Ashely Jensen: "I think there are a lot of women that would be slightly jealous of my bedroom scenes with David Tennant"

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiUY-F6ouyupFt7cZprqfjNPXQRpWrMP5HZqPMwZdajxEdW2dxwVYPB_xh8qREJOPeMa4KktB0iYDF7iCa7B36vkFWEIfCCc2_aDrAGnzmIXAXC65f3eGg8EnEQ_Y3B8qNm1qvn_fXKQ/s1600/thees2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiUY-F6ouyupFt7cZprqfjNPXQRpWrMP5HZqPMwZdajxEdW2dxwVYPB_xh8qREJOPeMa4KktB0iYDF7iCa7B36vkFWEIfCCc2_aDrAGnzmIXAXC65f3eGg8EnEQ_Y3B8qNm1qvn_fXKQ/s640/thees2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Tennant's The Escape Artists co star Ashley Jensen has been chatting about working on the BBC drama:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s a fantastic script - was that what drew you to the part?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think every actor says it ultimately comes down to the script. In this case the script was such a brilliantly executed story, with very complex moral dilemmas, that I couldn’t say no. Quite often when you read a script you find that life gets in the way, you have to do something else and you get distracted, but this was a genuine page-turner, so I really, really liked it.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You take different jobs for different reasons and I think because David and I have a good rapport it will add to the impact of the story. I wanted to be part of that.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do the producer and director manage to reflect the twists and turns of the script in the finished films?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The way it’s been shot very much sets the tone for the whole piece. It’s a collaboration of course, the casting, lighting, directing just as much as the writing of the script, but to have the wonderful base to work from is always a great place to start. When I first discussed it with our director Brian he told me that he wanted to shoot it like a Hitchcock thriller, so it would have subtle lighting and interesting shots, and indeed from what I’ve seen he’s achieved that.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Wolstencroft describes The Escape Artist as a thriller set against a legal back-drop?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s what’s so interesting. You can almost set a thriller anywhere but I do think it is fascinating to watch the British legal system in action. The story has several different levels - David is going on this journey where he has to address things that he has believed in all his life. He’s questioning his whole way of thinking and his life has just been turned on its head so I think this is an intellectual show as much as it is a thriller. With any good thriller you should get to the point where you ask yourself, what would I do? The Escape Artist absolutely does that. If you’re asking yourself those questions then that’s good story telling.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did it make accepting the job easier knowing David Tennant was going to be your on-screen husband?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David and I knew each other from 20 years ago. We did theatre together in Scotland and then worked in theatre together 10 years later. We’ve kept in touch throughout that time which helps when you’re playing a married couple that need to be so familiar with each other. I think there are a lot of women that would be slightly jealous of my bedroom scenes with David Tennant - but it’s all part of the job!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re known for both your dramatic and comedic roles – do you approach them differently?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wouldn’t say I approach drama in a particularly different way to comedy. If anything I approach American and British comedy a little differently. All of the American comedy I’ve done is quite often about the lines, whereas the British comedy is about the space between the lines and the things that are not said.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was the shoot like for you as a whole?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I seemed to be literally on my back the whole time. I was in a bath on my back, I was in a bed on my back. So I would get up and walk into work then lie down. The glamour of it all!