It was odd to see Daniel Grayson in the flesh without a suit, a cocktail, or a gun in his hand—and with a British accent, to boot. He was dressed casually in a chambray shirt (unbuttoned enough to show a gold chain resting against his chest), camel-colored chinos, and navy espadrilles. Sartorially speaking, actor Josh Bowman’s closet is a bit more pared down than Daniel, the character he plays on the TV drama “Revenge.”
“It’s affordable. I like things that are affordable. Emily and I, we don’t spend thousands of dollars on clothes. We still go to the same stores,” Bowman says on why he loves Penshoppe. Emily, incidentally, is Emily VanCamp, the actress who plays Amanda Clarke/Emily Thorne on “Revenge.”
The two have been going out for quite a while; VanCamp even accompanied Bowman on his visit to Manila (she requested not to be photographed, though, and kept a low profile the entire trip).
Bowman, a British ex-rugby player, caught the eye of Bernie Liu—CEO of Golden ABC which makes Penshoppe—after his daughter showed him an episode of “Revenge.” What he liked about the show, Liu says, “was its Hamptons setting. We own Regatta, too, so it was a good inspiration for the brand. Eventually, the discussion led to pursuing Josh Bowman for Penshoppe instead. Penshoppe is expanding globally, and that’s precisely why we have global endorsers—to help us enter new markets as well.”
Penshoppe recently opened a store in Indonesia, its 17th, with plans to open in Cambodia in June. It also has shops in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Dubai. “We have about three or four new territories that we are pursuing now,” Liu adds.
Having Bowman as Penshoppe endorser was a no-brainer. “He’s an up-and-coming star, and he relates well to our market. He’s easy to work with,” says Liu.
At a recent chat with Inquirer Super, Bowman talks about diverse topics including his new favorite pair of pants, his favorite shocker on “Revenge,” and why Grayson seems to be a terrible shot.
Knowing you were going to the Philippines, what did you pack in your suitcase?
Not much. Penshoppe had a lot of clothes here, and I was fortunate to be given a few things to wear. It’s such a beautiful, warm climate, humid, so I thought few shorts, T-shirts, and two pairs of shoes. I like to pack light. I’ve made the mistake in the past of packing too much—you’re lugging around a big bag, it’s never fun.
How’s it been so far?
Beautiful. I’ve had three mangoes since 8 o’clock this morning, and I’ll probably have another three by the end of the day.
What do you like about the Penshoppe brand?
Bernie and Alice (Liu of Golden ABC), they’ve been taking very good care of me. It’s amazing, everyone’s so hospitable here, warm and welcoming.
Penshoppe is very current in terms of fashion and trends. I love the fact that it’s affordable. That’s the main reason why I wanted to sign on. I love these chinos (points to the camel-brown chinos he’s wearing), and these things called “jogger pants,” which are great. It’s really cool.
You’ve gotten a lot of rave reviews about your American accent. You’ve gone on record saying you worked really hard to perfect it. Were there any American words that confounded you as a Brit?
Everyone finds different parts of the accent difficult or easy. It was just a question of keeping at it. Over time you realize you pick up an ear for the mistakes that you make. I think that separates someone who can pull off any accent, when you develop an ear for it. It’s like being a musician.
And then you’ve also got to find your accent, your actual accent, and pitch in the new accent. That’s where you take it to the next level, where you kind of mold it to an accent. That’s the difference between putting on an accent and actually having an accent. It’s taken time though, believe me. It probably took maybe two seasons to really get it. Now it’s a lot easier; I can easily slip in and out of it, which is good. But then it’s also specific to him (his character Daniel Grayson), he has more of an East Coast—I hope rhythm, which is a big thing as well.
You’ve been playing Grayson for three years now. How do you feel about the way the character has evolved into someone darker and less idealistic?
I love that it’s gone to this place now. I’ve pushed for him to move into this realm because it’s more fun. I think it’s good for the show. I think the show needs people to hate and love to hate. It’s great being likable, but to transition as a character is to make it more fleshed out, three-dimensional.
There are characters on the show that have that backbone and spine which people can relate to and rely on, but I think it’s nice to play the darker side of things. It’s always more interesting to explore that. I’m having a lot of fun; I think the fun is the key, especially with a show that goes on and on and on. You have to find new things to enjoy.
The show has had some crazy plot twists. Which shocker has been your favorite so far?
Me shooting Emily, absolutely. They (producers) sat me down and said, “You’re gonna shoot her.” And I said, “What?! That’s the third person I’m gonna shoot?” ’Cause I shot Tyler in the first season; second season it was Aiden; and then I shot Emily, and I thought, “Wow.” And he’s (Daniel) a really bad shot, he doesn’t kill anybody. I mean he could be three feet away and not kill you. You’d think he’d maybe go for the head, or the heart, but he’s a bad shot, he’s a really bad shot. (Laughs)
Given how dark the material can be, how do you and your cast mates lighten the mood on set?
Morale is key. We have some very funny people on set. Henry Czerny, who plays my dad, is the funniest person, I think, and the wittiest. He’s a real gent of a guy. Nick (Wechsler), who plays Jack. And obviously Gabriel (Mann). We have a wonderful team of collaborators, from the writers and the directors, down to everyone involved with the show. I’m known to play a couple of pranks here and there; we have a real giggle on set. We have to, because the material can be a little far-fetched. It can be a little dramatic, so we like to keep it in the middle.
Do you have a favorite character?
Apart from my own? I love Tyler, I thought he did a phenomenal job, Ashton Holmes, on season one. I thought he was a really cool character. There’s another one joining who is also going to be an interesting character, but you’ll see.
What have you learned from playing Daniel Grayson?
I’ve learned a hell of a lot, just being on set for me. It’s been my first real consistent job; I’ve learned everything from being behind the camera, collaborating with writers, to try and push for new material to work on, just working with these wonderful actors. That’s the best learning, just being there in the trenches. It’s been a real pleasant journey so far.
You were a rugby player in your past life. Have any of your teammates seen the show? Do you get teased about your role?
A few people have made fun of me, but now after seeing me do things like these, they’re like, “Oh, acting’s a good job, isn’t it? That looks pretty easy to do.” (Laughs). A couple of friends have started acting; I’m not going to say I was the inspiration for them, but I think they’ve taken a look at what I’ve been doing the last few years, which, to be honest, is bonkers. I don’t think I could’ve ever predicted coming here, coming to America, and working. I’ve got friends who don’t work as much and I’ve just been very fortunate. I find myself incredibly lucky to do that. But yeah, I’ve got some very good friends who keep my feet very, very firmly on the ground, which is important.
How similar and how different are you from Grayson?
You tell me.
Well, you’re much nicer.
(Laughs). He’s nice though, that’s the thing, he was nice, and he still is, but he’s had to form a hard shell around him because of the things that have gone on.
If you were lied to for two years of your life by a man and he said he’s gonna marry you and all that, and then he’s cheating on you behind your back, I mean, that would send someone barmy, wouldn’t it? It would send you mad.
I relate to him in ways, and other ways we’re very different. I’d like to think I’m nothing like him, but I think we can all to relate to characters we play, in some way or another.