Caution Spoilers

Ask me about a movie! Wait, not that one

  • Home
  • Film Reviews
  • Shorts
  • Kids
  • Documentaries
  • Video Reviews
  • Re-caps (spoilery!)
  • Trailers
  • Film Club
  • Genres
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • Stunts
  • Posters
  • Festivals
  • TV Shows
  • Awards
  • Annual reviews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
You are here: Home / Interviews / Eaten By Lions INTERVIEWS: Antonio Aakeel, Johnny Vegas, Jack Carroll, Hayley Tamaddon, and more!

Eaten By Lions INTERVIEWS: Antonio Aakeel, Johnny Vegas, Jack Carroll, Hayley Tamaddon, and more!

28th March 2019 by Sarah Leave a Comment

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll resolve to take better care of your nan’s ashes in future.

I’m talking about the hilarious British comedy Eaten By Lions.

A story about brothers Omar (Antonio Aakeel) and Pete (Jack Carroll) on a journey to Blackpool to find Omar’s long-lost dad, it’s a gem of a film about what family means today. It’s also got a top-notch cast, who still – when I interviewed them this week – came across as one big, slightly crazy family.

Beforehand I was so nervous being eaten by a lion felt preferable – these are my first video interviews and any wobbles (literal and figurative) are all mine.

Check out my interviews below: Antonio Aakeel (Omar), Jack Carroll (Pete), Johnny Vegas (Ray), Natalie Davies (Parveen), Hayley Tamaddon (Sara), Tom Binns (the fortune teller), Darshan Jariwala (Saftar), and Jason Wingard. (You can also read my review of the film and my longer interview with director Jason Wingard.)

Antonio Aakeel plays Omar, who – along with his younger brother Pete (Jack Carroll) – is on a search to find his absent dad in Blackpool:


Back to top

Comedian and actor Jack Carroll plays Pete, Omar’s younger brother. Jack was also in Jason Wingard’s short film Going To Mecca, on which Eaten by Lions is based:


Back to top

Johnny Vegas is Ray, the owner of a down-at-heel B&B in Blackpool which becomes something of a haven for Omar and Pete:


Back to top

In a film full of terrific characters, Parveen, played by the wonderful Natalie Davies, was my favourite. Initially utterly silent and apparently introverted, she’s very different underneath… (put it this way, Pete certainly meets his match):


Back to top

Blackpool-born Hayley Tamaddon is Sara, the real head of the family, whatever her husband Malik (Nitin Ganatra) and father-in-law Saftar (Darshan Jariwala) think:


Back to top

Tom Binns, aka the fortune teller with no name. He’s a terrible fortune teller, but he does have a booth on Blackpool pier and a cool outfit. Omar and Pete think he can help in their search (for some reason):


Back to top

Darshan Jariwala (Saftar, Malik and Irfan’s father) spoke to me about being the patriarch of this crazy family, and why the movie’s message of multiculturalism is so important now:


Back to top

Director Jason Wingard on the story’s eight-year journey to the big screen, finding his dream cast, Blackpool nostalgia, and what he’s got coming up:


Back to top

Watch the Eaten By Lions trailer now:

Check out my review of the film and my longer interview with director Jason Wingard.

Buy the DVD from amazon uk

buy / rent Eaten By Lions on VOD from amazon UK

Back to top

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: antonio aakeel, british film, comedy, Darshan Jariwala, eaten by lions, hayley tamaddon, jack carroll, johnny vegas, natalie davies, tom binns

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Looking For

About Sarah

About Sarah

Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, John Wick lover and Gerard Butler apologist. Still waiting for Mike Banning vs John Wick: Requiem

Site info here.
Or email me on [email protected]

Latest Reviews

The Reef: Stalked 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Persuasion 2 stars☆☆☆☆☆

GATLOPP: Hell Of A Game 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Jurassic World: Dominion 2.5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Top Gun: Maverick 5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Senior Year 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

H20h no! The Film Club watches Black Water: Abyss 2 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (TV mini series) 4 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Pursuit Of A Jigsaw (short film) Short Film 4 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Operation Mincemeat 4 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Reed’s Point 2 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Let The Wrong One In 3.5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Death On The Nile 3.5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Deep Water 2.5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Moonfall 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Silent Night 3.5 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Last Train To Christmas 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

A Castle For Christmas 3 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Home Sweet Home Alone 2 stars☆☆☆☆☆

Get the latest reviews by Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to and receive notifications of new reviews by email.

Copyright © 2022 · Caution Spoilers Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in