Captured in one high-stress, high-speed take, 2022 British film Boiling Point took us inside the fictional kitchen of Jones & Sons, one of London’s hottest restaurants – in more ways than one. Immersive, nerve-racking and utterly compelling, led by Stephen Graham as Chef Andy Jones, we were introduced to a diverse range of nuanced characters that included hot head chef Freeman, brilliantly played by actor Ray Panthaki.

The film’s incredible success has led to it being translated into a four-episode TV series, in which we dive deeper into each character’s story away from the kitchen. Scratching at the surface, we soon see that stress levels don’t diminish once service is over. In this, Panthaki resumes his role as Freeman who, [spoiler alert] having lamented Jones for his unprofessional behaviour at the end of the film, hasn’t calmed down. “There are some characters where you feel like you’ve done everything you can with them,” Panthaki tells us below, but with Freeman, we touched on aspects and saw things in him, we saw he was an angry soul – hopefully one day we can see why that is.”

Alex James Taylor: I imagine that as soon as the film came out and reeived such praise, the powers that be were like, “Have a series, keep it going!”
Ray Panthaki: I believe it was pretty quick. I think people could easily see that there was room to explore these characters. What was so magical about the film was that we touched on all these different characters, and you didn’t have to end their storyline there. That set up the spark, and now we are going into those worlds – there was always an interest in that.

AJT: The series was interesting in that, when you watch the film, you view the restaurant as being the source of stress for each character, however in the series, the restaurant takes on this new role as a distraction almost from things happening in their lives – albeit a very stressful distraction!
RP: That’s a really good point. As traumatic as the kitchen is, people have got other shit going on as well, which actually informs their behaviours in the kitchen, right? That’s why hopefully the series can go on and on, because there are a lot of characters to explore.

AJT: Do you relate to that; stepping onto the set and leaving whatever is happening in your own life at the door?
RP: I try to make it that way. It’s not always possible depending on what’s happening in your life, and sometimes real life informs your character and your job. Actors generally, we’re all quite sensitive, so I feel like there’s always an element of bringing… It depends on what the role needs… You can switch off from it and block out everything going on and just focus, or you can use what’s going on in your own life and bring nuances, elements and attitudes. It’s a job-by-job basis. Certainly when we did the film, the way it was shot in one continuous take, I had no choice but to completely block out what was happening in my life. To remain focused and build a backstory for this character. I had to know this guy inside out, because at any given moment something could be thrown at me in a scene and I had to know how he would respond.

AJT: I want to ask you about the continuous shot. When you’re shooting like that, in between scenes, when you know you’re about to come into frame, and you’ve got to come in hot because it’s a busy, stressful environment, what’re you doing off-frame to prepare?
RP: So, in different points during the film there were different things. You have to keep your character going, you have to stay in character, you can’t let that drop, but there were moments where the camera goes outside for a bit and we took a moment to reboot. We had some notes hidden in one of the fridges [laughs] and we’d check where we were but still keeping in character. Inevitably there are always mistakes, there are tons of mistakes…

AJT; But they become part of it.
RP: Exactly.

“I had to know this guy inside out, because at any given moment something could be thrown at me in a scene and I had to know how he would respond.”

AJT: It must take so much practice to know your positions and movements, for the camera operators too.
RP: It was a real dance, everything was choreographed, within reason, because we didn’t have much rehearsal time. Personally, I came to that job match fit. I’d been in Vancouver for seven months doing a job out there and was in great physical shape for that role, and mentally I was in a good place.

AJT: It’s been an interesting journey for Boiling Point, starting with a short, then a film and now a series, it made me think that it’d make an amazing play.
RP: Yeah, I think so as well. I had that thought after we did the movie. It’d be the complete set, wouldn’t it? I was calling it the Boiling Point cinematic universe [both laugh] – theatrical universe. It has the potential to do that, for sure. And then a restaurant I suppose, the Boiling Point restaurant, I mean how much do the filmmakers want to milk it? [laughs]

AJT: One of those weird, new restaurants where you go in and the staff abuse you.
RP: There’s a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, it’s been around for years and years, called Wong Kei, and the staff are naturally so rude, it’s become a tourist attraction. People still go there today because it’s such rude service. [both laugh]

AJT: People wanting a job get turned away for being too nice and polite. [both laugh]
RP: Yeah!

AJT: Back to your Boiling Point character, Freeman, how nice was it reconnecting with him and seeing what he’s up to now?
RP: I think there was a bit of apprehension at first, because we had something that was so successful, it’s like, why are we touching it? But then when I spoke to Phil [Philip Barantini] the creator, James [Cummings, writer] and Stephen Graham, they discussed their ideas, where they see these characters going, and I was like, “Of course. There’s so much more to explore.” Especially Freeman, for me, I was like now I have a chance to work with the filmmakers to work out why he is the way he is. There are some characters where you feel like you’ve done everything you can with them, but with Freeman, we touched on aspects and saw things in him, we saw he was an angry soul – hopefully one day we can see why that is.

“It’s a high-pressure environment, and these guys are artists. There’s an element of torture that comes with that.”

AJT: What Boiling Point does really well is replicate the kitchen experience, as well as touching on darker elements of the industry, such as exploitation and toxic behaviours. There’s a real trend at the minute to show kitchens as these sexy, cool places, but there is a reality not often portrayed. How important was it for you to explore these aspects?
RP: It’s always important. All the work I like to undertake touches on social issues. As a filmmaker myself, I like to delve into realism and naturism, so I felt it was important the TV series carried on from the film, which gave a real insight into what goes go on in the hospitality industry. I’ve never worked in the hospitality industry, so I was basing it on research and from Phil’s background, and yeah, there are a huge amount of mental health issues and drug abuse that goes on. It’s a high-pressure environment, and these guys are artists. There’s an element of torture that comes with that. I’m always seeking to try and be as truthful as possible, and I feel that the series has done a great job in touching on these issues. It was interesting the response to the film, I’d say 99.9 percent of people who work in hospitality and have stopped me in the street or spoken to me were like, “Oh man, it gave me PTSD because it was so real.” There was one person who was like, “I feel like it represents the old industry and it’s not what it’s like now.” But from my understanding, it very much can still be like that.

AJT: Same. And you worked in Cornerstone [a restaurant in Hackney, London] to prepare for the role, working with Chef Tom Brown, how was that experience?
RP: I did. Tom’s amazing. He took me through some basic stuff when we were doing the film, just me and him, and I worked a night in the restaurant. Then when the TV series was up and running, I was like, “Tom, I need to come down and scratch up on these things.” So I went and hung out in the restaurant, did some work there and just observed really. He runs a real tight ship, and what I love about that environment is, I feel like the banter and fun we get in the series, that’s what you get in Tom’s restaurant, it’s amazing.

AJT: And how are your knife skills?
RP: [laughs] They’re better. I’m definitely a better cook for doing this show.

AJT: What similarities did you find between the kitchen and being on set? I imagine teamwork is a big one.
RP: It is teamwork, and that sense of fun. They’re serious about their work, but they’re mates and they’re talking about going out and what they’re going to do after, but there’s a real seriousness about their work because it’s an art.

Boiling Point Season 1 is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
Follow Ray Panthaki on Instagram.