Interview with Izuka Hoyle who plays Corinne

9 January 2024

What is Big Boys and who is Corinne?

For me, Big Boys is my favourite job I’ve ever done in my life – it’s just glorious! Corinne is in her early 20s, studying a journalism degree, which she is obsessed with. She's a hard worker, a bit of a head girl but also a bit of a loser in the best possible way. This season you get to see more of her personal side. I think she relaxes a bit more and we start to venture more into her intimate life. We get to find out more about her background, where she's come from and how she navigates relationships - and the darker side of relationships too. She's still trying to be a support system and shoulder for Danny to lean on but there’s a focus on herself and her journey.

Who wears the trousers in the group, Corinne or Yemi?

The beautiful thing about Yemi and Corinne is in season one, you see them separately - they're both in the gang but we don't really see them interact as much. So, when Jack put them together, I was super excited. They've almost met their match, if Yemi says something to Corinne, she might give him a little eye roll, but she's still there like ‘fair enough mate’. She really respects him, and she knows he's done the work. Unlike the boys (Danny and Jack), who she loves and adores but they are still just trying to figure out what it is. There's lots of bickering between Yemi and Corinne but in a really loving brotherly sister way.

Would you say we get to see a softer, more vulnerable side to Corinne as the series goes on?

For sure, I also think the reason you see more of her vulnerabilities is because Jack is so great with making characters 3D. It's funny to see a woman who is very much on these boys arses all the time and can talk about sex on one hand but also is going to hand her dissertation in on time and come for them when they're not doing the bare minimum work or keeping themselves clean. It’s good to see a clash of the stereotypes of what is to be a geek and she challenges that. It’s because of the things you find out along the way and especially in episode six, that we see a more vulnerable side – it helps us understand why she is the way she is, why she does the things that she does and why she has the opinions that she does. Sometimes that vulnerability is behind a closed door, as the audience you’re privy to it but by episode six, I think all the characters show their vulnerability to one another.

‘Friends are the family you choose’ is a core theme of the series, what do you think has brought and kept the gang together?

When we meet them at the beginning, they are all so different. We see them struggle to fit into wherever the conversation is or whatever is going on. Take Danny and Corinne, there's no way these two people are going to be able to hang out, let alone have some kind of intimate relationship. But I think they're bonded by the fact they are all slightly different and they're all in touch with their emotional intelligence which comes from some kind of adversity. It is a real funny mix, at first when you meet them on paper you’re thinking, how do you make this work? I think it's also that beautiful thing of chemistry. I've got pals that I'm like never in a million years would you put the two of us together, the gang just have a chemistry and energy between them that works. It’s the same for us off screen, we're a real bunch of different types of people and we've absolutely fallen in love with each other.

What’s it been like making this series?

Jack is one of the best writers we've seen, this is just the beginning for him, I think everyone can agree to that. What’s even better is that you're reading scenes that you know he’s been sat in his room thinking ‘what can I make Izuka do on set that I can just sit back and laugh at?’ such as the ice bucket challenge. Jack was present in my eye line for all of these scenes with the camera up here, tears streaming down his face. It’s so fun, if I know someone's got a certain scene coming up, I'll be squeezing myself into that room. Even on the scenes that are quite tough because the calibre and level of people in this show is so high, anytime I can have a little peek and learn a little something from someone - everyone's doing such unbelievable work.

What can people look forward to?

Big laughs and lots of stupid situations that your favourite characters get into. I also think they can look forward to being seen. Yemi has some very important stuff to say, especially for the black queer community - I'm excited for them to have a voice and for them to feel seen. A massive part of the fan base are queer people, people that have gone through bereavement or people that are suffering with their mental health. I’d say those people specifically feel very seen when they've watched Big Boys, maybe triggered but also healed because Jack does this gorgeous thing where he will have you giggling so you open yourself up to the show and then suddenly you're put in a situation that you maybe didn't think you were going and you're crying your eyes out, but instead of then leaving you there, he always holds his audiences and makes sure they’re alright before he pops them back and closes the show