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was it like working with Monica Dolan?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Monica is a friend of mine. It’s funny actually - I was just saying earlier that when women get to the age of 40 they’re split into two categories - you’re either playing the Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction or the Anne Archer in Fatal Attraction. My good friend Monica is definitely Glenn Close and I’m definitely Anne Archer!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is the dynamic like between your character and Maggie?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think women can be their own worst enemies sometimes. Maggie is so deeply patronising to Kate but it’s Maggie’s insecurity and her need to constantly prove things to herself. Kate is the bigger woman I think because she is very secure in her relationship. Maggie wants affirmation whereas Kate is very secure in who she is and what she has, so it doesn’t really affect her.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What were the producers Hilary Bevan Jones and Paul Frift like to work with?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have a body of work that is BAFTA winning, with wonderful, eclectic, interesting scripts, so knowing the calibre of work they have behind them you always felt in safe hands. They were always around and they really were brilliant producers!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story is heavily set in British law, could that be an issue for international viewers?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think really this is a morality tale of good and evil, and those themes are universal – so in terms of a drama and a thriller it works for everyone. I also think it is quite interesting for an international audience to see how British law works because it is so steeped in history. It’s not like Judge Judy - we still wear wigs and there are rules you have to adhere to and speeches that people have to make. It was fascinating for me as I didn’t really know much about it before.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How was it working within such an ensemble cast?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think we got a certain calibre of actors wanting to be a part of The Escape Artist because they believed in the script and in Brian and David’s vision for the films. It’s a very creative piece of filmmaking and as an actor that’s always exciting to be part of. Gus, who played my on screen son Jamie, was absolutely brilliant, I think child actors these days seem to be getting better and better. He was so free and very receptive. Before a scene we would have a bit of banter and he didn’t get shy or embarrassed or coy or feel silly about it and he was very much there and very open.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you feel at all protective towards Gus given some of the darker subject matter?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well Gus wasn’t allowed on set for the more disturbing scenes. Production went to great lengths to do that which was the right thing to do. He was completely unperturbed by it. Gus, I believe, is 12 but looks a lot younger.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You must have felt at home with all the Scottish accents?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s always nice to hear the dulcet tones of a Scottish accent. I spent six yours in America being the only Scottish person. I used to make jokes about being the token jock and of course out there a jock is a totally different thing and they all said, ‘what you play football?’ and I found myself having to explain my sense of humour.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why should people tune in for the show?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want people to watch it because good drama makes you question things and question yourself, like a good book can and going to the theatre makes you have a discussion afterwards. This is the sort of piece that will have the audience asking themselves what would they do in that situation, and what would provoke them to make them go that far?</span></div>

