Luke Evans - "I pretended to be Michael Crawford as a kid"

Virgin Radio

28 Nov 2022, 09:17

He sings! He acts! Is there anything the Welshman can't do?

We still see a lot of Luke Evans on our screens - or maybe we just watch Disney's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast too much - but in recent years we've come to know the Welshman more for his music than his acting.

That'll certainly be the case for the near future, since Luke's second album, A Song for You - the follow up to 2019's At Last - is now with us. And very good it is too!

Luke popped into The Graham Norton Radio Show this weekend to tell us how he came to marry a singing career with an acting one.

"I was a singer before I was an actor," he says. "It's the first thing I ever did when I was a kid - it just came naturally. I opened my mouse and sang. I was that kid, pretending to be Michael Crawford or or Sarah Brightman sometimes also!"

And yet Luke says that he never chased this alternative career, but it came to him.

"I was approached - and I think it was off the back of Beauty and the Beast to be honest - and then I sang at the Queen's 92nd birthday at the Royal Albert Hall. A producer said to me, 'I think you can get a record deal'. Ironically, that was music to my ears. I've always wanted to be a recording artist. I thought, 'Let's try it'. It might not work. It might not fit in with my other work career and stuff. But it did. And it's been an absolute joy."

Luke is still acting in big productions - last week his new action series Echo 3 - a show created, directed and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) - debuted on Apple TV+, but for the time being he's enjoying seeing where music will take him, and fulfilling a lifelong dream.

"Scheduling is the biggest issue," says Luke, "but we fit it in. I filmed two films while doing the promo of this album, a BBC special for Christmas, I sang on Strictly, and I've been to New York to do the premiere of Echo 3. Plus, I've got Scrooge coming up next week on Netflix!"

Phew. What's your secret Luke?

"Staying well and keeping on top of the scheduling," he says. "A lot can be fitted in if I look after myself, stay well, and be happy about doing it."

We're pleased you're doing it too Luke, but please, please, please make sure at some point you get some sleep too!

Listen to The Graham Norton Radio Show every Saturday AND Sunday from 9:30 am on Virgin Radio or catch up on-demand here.