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| THE
M. I. T. CAST |
Get
the lowdown on the new spin off from The
Bill - M.I.T. We have a show
overview, interviews, an episode
guide and more.
We
talk below to Lindsey
Coulson, Samantha
Spiro, Richard
Hope, Richard
Huw and Steven
Pacey |
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LINDSEY COULSON � DC ROSIE MACMANUS
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
Rosie is both assertive and caring. I like her sense of injustice and the fact that her emotions are out there sometimes. She is not particularly contained although I feel as a detective constable you should have some sort of containment because you are the listener, the social worker. She�s very different to Viv (Samantha Spiro) and each of them has different skills.
WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU DO FOR THE ROLE?
I went and spoke with a female detective constable from the
M.I.T. in Sidcup. I met her for a coffee - and ended up talking for about five or six hours! I spent a whole day up at the
M.I.T. offices. It was fascinating and I realised that within the job description of a detective or policeman, there is a whole spectrum of jobs.
I think as a detective that one of the things that Caroline gave me, is you have to watch at all times. As a family liaison officer you would be there supporting the family in some crisis but you would also as a police person be checking that they weren�t part of the crime. So a double role to play. There is a listening skill, you learn from the silence, that gives so much away - it�s what they don�t say.
IS IT DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH SUCH A SENSITIVE SUBJECT?
No playing a detective it is your job, murder - you are at the end of these people�s lives. You are privy to this and you are trying to put it back and give them some sort dignity in their death. That is how Caroline presented it to me which I thought was a really good way of looking at it. So to solve a murder is brilliant because they are often found in the most vulnerable position and disgusting places. We filmed a scene today in the woods and suddenly it hit me how lonely that was, where the victim was ending up.
You find a body and the first thing that an
M.I.T. thinks is murder. The most important skill is listening to the information. That is the hardest thing to play as an actor, you really have got to hear it - and then piecing the jigsaw together.
DID YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH SAMANTHA SPIRO?
It was fantastic. I mean to be working so closely with somebody for such a long time it would be horrendous if you did not get on or like them. I just think we were twins separated at birth with a ten-year gap in-between! Even though we look different, we are the same height and very similar.
We are quite different in our acting, but we have the same sense of humour and funnily enough the same intuition. Whether or not that comes across as Rosie and Viv it certainly is Sam and Lindsey.
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD EVER BE A POLICE WOMAN?
I am not brave enough or strong enough as a personality - although I would like to think I am. I decided Rosie likes post mortems and when we filmed one, I knew it was a prosthesis, I knew it was not real but I could not bear the thought. It�s the smell - it�s the smell of death.
Lindsey played Carol Jackson in Eastenders � a role for which she won a Bafta and a British Soap Award. Since leaving some three years ago, she has starred in Clocking Off,
Manchild, Judge John Deed, Stretford Wives and Danielle Cable. Lindsey lives in London with her husband and 2 children.
 SAMANTHA SPIRO � DI VIVIEN FRIEND
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
Vivien is the Detective Inspector and one of only a few women in that position of authority. In reality, as a woman, to make it through to Detective Inspector at that age is quite unusual. It is because of that she is quite tough - she knows what she wants and she is very direct.
She keeps anything emotional away from work. Obviously she is a real human being and we do scratch the surface at times but she tries to keep everything outside of work away and she won�t let on to other people at work about that. She sort of feels that everyone on her team should do the same and does not fully understand when they can�t help but bring outside pressures into work.
She is quite a taskmaster. She sets high standards but I think she appreciates everyone in her team and knows she isn�t a one women show - especially Rosie and the boys - she depends on them a lot.
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ARE YOU LIKE HER?
There are similarities in work. I do know what I want and try to be as professional as possible but I think I am far more jelly-like and emotional than she is.
IS THE ROLE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU ARE USED TO?
Yes. A lot of the women I have played do have a strength but to be the boss, and to be something like a detective, is quite an unusual departure for me and I am enjoying ordering men around! It�s good fun.
I�ve also done quite a bit of comedy and I�ve played characters who are light-hearted and characters who are tarts with hearts. In
M.I.T. there is no tart or heart!
DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH SUCH A SENSITIVE SUBJECT?
I spent time with this amazing women Detective Inspector with the
M.I.T.. It was truly fascinating and an amazing insight. It seems they keep very light-hearted because they are dealing with something so serious. There is actually a lot of banter and a lot humour. I think that, because you are doing something so serious day in and day out, you do have to have an escape from that. Obviously playing it is not as serious as dealing with it but I think we have had a similar experience making the series and the team has had a really good laugh. |
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COULD YOU WORK IN THE
M.I.T.?
Not really, but I certainly have seen it through different eyes now, and have huge admiration for people that really do it.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE PROCESS OF THE
M.I.T.?
The forensic side of things has really fascinated me. You start with such a blank page and just a dead body. You absolutely have no information at all and then within twenty four hours you�ve got who this person was, who they�d mixed with, who they have had sex with and so on. You know a whole range of information that has come in quite quickly and then you�ve got the forensic evidence to back it up.
HAVE YOU WORKED WITH LINDSEY COULSON BEFORE?
