Supernatural drama The Fades — about a group of people named Angelics, who have special powers which they use to defend mankind against the angry spirits of the dead — has no shortage of shocks. But there are also comic moments, in the interaction between troubled adolescent Paul (played by newcomer Iain De Caestecker) and his best friend Mac and twin sister Anna.

Mac and Anna are played by Skins stars Daniel Kaluuya (Posh Kenneth) and Lily Loveless (Naomi Campbell). Clearly chuffed to be reunited, inbetween larking around with each other, they tell TV Choice a bit about their new roles, and what spooks them in real life…

Tell us about Mac and Anna…
Lily Loveless: Anna kind of lives in her own little bubble with her few friends, and in her bubble she’s very cool and the popular one. She hates having Paul as her twin brother because she thinks he’s just an embarrassing nerd, so in the first few episodes she comes across as this bonkers, bitchy, typical sister. But as events unfold you see her as a more rounded character. She has to forget about being the Queen Bee at school because it’s not really important compared to what’s going on.

Daniel Kaluuya (left, with Iain De Caestecker right): Mac is Paul’s best friend — he’s this really geeky guy that talks a hell of a lot. He hasn’t really lived a lot, so he hasn’t had a lot of experience. All his references are to movies, TV and obscure comic books and it’s really random and weird how his brain thinks. He’ll just say a joke at a moment when you shouldn’t say a joke. But he really loves Paul, man, and he’s his only friend. He really would do a lot for him. He reminds me of a very loyal dog.

Daniel, how similar are you to Mac?
Daniel Kaluuya: Mac’s very geeky, which I’m not really. I am geeky in a weird way, but he only has one friend — Paul…

Lily Loveless: [Interrupting] Whereas Daniel… his friends are countless!

Daniel Kaluuya: My only friend is Lily Loveless. She’s my only true friend!

Lily, you were also in Bedlam. Do you like the supernatural genre?
Lily Loveless: Yes, definitely. It’s like escapism. I love all film and drama, but when you watch supernatural stuff — like Lord Of The Rings, which is one of my favourite films ever — it is escapism, and once they’ve created a world, they can do whatever they want with it. It’s magical to watch.

Daniel Kaluuya: Honestly, man, acting stuff, when you’re doing drama like this, it’s the coolest thing in the world, man, all the supernatural stuff. It just feels like you’re doing something different.

If you could play any character, from any film or TV show, who would it be?
Daniel Kaluuya: Zack Morris from Saved By The Bell, or Ferris Bueller.

Lily Loveless: It’s a male part — Mercutio in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. It’s such a good part, but I probably couldn’t play him because I’m a girl. I know that it was a play before a film.

Daniel Kaluuya: [Sarcastically] Was it, really? Who wrote it?

Lily Loveless: Shut up!

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural?
Daniel Kaluuya: I think there’s something out there.

Lily Loveless: I try not to, because I’ve just moved out of home, and I don’t need to be thinking about stuff like that when I’m in the flat on my own, with its high ceilings and creaky floorboards!

Daniel Kaluuya: When you die, I think there’s something… It would be a shame if everyone just went away. It’s your energy and your spirit, innit?

Martina Fowler