Ashley Jensen BBC One interview The Escape Artist TV Drama Ashely Jensen: "I think there are a lot of women that would be slightly jealous of my bedroom scenes with David Tennant"

David Tennant's The Escape Artists co star Ashley Jensen has been chatting about working on the BBC drama: It’s a fantastic script - was...

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The Escape Artist Introduction And Character Profiles

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLls34O0QgTOEaxytOr888C2cKwtKlfVLksw5xwm2shU3BPBa1P5Na-TL0R8-xC8OC7CCBYVp74fGKJI_D58ByIFmWTQ6b1Cek9ChAZWiKr9Z9aU37FBnrGl4orkYjCob6NueG2q5Eqho/s1600/escapeartpromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLls34O0QgTOEaxytOr888C2cKwtKlfVLksw5xwm2shU3BPBa1P5Na-TL0R8-xC8OC7CCBYVp74fGKJI_D58ByIFmWTQ6b1Cek9ChAZWiKr9Z9aU37FBnrGl4orkYjCob6NueG2q5Eqho/s640/escapeartpromo.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Escape Artist is a new three-part legal thriller for BBC ONE. Created and written by David Wolstencroft (Spooks, Shooting Dogs) The Escape Artist stars David Tennant (Doctor Who, True Love), Toby Kebbell (RocknRolla, Black Mirror), Sophie Okonedo (The Slap, Criminal Justice), and Ashley Jensen (Extras, Ugly Betty).</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Escape Artist is an original suspense thriller set in the world of criminal law. David Tennant plays Will Burton, a talented junior barrister who specialises in spiriting people out of tight legal corners, hence his nickname of 'The Escape Artist'.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will is in high demand as he has never lost a case. But when his talents acquit the prime suspect in a horrific murder trial, that brilliance comes back to bite him with unexpected and chilling results.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“The law often seems like an intellectual exercise,” says Wolstencroft “but scratch under the surface, and it’s all blood and guts. I wanted to write a thriller set in the legal world that’s as much about those primal feelings as it is about the twists and turns of the case. David Tennant is one of the most accomplished and iconic actors of his generation. Seeing him in Will's shoes is incredibly exciting."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Producer, Hilary Bevan Jones, says: “The outstanding cast we have assembled, which is headed by David Tennant, Toby Kebbell, Sophie Okonedo and Ashley Jensen is a testament to David's breathtaking and original script. Directed by Brian Welsh and produced by Paul Frift, I believe The Escape Artist will be one of the most anticipated TV drama events of 2013.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Executive Producer for the BBC, Matthew Read, says: “After the incredible response we got for William Boyd’s Restless, it’s fantastic to be working with Hilary Bevan Jones and Endor again on an original drama that brings together the very best of British talent.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Escape Artist is produced by Hilary Bevan Jones (State Of Play, Restless) and Paul Frift (Room At The Top, Restless) and directed by Brian Welsh (Black Mirror, In Our Name, Mayday) the executive producers are David Wolstencroft and Matthew Read for BBC.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Escape Artist will also be released on DVD by Acorn Media immediately following its BBC One broadcast.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EJFEN50?ie=UTF8&camp=3194&creative=21330&creativeASIN=B00EJFEN50&linkCode=shr&tag=dtennant-21&=dvd&qid=1377751770&sr=1-3&keywords=the+escape+artist" target="_blank">Pre order the DVD online here.