Jack Davenport On The Culture Clash Of Brits And Americans In Ten Percent - Exclusive
Perhaps one of the funniest tropes of across-the-pond comedy is when British and American workplaces are compared. Just think of the original version of "The Office" starring Ricky Gervais, which was later turned into a U.S.-based series of the same name featuring Steve Carell. Both shows were indicative of their home country's style of humor, and comparing and contrasting them still keeps fans up late at night to this day.
Those who consider themselves fans of British humor, in particular, will be pleased to know that a new workplace-based comedy series is coming their way with "Ten Percent," which follows the experiences of agency-based employees in Britain as they navigate changing professional landscapes. Starring Jack Davenport, the famed actor who brought James Norrington to life in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, "Ten Percent" is wickedly funny and immensely compassionate — a balance that is difficult to strike in comedy.
Ahead of the show's premiere, we sat down with Davenport for an exclusive interview where we chatted about the show and the hilarious cultural differences that presented themselves on screen.
British and American office dynamics are incredibly different, according to Jack Davenport
It's easy to point to some of the biggest differences between Britain and the United States purely from an auditory perspective, as accents give the Brits away all the time (at least stateside). But that's not the only characteristic that stands out in "Ten Percent," and during our sit-down with Jack Davenport, the actor explained that the office dynamics presented in the show are not only fun but also indicative of an entirely different work style.
Davenport's character and the litany of agents featured in the show are given a startling awakening when an American comes into their place of work and really shakes things up. It's situationally funny, but it also displays an incredibly different cultural and work style that you really have to tune into.
"It's a different business model, basically, that gets laid over our own little boutique agency in London," Davenport told us. "And what's that old line about two cultures divided by a common language? There's a lot of that to play with."
Davenport went on to reveal that he'd love to explore the differing office dynamics even more in the future, as it's not only a fun challenge as an actor but also a reflection of his own life off-camera. "I'm a British actor who's lived in America for 20 years. So I'm familiar with this stuff, and yeah, it's good stuff," he said.
Could there be an American version of Ten Percent?
Since there have been American versions of British shows (e.g., "The Office" and "Top Gear"), could there be a U.S. spin-off of Jack Davenport's new show, "Ten Percent"? The actor — who is no stranger to workplace-related shows, given his role in "The Morning Show" — seems to think that a series about an American agency has already been done, and he dished about the potential future of the show during our interview.
"The interchange between Hollywood and British show business is a well-trodden path. It's over a century old," he told us. "In terms of agency dynamics, people have asked me ... 'Do you think there'll American version of this?' And I was like, 'Maybe. I don't know.' But I feel like the definitive show about American agencies has been made, and it's called 'Entourage.'"
Davenport was quick to point out the main difference between British and American agencies, saying that the U.S. counterparts are "bigger" and "much more corporate." So for now, it looks like we'll be seeing the Brits versus the Americans on "Ten Percent" only.
The first two episodes of "Ten Percent" will exclusively premiere on AMC's Sundance Now and AMC+ on Friday, April 29, with new episodes released weekly. "Ten Percent" will debut weekly on the BBC starting May 1.