River City star Stephen Purdon has revealed he was “sore” after missing out on the lead role in Sweet Sixteen to Martin Compston.
Purdon, best known for his role as Shellsuit Bob in the BBC soap, got down to the final two against the actor when auditioning for the gritty 2002 film.
Greenock-born Compston, 36, landed the role of baby-faced thug Liam whilst Purdon, 37, was given a smaller part in the film directed by Ken Loach.
But despite finding the knockback hard to take, Purdon was full of praise for Compston, who he described as a “cracking boy”
Speaking on the The DW Podcast last month Purdon, from Stepps, Glasgow, said: “I got down to the final two and it was between me and Martin Compston to get the part.
“It was a sore one. I remember going to the audition, I’d seen Martin a few times through the process.
“It got to the point when it was six of us left, then four of us left.
“Then when I heard, ‘Right, this is the final call back, it’s between you and another boy’.
“I went, ‘I know who it is, I bet you it’s that boy.’
“I went in and there’s Martin.
“I get on well with Martin, he’s a cracking boy.
“I went in and did the final audition. Phone call the next day and I hadn’t got it.
“But I still got a part in it and working with Ken Loach was great.”
