Anthony Welsh: "It’s massive news to have another sibling turn up on your doorstep"
Anthony Welsh stars as 'Dean' in the 'The Visitor', a drama about an adopted young man who is confronted with some difficult decisions when a woman turns up claiming to be the sister he never knew he had. Here, Anthony talks about his character, the story, and working with director Dominic Savage.

He knows he would love to have a family that shares his blood but he’s wary, he’s very vulnerable.Anthony Welsh
What attracted you to be involved in The Secrets?
Dominic Savage. I’ve always heard about his method and his approach to the work and that’s what intrigued me the most. He’s about an authenticity and finding something else within the script to represent what is needed most for each scene, and he’s just a lovely guy. Ultimately, that’s what it was.
How was it working with Dominic?
It was everything I wanted it to be. He’s very sensitive to actors and he’s a very good people person which is a great quality to have as a director, as well as knowing which way he wanted to take the piece. It was great, apart from us being on a cold hill somewhere in North London for a whole day in February but it was definitely worth it!
How does Dean feel when Cassie first finds him?
The first time he sees her, she approaches him so he’s a little bit defensive and unable to deal with it, even though it’s something he’s thought about from the moment that he knew he was adopted. It’s a mixture of emotions that he goes through in the beginning. He knows he would love to have a family that shares his blood but he’s wary, he’s very vulnerable.
Does Dean realise that all is not quite what it seems when he first meets Cassie?
He doesn’t want anything to disturb what he wants to believe - and what he wants to believe is that this is meant to be - and nothing is going to ruin it. He believes it could all work.
How does his adopted family react to him bringing Cassie home?
Surprising well. It’s massive news to have another sibling turn up on your doorstep. The fact that she’s able to stay in the house and they’re able to learn a bit more about each other is really giving, open and welcoming. The parents also know something that Dean himself doesn’t know, so they’re in a position of knowledge and are able to manoeuvre a bit better than the others.
Did you meet the writer, Ben Ockrent, at any point?
He was on set for a few days and he was great. I love that the Â鶹ԼÅÄ is supporting new writers and that there are opportunities to work with Dominic Savage. I encourage more of that.
What do you hope the audience will take away from watching The Visitor?
I just hope it touches people, I think that’s the greatest thing. Dominic and I wanted to find the heart and authenticity of the family and I just hope that it resonates with people.