Bertie Carvel needed to "persuade" himself to play the "complex human being" in ‘Doctor Foster’.
The 40-year-old actor portrays Suranne Jones’ on-screen ex-husband Simon Foster – who cheated on her with Jodie Comer’s character Kate Parks in the BBC One drama – and the star has admitted he had to "think carefully" about taking on the role of the unfaithful, revenge-seeking former partner because he wanted to bring "something special" to his character.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Tuesday (03.10.17) about the gripping programme, which comes to an end tonight, he said: "I always think carefully about whether or not I’ve got something I want to say, whether I think I can do something special, and I think carefully about that. I love Mike’s plays, and it was a great part.
"For me it was more a question of ‘Is the show determined that this guy is a villain or is there a nuanced three dimensional person in there?’ Why does he hate her, it’s complex. He hates her, he loves her. Because he loves her, he hates her. He’s incredibly angry not just at Gemma but at himself. And all of these things that make up a complex human being, and make it such a fun part to play, and I needed to persuade myself and the team that that was what we were trying to get at. And he’s not a two-dimensional bad guy."
Bertie thinks the series is about "justice" and he believes writer Mike Barlett has appealed to the "nation’s appetite for revenge" in both seasons, although he hopes "redemption" will be possible for his character.
He said: "It’s about justice. It’s about revenge and what should happen when things go wrong. I think that Mike Bartlett is writing something in conversation with the nation’s appetite for revenge. I would like to think redemption is possible for anyone at any stage."
And Bertie has remained tight lipped about whether a third season is on the cards.
He said: "Your guess is as good as mine. This may be my final ever appearance on television, so how could I comment on a third series."
Bertie Carvel had to ‘persuade’ himself to take on Doctor Foster role
