The screenwriter who made his friend's suicide the most tender comedy on Filmin

BarcelonaComedian and screenwriter Jack Rooke (United Kingdom, 1993) has had to deal with loss and grief on several occasions throughout his still short life. First, with the death of his father and then with the suicide of one of his best friends from university. Both experiences are captured in Big boys, one of the UK's most tender and luminous comedies which has just premiered its latest season on Filmin. Taking advantage of his first visit to Barcelona to attend Primavera Sound, Rooke, affable and excited by the series' reception in Spain, talks to ARA about mental health, comedy, and the inconsistencies of the British who voted for Brexit.

In Big boys, Jack, alter ego from the creator himself—both share characteristic curly hair—starts college after spending a year locked away at home recovering from the death of his father. His roommate in the dorm is Danny, who is everything the protagonist is not: heterosexual, very typically masculine, and apparently self-confident. A friendship develops between the two that will be crucial for both. Jack will begin to come out of the egg (and the closet) thanks to his roommate, who has mental health issues and will find indispensable support in the protagonist. In real life, the friend on whom Danny's character is partially based ended up committing suicide, an issue that the fiction addresses. "I wanted it to be a comforting and authentic series for people who have lost someone to suicide. And, on the other hand, I wanted to explain and make it clear to any boy who identified with Danny that there are choices: you can take your life, or you can choose to stay and find a new life," reflects Rooke, who works with CALM, a charity that helps prevent suicide among men. "We need to talk more about suicide so that people don't suffer in silence," he emphasizes.

The screenwriter defines Big boys as an optimistic fiction –"it was important to show that there is life after losing someone"– and assures that he has always wanted the comic aspect to weigh more than the emotional part. "For me, the comic aspect will always be more important than the emotional part, because the series was born from three comedy shows I did for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I've gotten used to mixing real-life moments, like grief and loss, with things that are genuinely funny. I think humor makes plots that are harder to watch more accessible, breaking down the strangeness that comes with talking about more sensitive topics," argues Rooke, who defines himself as "a comedy writer."

Looking Back

The writing and filming of Big boys has allowed Rooke to relive a part of his past, an experience that he says has, at times, made him feel old. "There were times when I thought, 'Wow, I'm 31 and I'm writing about what it's like to be 21. I'm too old for that.' I've been writing about this for 10 years, and finishing the series has been really cathartic," he says. However, he points out that his intention was always for the series to be watched not only by young people, but also by people in their 30s and 40s who could relate to a coming-of-age story.

The Englishman doesn't seem to be nostalgic about his youth, although he admits he does miss some things. "I miss the lack of responsibility, the innocence, and doing things for the first time. On the other hand, I don't miss not having a penny. It's nice to have a certain stability," he says. He then adds, laughing, that at 30, he still does things for the first time, like going to Primavera Sound or traveling to Barcelona.

The luminosity of Big boys It reflects Rooke's personality, who, despite the global conservative shift, claims to be convinced that society is moving forward. "Yes, I think people still want to be empathetic and care for others. We need to hold our governments accountable to ensure this is the case," he says. He can't help but comment on the political differences he sees between Spain and the United Kingdom and argues that, from the perspective of a gay person, he sees Spain as slightly more progressive than Britain for having legalized same-sex marriage earlier. He is also highly critical of the more conservative sectors of the English community: "Many of the grandparents of people my age voted for Brexit, but then they all want to move to Spain. It doesn't make any sense. It's absolutely ridiculous."

Big boys has propelled Rooke's career, which won her a BAFTA for Best Comedy Writer. However, the hype hasn't gone to her head. "People forget that I've only written one series in my entire life. Now I'm keen to be more ambitious and not write anything autobiographical for a while."