BBC Cult - Printer Friendly Version
Richard Coyle - John Strange

Taking the lead
  Tell us about Strange.

John Strange is a former priest who, in the back history of the story encountered a demon and was thrown out of the clergy and has set up privately to be revenged, essentially.

His purpose is to hunt down demons on earth and eradicate them, in a bid to revenge himself upon this demon that caused the death of his fianc�e in the back history of the show.

So he's quite a gentle guy. A wounded soul, I think, is the best description. He's got quite a lot of physical and emotional darkness about him.

Eccentricity
  What do you like most about Strange?

I like the fact he is slightly eccentric. The fact that he's a wounded soul appeals to me, and I like the darkness of the show.

Also, there's sort of an unpredictability about him, as an actor. He's just a bit weird and it's nice to play that. He's not a comic character and it's not a straight dramatic role either. There's a bit of all sorts.

Favourite moment
  What is your favourite moment from Strange?

Favourite moment? I liked the scenes where I'm having a nightmare or drinking. It doesn't sound like anything, but actually the little moments where you get to fill in the gaps, the little colours of the character, I would say are my favourite moments.

I get to be alone as John Strange, for that's what defines the character more than anything. It's when I'm sitting in my living room, I'm reading a book or something, they are my favourite bits.

Do you know the character's full history?

I don't know what Andrew, the writer, had in mind as his full history but I have created a history for him that I refer to. I think it's important for me to have done that, so I created a history.

Comedy and drama
  How easy is it shifting from dark humour to full on horror?

I don't really think of it like that, it's just another part of the character.

I think when you play a part like this you accept that there are going to be moments of out-and-out horror and there are going to be moments of comedy and a hundred different shades of things inbetween. You just have to get on with it, play each one as if it's like eating your breakfast, really.

Are there any moments that you found really hard to take seriously?

Yes, several. Certain lines that I've had a problem saying for one reason or another. There have been certain things, the demons and some of the prosthetics where I've found myself thinking 'Oh my god, this is weird'. you know. There have been moments where I've actually been quite scared myself by the prosthetic of a certain demon or something that we're doing that's quite disturbing, and I have to ride through that.

Strange filming
  How have you find filming through winter?

It's been all right. The only time I really started to feel it was when we did a night shoot last week until about 3am and that was hard. It just got colder and colder as the night went on and I put more and more layers on - but you've got to take them off for each shot and you end up just blue, trying to keep it together.

Acting with Ian.
  What's it like working with Ian Richardson?

They are the best parts of the job, to get to work with people like that, people you've admired for years. He's brilliant to watch and you just learn so much from people like Ian.

My final question, in real life what's your greatest fear?

What's my greatest fear? I don't know, I have lots of fears. Regret, I don't want to have any regrets, that makes me scared. I could be here all day with my fears.