</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Character Profiles:</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIthZtsyQ3r9fH-ATKo4kvY5dl_sSjQ1obqCs6e0NTAAOt-6sLfXwxsLCm6pLgCp5rThcZRRmFQuGteERtiJIp3YK6-FGAakgdsjisClP9iYnmkPuV7hiH6WatdWbk2qH3bZjZuNtRBU/s1600/thees1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIthZtsyQ3r9fH-ATKo4kvY5dl_sSjQ1obqCs6e0NTAAOt-6sLfXwxsLCm6pLgCp5rThcZRRmFQuGteERtiJIp3YK6-FGAakgdsjisClP9iYnmkPuV7hiH6WatdWbk2qH3bZjZuNtRBU/s640/thees1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WILL BURTON (David Tennant) is a talented junior barrister of peerless intellect and winning charm who specialises in getting people out of tight legal corners. Will is in high demand as he has never lost a case. Despite his innumerable victories he has been putting off applying for ‘silk’; he’s never been able to stand the politics involved in becoming a QC. He works by the simple mantra that everyone deserves a defence, allowing his genius to blossom without being impeded by conscience. Will’s brilliance does, however, sometimes fall short in his private life. He has never quite figured out how to use the dishwasher – despite Kate’s countless teachings – and often finds himself working overtime instead of spending quality time with his family. Even so, he loves Kate and Jamie more than anything in the world.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgU-J1CLcHxcjsjlSH_WjssFw13bxRuNAv3xQn85d93UNWHo1pcMOLh9P-ZQNz6TDHkTXe7OX7EOFiP7ObhAqLtggIgDJ8DJMDJGAdwClTPZsfAWNxXest-UHtawGvkGyoKJvEAuTXUY/s1600/thees2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgU-J1CLcHxcjsjlSH_WjssFw13bxRuNAv3xQn85d93UNWHo1pcMOLh9P-ZQNz6TDHkTXe7OX7EOFiP7ObhAqLtggIgDJ8DJMDJGAdwClTPZsfAWNxXest-UHtawGvkGyoKJvEAuTXUY/s640/thees2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">KATE BURTON (Ashley Jensen) is Will’s wife, and mother to their son Jamie. Witty and beautiful, Kate is the rock in Will and Jamie’s world. She helps Will stay grounded when work is tough, and takes care of him when he forgets to take care of himself. Jamie is her pride and joy. They have a truly special bond.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Wh7J_wdP4fiXmH92LKj9bi0Z6foOnswNLesEtxKLobAd3LI9YR2mlhobKqc7XCPRWKGJpfIGOWJqUDMDzoib0kNb8Kd43WMJ5SVSbLoStjAbbL0bQvIYFMK-PX75cSjxB8UuKZ9WlE/s1600/thees3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Wh7J_wdP4fiXmH92LKj9bi0Z6foOnswNLesEtxKLobAd3LI9YR2mlhobKqc7XCPRWKGJpfIGOWJqUDMDzoib0kNb8Kd43WMJ5SVSbLoStjAbbL0bQvIYFMK-PX75cSjxB8UuKZ9WlE/s640/thees3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MAGGIE GARDNER (Sophie Okonedo) is a top prosecution barrister who finds herself constantly up against Will’s brilliance in court. She doesn’t have the natural lawyering instincts that Will does, but she is acknowledged as the next best barrister around, which of course never fails to torment her. Her brain has taken her everywhere she’s ever wanted to go – almost – but she can’t stand the idea of being second-best to anyone. She’s stony-eyed and has the ability to intimidate the life out of most opponents. Some might say she’s overcompensating, that she’s trying too hard to impose herself amongst her colleagues, but she’s driven and she works harder than most.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ttW_zy9F9MbGfjD_p2Yt8Jo48lIrhzwIdKxP5wjwYgmx_teJqCR7fDQZPzCIo4vhPj_yHeJJEgs_LRMhfTAYJD8CeCBnN8mj9cLgWQKdo528cntzSB2JeyaE3awM5LyqZjGnEH9FozE/s1600/thees4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ttW_zy9F9MbGfjD_p2Yt8Jo48lIrhzwIdKxP5wjwYgmx_teJqCR7fDQZPzCIo4vhPj_yHeJJEgs_LRMhfTAYJD8CeCBnN8mj9cLgWQKdo528cntzSB2JeyaE3awM5LyqZjGnEH9FozE/s640/thees4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">LIAM FOYLE (Toby Kebbell) is a man who has that look in his eyes. The look that would make you cross the street if you were unlucky enough to come under his gaze. His psychological invasiveness is matched by his imposing physicality, but there is more to him than a blunt expression of danger. His calm, unhurried disposition hides an undisclosed, sinister air. A type of darkness that chills your soul because you can’t quite work out where it’s coming from<br />.</span></div>

