detectorists’, Paul has worked extensively across stage and screen, appearing in short films such as the hugely successful ‘Easy Sell’ and as Napoleon Bonaparte in ‘Falling Short’.

Directed by Aaron Truss, Employee of the Dead is a story of friendship and following dreams but has a heart wrenching backstory that changed the course of his life. In 2008, Aaron was set a challenge in university to shoot a film in 48 hours. He was then working in a supermarket where he decided to pull off an impossible feat during a night shift. With the help of close friends, including Rob Knox, they shot a comedic short horror in Sainsbury’s, Chislehurst, called ‘Employee of the Dead’.

This would be one of the most memorable and life changing nights of his life that began a 20-year journey, as tragically, Rob would never get to see the finished film. Four days after filming on ‘Harry Potter and the half blood Prince’, Rob’s life was cruelly cut short in a horrific knife attack in Sidcup.

Aaron now plans to turn the story’s humble beginnings in a supermarket into a comedy horror feature film and crowd funding has begun. Alongside Paul Casar, the stellar cast includes Ellie Rae Winstone, Joe Acres, Sean Cronin, Dani Harmer, Nick Helm, Nicholas Vince and more. I caught up with Paul to tell us more about this emotive film and campaign.

How did you become involved in EOTD?

A short film I was in called Easy Sell screened at The Rob Knox Film Festival, we were all incredibly proud that it had been selected. The festival moved me in terms of Rob’s friends and family and how they created something beautiful out of something so tragic. During the festival Aaron aired a trailer for ‘Employee of the Dead’ and I contacted him to thank him and say how amazing it was and to keep me informed as to when the film would be coming out. He got back in touch and asked if I’d be happy to have a look at the original film they made with Rob who sadly never got to see it and sent me the script. I did a self tape which I had a lot of fun with as it was like the short films I made with mates back in the day, the usual kind of Starsky and Hutch horror things, and we did a Cook Report where we’d go up to ice cream vans, order an ice cream and later dub it so they’d be like gangsters selling their goods! Reminded me of stuff I used to do with my friend Eoin who sadly passed away so I felt that connection and understood what the guys are trying to do.

How did it feel being asked to play your character and how will you embrace the role?

I know how much it means to everyone and it was helpful to watch the original short film they made, speaking to Aaron I got to know a lot more about what Rob was like as a person, a friend, a brother and son, so for me it was not to try and do an impersonation or impression of Rob as that wouldn’t be right. I’ll proudly be playing a character called Rob to honour Rob Knox who played the same character in the original. Rob would have reprised this character if he was still with us so I’ll be doing my best to channel his energy, charm, vision, smile and sense of love and humour to the role.

Watching Rob you could tell there was a genuine mischievousness in his way and a light in his eyes so it’s trying to tune in and carry that playfulness that he had and bring that to the screen. As Aaron and I were saying, you carry people forward in your hearts and in your work so together with the rest of the team we’ll take Rob onto set every day with us.

The film has an exciting cast, how is it working alongside them all?

It’s an incredible cast and crew, everyone from top to bottom is a real A game, we’re all pulling in the same direction and want to make an amazing film and have fun doing it. I met most of the team when we did a promo earlier in the year and we just filmed in Romford with the zombies, everyone’s great and I’m really looking forward to it.

The promo videos look fantastic, how did that all go?

It was incredible, we rocked up at Romford shopping centre where we had the use of a lovely independent cinema, we had one of the screens as a green room and filmed a couple of sequences in the stair well. From 7pm we had the run of the place so I got to fulfil one of my childhood dreams of doing a zombie film in a shopping centre, being chased by zombies down an escalator! It took me right back to ‘Dawn of the Dead’, a George Romero film, so I was like a kid in a sweet shop I loved it.

What’s it like running around a shopping mall with zombies?

The cinema was open so there were a few people coming in and some recognised Dani Harmer and wanted selfies but there’s one scene that looks fantastic in terms of the effects and we looked up to see a lady with her kids watching from the balcony. Someone went up and said it is a horror film, not sure its suitable for children but she said they love zombies and horror so I dread to think what they were drawing in school the next day!

What can people expect from this film and how can they help?

A real funny, heart warming experience or tale and what’s lovely about it is the message of people fulfilling their dreams or having the courage to go after what makes them happy. There’s a bit of that in us all so I hope that people will be inspired by this as there is a writer, a musician, a director in all of us and hopefully people will tap into that and its a lot of fun if you love the horror and comedy genres.

The thing that’s unique with this project for me is that it is totally independent, which is amazing creatively, we’ve all got an input into what we’re doing and everyone is so supportive. To raise the finance independently is a real task that we’re all fully behind and committed to doing so it will give us that freedom in terms of film making but also for anyone looking to invest it’s a real opportunity to be a part of this film and for investors it will be wonderful to see this film in the cinema and turn to whoever you’re with and say I was part of this, it’s on that screen because I believed and invested in this.

As well as EOTD, What’s next for you?

I’ve got a horror film coming out later this year called ‘The Hoarder’ which has its world premiere at Frightfest in Leicester Square on Saturday 29th August, I’m currently shopping a few of my own scripts around and have had a few meetings with production companies. One’s a coming of age sort of drama set in the summer of 84, about unlikely friendships and the love of Ziggy Stardust, I’ve also written a horror which is an anthology about an ex communicated priest who unwillingly makes a pact with the devil to save his daughter and has to hunt down members of a Satanic cult – so lots to keep me busy.

This is certainly a film to look out for and the project has quickly gained interest and support from some well known names with such meaning and passion behind it from all involved. The team is working hard to find the means to bring this film to fruition and are deeply grateful to all who can help make this happen.

For more information and to get involved visit https://eotdmovie.com/ and https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/q-cumber-films/employee-of-the-dead.

Promo Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS58iHznCxU