No, but I have certainly been aware of her work, and I�m really thrilled to have the chance to work with her. It�s even better than I�d thought and it�s been great fun. She is a great lady. I think we are very, very lucky that we hit it off so well. She makes me laugh and I admire her work greatly.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LAW?
Well I�ve never been on the wrong side of the law, let�s put it that way. I have not really had any dealings with the police. Apart from the usual, you know car being broken into but nothing serious. Luckily!
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU WEAR IN THE SERIES?
Well she is very different to me and to other parts I�ve played. In real life I am a bit of a scruff bag really, and happiest in jeans, a top and a pair of trainers. I do like to dress up when I go out but Viv is very smart and practical in suits and shoes. It�s all there for a reason so she can get up and run if she needs to or face the public and be the face of the police.
On television Samantha is best known for her portrayal of Barbara Windsor in the film Cor Blimey and Janey in the award winning Tomorrow La Scala! In theatre Samantha has appeared at the Royal National Theatre in Cleo Camping Emmanuelle & Dick and won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in Merrily We Roll Along at the Donmar Warehouse. She is married to the actor Mark Ledbetter.
RICHARD HOPE � DS BARRY PURVIS
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
Barry is quite a methodical detective sergeant who runs the
M.I.T. office. Any clues that come in go through Barry so all info from witness statements to tracing missing persons, finger prints, and everything is cross referenced and logged. Barry is office based co-ordinating all of the on-going cases and seeing it through to court.
There is a set major incident procedure which locks into place and Barry would make sure it was implemented. The first 48 hours in any crime incident are the most important.
WHAT WAS THE MOST FASCINATING ASPECT OF YOUR RESEARCH?
I was impressed by their thoroughness, commitment to the job, the obvious team comradery that they had and also their sense of humour. If you get too emotionally involved that�s difficult but you are affected by individual murders and I could see that.
I hope the M.I.T. will see the reality in the series. However, it is a television series - it�s not the real thing but I think it is as near to it as you can believe. We have all gone off and researched. It does rely on the individual detectives initiative but you have to stick to procedure. So it does require a sort of mind that enjoys taking that responsibility on.
Richard Hope has appeared in numerous TV series including Holby City, The Forsyte Saga, Tipping the Velvet, Brideshead Revisited, Riff Raff Eliment and Judge John Deed. In the theatre he has starred in Anna Karenina, War & Peace and the title role at the Globe in Cymbeline. The short film, See You At Wembley Frankie Walsh, in which Richard played the lead character won an Oscar for Best Short Film. Richard lives with his family in Wales.
RICHARD HUW � DR JOHN CORNELL
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
There were originally going to be four different people doing his job but instead they�ve been combined into one character - John Cornell. He is very well educated and highly intelligent but still has a bit of a groovy side to him. I think he is really into his job. He is not a Frankenstein character and there is nothing strange about him. It�s just his job.
WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU DO?
I�ve been reading a lot and I�ve also met various pathologists to discuss the role. They have been helping to advise on scripts and procedures. We spent a lot of time talking about the life of a pathologist and small details such as how do you put on and take off your gloves.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL BACKGROUND AT ALL?
No but I have always been very interested in it. I went to the body works exhibition which was amazing and very useful. You can see it in books but it is very different right up close. I don�t get squeamish at all - as my character or myself. I have played doctors before � for example Roger Banister in the Four Minute Mile.
I have played many policemen before and I have some friends that are in the force. I�ve done research with the drug squad in Amsterdam and with the Met in Brixton so I have covered quite a lot of roles. It�s nice to be playing a doctor rather that a detective because I don�t have to add the police attitude, so it is quite refreshing for me.
Richard has starred in Holby City, Heartbeat, Dangerfield and Casualty. Theatre roles have included Romeo and Juliet, Richard II and Peter Pan. He lives with his wife and two teenage daughters.
 STEVEN PACEY � DCI MALCOLM SAVAGE
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
As a Detective Chief Inspector he is the boss to all intense and purposes to the rest of the
M.I.T.. He has often got about 5 investigations going on all at the same time so he is not always there to be hands on for a particular crime. He is there to steer his team in the right direction as far as thoughts are concerned.
He is the public persona of the
M.I.T. That�s right, quite sharp. He deals with the press and media constantly - he is very much the spokesman and enjoys that.
DID YOU MEET A DCI?
I did, he was very interesting; we talked for about five hours non-stop. This guy gave me the whole low down. Especially the things that people usually get wrong.
We spoke about his relationship with his team in the office and how he deals with aloofness because he is in a senior position.
HAVE YOU PLAYED A COPPER BEFORE?
I played one in the Sweeny - a uniform policeman. It�s the only copper I�ve played and here we are now quite a few years later! From PC to
DCI, it�s a hell of a promotion.
YOU WERE A CHILD ACTOR?
I started acting at 11 and played the title role in The Winslow Boy, opposite Kenneth Moore in the West End and then I grew too tall. It started out with me looking up to him and then it reversed - so I had to go!
Steven is always remembered for his role in Blake�s 7 and has also starred in Murder In Mind, Pie In The Sky and The Truth. His numerous West End theatre credits include Dolly West�s Kitchen at the Old Vic, Phantom of the Opera and The Constant Wife. Steven was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1997 for his role of Bertie Wooster in By
Jeeves. |
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