Stephen Mangan wants ‘The Split’ to cause people "emotional pain".
The ‘Episodes’ actor plays Nathan, the husband of top lawyer Hannah Stern (Nicola Walker) in the new BBC drama, and the 49-year-old star is hoping the events from the series will make viewers "uncomfortable".
Stephen – who is married to actress Louise Delamere – "You start to think, what if my wife or I put a bomb under our marriage? How would we cope? We’ve got three kids and the thought of it not working out is horrifying.
"Having said that, the truer dramas are, the more uncomfortable they should make you feel.
"If you watch a show about someone whose dragon is dying, it’s very easy to distance yourself from what they’re going through, but when you’re watching professionals with families, trying to cope with busy work and family lives.
"It can be very close to home. We want to cause people emotional pain."
Stephen previously studied law before turning to acting, but he cannot remember anything about the profession anymore, and firmly believes he made the "right decision" not to pursue the career.
He added to Radio Times: "The only thing I can remember about law is how to spell it. It feels like another life.
"Law takes the mess of human life, tries to codify it and makes it very dry.
"I remember all these criminal law cases about what constitutes burglary.
"It’s much more interesting to think, what does it feel like to be the person lying in bed while someone’s climbing in through your window with a knife? I made the right decision. The legal world hasn’t lost anything."
The series revolves around the lives of three divorce lawyer sisters, Hannah, Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button), and kicks off on Tuesday night (24.04.18) at 9pm on BBC One.
Stephen Mangan wants ’emotional pain’ from The Split