Ashley Jensen BBC One David Tennant Sophie Okonedo The Escape Artist Toby Kebbell TV Drama The Escape Artist Introduction And Character Profiles

The Escape Artist is a new three-part legal thriller for BBC ONE. Created and written by David Wolstencroft (Spooks, Shooting Dogs) The Esca...

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INTERVIEW: David Tennant Talks About The Escape Artist

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrOE0LXkM-AsmhNdk1dAh2HbBHP9dreewYBHlbRFsFoI2R11OoSJOYpvJxLWR39tL_y5bFJbjvXspTo00Uwc_Y9DpdajcBR_9spdzsa8l-L8M1JCSmxVNgRc336Ht5h8fc6xB5-WxPIY/s1600/thees1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrOE0LXkM-AsmhNdk1dAh2HbBHP9dreewYBHlbRFsFoI2R11OoSJOYpvJxLWR39tL_y5bFJbjvXspTo00Uwc_Y9DpdajcBR_9spdzsa8l-L8M1JCSmxVNgRc336Ht5h8fc6xB5-WxPIY/s640/thees1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell us what The Escape Artist actually means for Will?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will is a defence Barrister, he’s not quite QC, he’s not taken silk yet as they say, but he’s well on his way and he has the extraordinary record of never having defended anyone and lost. He’s a fairly exceptional defence Barrister – he’s very good at what he does, he’s driven, extremely able and seems to have something of a charmed life.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is Will a likeable character?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s easy to be likeable when everything is going your way and it is for Will, life doesn’t trouble him particularly. He’s incredibly gifted and has a wonderful wife and little boy that he dotes on. Life is great for Will and he’s clearly on his way to being one of the country’s most respected QCs. Very early on in our story he is elected number one in a law magazine’s top 40 under 40 something his colleague Maggie finds hard to swallow.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell us about Will’s relationship with his wife Kate</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will and Kate have been together a good while and have an eight-year-old boy. Everything is working out for them. Will is driven and professionally successful but he manages to have a decent work / life balance at the same time.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their relationship has to be established quite quickly in the series – does it help that you’ve worked with Ashley Jensen before?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think the fact that I know Ashley of old certainly does help. Every job you do brings different circumstances and people so it’s lovely to have a shorthand with Ashley with whom I did my very first professional job out of drama school.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What made you think this would be a great project to take on?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you’re privileged enough to be reading a number of scripts, the ones that you don’t want anyone else to have are quite easy to recognise and this was one of those. I read it straight through and was completely hooked and convinced, teased and satisfied by it, dramatically and emotionally. When you have a reaction to a script that strongly, you’ve got to recognise it and make the most of it.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you think there is an element of theatre in the courtroom?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s a huge performance element and when playing those scenes you feel that. Three barristers could all say the same stuff but the way they deliver it is part of how you receive it, and part of who you believe, and in the end it’s all about who you believe is delivering the truth.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You had a legal advisor on the project, how much help was he in researching your role?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Andrew Jefferies QC worked with us on every aspect of the production and has been invaluable as a resource for fact checking. He came up with a couple of solutions to cases which found their way into the script. Also personally just chatting to someone who does this for a living and finding out what goes on in his head, and watching him do his stuff, was very helpful.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you have discussions about your characters with Toby Kebbell who plays Foyle prior to filming?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t think you do discuss how you’re going to play it, obviously it comes from the script, these characters have been beautifully created by our writer. I didn’t know Toby before this, in fact he wasn’t around during pre-production because he was in America so we didn’t have any time to talk through scenes and discuss objectively what either of our characters thought about things, which actually I think was the right way to go about it.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What did Brian bring to the drama’s direction?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brian is Scottish so obviously he’s brilliant, there are a lot of Scottish people on this job actually, which obviously is why it’s going to be fantastic! When his name came up I was working with Jodie Whittaker who had worked with him on Black Mirror so I approached Jodie and she couldn’t have been more positive or given Brian a heartier recommendation. I thought if Jodie thinks he’s alright then he is probably pretty good! And he was.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you see the big scenes coming when reading the script?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No! I didn’t see any of it coming! When Will doesn’t shake Foyle’s hand and walks off, I thought that was a story beat telling us something about Will. I didn’t for a second think that we’d see Foyle again. I thought we’d be onto the next case and we’d see Will being an Escape Artist in some other extraordinary way. I thought it was a courtroom drama, I had no idea.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do you think David creates moments of high drama in such a relatable setting?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He’s actually writing some wildly dramatic stuff that, in the hands of any other writer would maybe seem ludicrous. But what is great about David’s writing is that the stakes are higher than you can imagine, it’s all quite melodramatic yet he roots it all in a world of complete credibility. I think that’s the great triumph of how David writes, you never doubt it.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, what would you say to entice a viewer to tune in?</span></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the show comes closer to transmission and we inevitably have to talk about it, it’s going to be quite hard because you so want people to come and enjoy the surprises, but you don’t want to give any of them away so it’s quite a tricky one to navigate. It’s one of those shows where you just have to say ‘trust me, just watch it!’ You’ll think it’s one thing, and that will be fun in itself, and then it just gets so much better.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 1px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>

BBC One David Tennant interview The Escape Artist TV Drama INTERVIEW: David Tennant Talks About The Escape Artist

Tell us what The Escape Artist actually means for Will? Will is a defence Barrister, he’s not quite QC, he’s not taken silk yet as they say,...

