‘I had read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy when I was young, but not The Night Manager. When I read the s

‘I had read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy when I was young, but not The Night Manager. When I read the script for the first episode, I was thrilled and fascinated by the prospect of playing Pine. I read the novel many times after that. When it came to preparing for the series, le Carré was very present and actively involved. After a cast read-through of all six episodes in one sitting, we withdrew to a draughty anteroom behind a council hall in central London and listened to his generous feedback. He stressed in particular the delicate and almost parental nature of the relationship between agent runner and agent, in this case between Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) and Jonathan Pine. His attention to detail was forensic, and his insight invaluable.Our fascination with spies stems from our natural curiosity about questions of truth and identity. Even as children, we develop a deep understanding of the transgressive act of lying. And yet spies must lie, or dissemble, for the greater good. John le Carré is the architect of our understanding of the world of spies. There is, behind the curtain of power, a complex network of interests and relationships, upon which depend our national security and prosperity. He has always understood that. He takes us behind the curtain. He is also one of the most sophisticated analysts of the British psyche, and the creator of the most thrilling novels of the past half-century. He understands that within the British cultural identity are contained many complex contradictions; that our sense of ourselves, and of our place in the world, is not fixed or clear.Spy stories satisfy some innate curiosity within us, and le Carré’s are the best. They are emotionally and intellectually completely satisfying, politically resonant and genuinely thrilling.’ - Tom Hiddleston (Jonathan Pine)‘I was intimidated at the read-through because le Carré was there. The character of Jed had evolved, so I was worried he might reject it. I avoided him for the whole six-hour session, until our director, Susanne Bier, caught on and scooped me up to go and meet him. A conversation with him takes you on an amazing, rambling journey. He’s hyper-intelligent and he’s lived a thousand lives. Anyone who says they weren’t nervous when he came on set is lying. You want [the writer] to like what you’re doing. He did. He said: “I think you’re making Jed much more interesting than what I wrote.” What a lovely thing to say.I remember doing an interview for Australian radio and the guy asking, “Could we talk about Tom Hiddleston’s bum?” I had no idea what he was talking about; I hadn’t even watched our sex scene. Luckily, there wasn’t a camera on my face at that point, because I’m pretty sure I went bright red. When Brits get behind something, it’s like a craze. Something really works [on screen] when an actor is matched to the part they’re meant to play at that time in their life. I was at a point where I could resonate strongly with Jed, and Tom felt like that about Jonathan, and it all just came together.’ - Elizabeth Debicki (Jed Marshall)‘There were some great moments that really had people on the edge of their seats, and that’s down to le Carré’s ability to construct a story that is both immersive to read and intensely watchable on screen.Making the show was a little odd for me because I was surrounded by Brits being terribly British, and I was playing an American. I didn’t have any prep time; I arrived on a plane from LA, was driven to the set and went straight into costume. I was jetlagged and didn’t quite know what I was doing or who my character was. He was supposed to die in the third episode but [the writers] kept changing their minds. I don’t think any of us expected it to be as successful as it was, and now it’s been nominated for an Emmy.I sat next to le Carré at a dinner in Mallorca when we were filming, and I talked to him about al-Qaida and Isis. It was wonderful to hear him discuss the world of espionage and how the beast of terrorism has changed, how the lines have blurred and how we best counter it. I could have sat there all night.’ - David Harewood (Joel Steadman)The Night Manager Stars Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Debicki, and David Harewood reveal what John le Carré is like to work with.[Interviews by Martha Hayes] -- source link

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