Role in Ridley Scott's The Martian

Nick Mohammed is to appear in Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster.

As he spoke of his breakthrough role in The Martian, the comic also revealed that he has written his first book, a children’s title based around magic.

The Hollywood film, which stars Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on the red planet, reflects another of Mohammed’s interests. He is a geophysics graduate whose 2009 Edinburgh Fringe show, Apollo 21, was about the moon landings.

'I was obviously thrilled by the subject matter' Mohammed says of his supporting role as NASA's head of communications, a Californian scientist called Tim Grimes who is based in mission control.

He appears alongside Jeff Daniels as the head of NASA, Chiwetel Ejiofor and 15 Storeys High star Benedict Wong. And 'technically I have scenes with Matt Damon. But through an interface because he was on Mars and I was on Earth’.

The starry cast for the film, which was filmed in Budapest and based on Andy Weir's novel, also includes Kristen Wiig, Jessica Chastain, Sean Bean, Kate Mara and Community's Donald Glover.

'It was fun but completely surreal because I was completely out of my depth, so I just kept my head down and tried to get through it,’ Mohammed says.

The comedian also gave details of his children's book. Provisionally titled The Young Magicians Club, it's 'a comedy for kids about the Magic Circle' and is set to be published in summer 2016 by Penguin Random House.

Meanwhile, Mohammed is writing the forthcoming Channel 4 comedy Morning Has Broken with Julia Davis, in which the pair play fractious breakfast television presenters.

'Julia plays Gail Sinclair, a Lorraine Kelly-type, queen of morning TV, and I play her co-host, Mike, the medical expert on the show, almost like a sort of Raj Persaud figure' he explains.

The six episodes, directed by Dan Clark and due to broadcast later this year, 'charts their disintegrating friendship at the same time as they have to maintain an onscreen friendship. Sinclair has a massive fall from grace as the queen of the nation to this alcohol, drug-taking sort of lady who's basically having a complete nervous breakdown, all while live on air'.

Mohammed is quick to point out that the cracks appearing in Sinclair's pretence of being nice ‘is not based on Lorraine Kelly at all. By all accounts and from chatting to people who've worked on those shows, she is very, very nice. But the show's basenote is how morning TV has to put a light, happy spin on everything, even if everything is crumbling around them.

'It's certainly the darkest thing I've ever been involved in but that's probably Julia's influence rather than mine. I'm thoroughly enjoying it though. She's absolutely brilliant to work with.'

'A lot of it is improvised in the room, we transcribe it and then stitch it together.

Currently appearing in Uncle on BBC Three, the comic also reveals that he's 'talking to a few people' about finding a broadcast vehicle for his long-standing, excitable character Mr Swallow.

He anticipates a radio adaptation for the Dracula show, which he premiered at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, ‘though I might have to redo some bits and pieces because obviously it's quite visual’.

'As for television, I'm in talks with a production company but I've tried and failed with various scripts and formats for him over the last four years,’ he added. ‘It's tricky because it's such a live character and if you put him in the window of TV, he may lose some of his charm and become too irritating.

'Part of me wonders if I should do a studio, sitcommy thing, in the vein of Miranda or Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em, something that completely embraces the silliness. But there's been a really successful wave of that and I wonder if the wave is going to turn again.

;I’d hate to try and do a studio show when everything goes in the opposite direction. But I'm in no rush. When the time is right, hopefully I'll come up with the best idea for him.'

He won't be returning to Edinburgh this year but anticipates another Mr Swallow musical in the future.

'This show has quite high production values, it feels as if the bar has been raised' he says. 'So if I go with another Mr Swallow show or another character vehicle, I want to think of ways to keep it exciting and that inevitably takes time.'

Dracula! (The Mr Swallow Musical) has just extended its run at the Soho Theatre in London to March 7. While The Martian is due for release in November.

- By Jay Richardson

Published: 18 Feb 2015