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The Escape Artist Showcased At Entertainment Industry Event MIPCOM This Week

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMrAnL2YJ7hndHkgfAS7gBeq-TDj-9LMtP9FNCPqwPNc0IaLjICqVapvoiSbLLp-_nZV-rjs-neOMOctuPUnVgO7x985no1F7Eiw8-IqHTOzZRaJfxa9tVmdN9ndumSm6Q4w8uXt0dvE/s1600/Chains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMrAnL2YJ7hndHkgfAS7gBeq-TDj-9LMtP9FNCPqwPNc0IaLjICqVapvoiSbLLp-_nZV-rjs-neOMOctuPUnVgO7x985no1F7Eiw8-IqHTOzZRaJfxa9tVmdN9ndumSm6Q4w8uXt0dvE/s640/Chains.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Red Arrow International will showcase the new BBC One drama <i>The Escape Artist</i> starring David Tennant at MIPCOM in <st1:place w:st="on">Cannes</st1:place>from today until Thursday 10th October. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The worldwide TV sales and distribution company will be presenting the thriller for sale to international broadcasters as one of their fiction highlights, increasing the likelihood of it being shown in other countries.<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MIPCOM (7-10 October) is the year’s most anticipated global market for entertainment content across all platforms. Each autumn, the industry’s leaders converge in <st1:city w:st="on">Cannes</st1:city> for four days of meetings, screenings and conferences and to strike programme deals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The drama’s writer David Wolstencroft yesterday tweeted this image of one of the promotional banners for the series:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9QtyQ7RViSvi1heeaPqviN0YGb-Ao-QB2II0brpRwLV_aAJpLKMyREMhtZaaxn2OALHpkZ6MxujssL3K0vhUULxafGpQGa3yuofezQvl5FFezOTEnAkAXN6z9Wup2NU8foyKeM3-4b0/s1600/escape1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9QtyQ7RViSvi1heeaPqviN0YGb-Ao-QB2II0brpRwLV_aAJpLKMyREMhtZaaxn2OALHpkZ6MxujssL3K0vhUULxafGpQGa3yuofezQvl5FFezOTEnAkAXN6z9Wup2NU8foyKeM3-4b0/s640/escape1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Escape Artist <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A thriller set in the legal world that is as much about primal feelings as it is about the twists and turns of the case. In <i>The Escape Artist</i>, the law is not just an intellectual exercise. Scratch under the surface and it is all blood and guts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Tennant stars as Will Burton, a criminal defense lawyer who specializes in getting people out of tight legal corners... hence, his nickname “The Escape Artist”. Will is in high demand as he has never lost a case. With a loving young family and promotion to the Queen’s Counsel in his future, everything is on the up-and-up. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will’s next case sees him defending a man named Liam Foyle, who has been charged with the horrific murder of a young woman. The evidence against Foyle is overwhelming, but Will, being who he is, gets the man off on a technicality. It is almost like he cannot help but be brilliant. For the first time in his career, Will questions the morality of what he does and fails to shake Foyle’s hand at the end of the trial.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Foyle is released. He is a serial killer. His next victim is only a matter of time. And now, his attentions have turned toward Will. Will’s brilliance comes back to bite him with unexpected and chilling results. Not to mention a shocking twist in the tale.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Credits:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Directed by Brian Welsh<br />Created and written by David Wolstencroft<br />Starring David Tennant, Toby Kebbell, Sophie Okonedo, Ashley Jensen<br />Produced by Hilary Bevan Jones and Paul Frift for Endor Productions for BBC One in association with Red Arrow International.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The drama is expected to begin on BBC One later this month</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.david-tennant.com/2009/id195.html"><span style="color: blue;">Find out more about The Escape Artist here</span></a></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

BBC One David Tennant The Escape Artist TV Drama The Escape Artist Showcased At Entertainment Industry Event MIPCOM This Week

Red Arrow International will showcase the new BBC One drama  The Escape Artist  starring David Tennant at MIPCOM in Cannes from today until ...

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