Yahoo News Jamie Dornan says The Fall boss fought to cast him
Jamie Dornan earned BAFTA TV Award and NTA nominations for playing serial killer Paul Spector in The Fall, yet he says it was a battle for him to land the role.
The actor is reuniting with the show's creator Allan Cubitt on BBC Two's period drama Death and Nightingales, and it's offered him a chance to look back on how difficult it was to convince the BBC that he was right for The Fall.
"With Allan, I didn't really have to think about working with him again," Dornan explained. "If he wants me to do anything for the rest of my career then I will do it because in many ways he gave me my career.
"He cast me in The Fall and he had to very much fight for it. That changed my professional life in a huge way; I'm eternally indebted to him."
Their latest collaboration on Death and Nightingales is a 19th century thriller about a young woman called Beth Winters (Ann Skelly) who is torn between her ruthless stepfather (Matthew Rhys) and the man she loves (Dornan).
[Matthew Rhys in BBC's Death and Nightingales]
"When Allan came knocking for Death and Nightingales, and I knew quite far in advance he was writing it with me in mind, I felt very lucky," Dornan recalled. "I just love him and we have a shorthand and understanding of each other on how we both like to approach the work.
"It's invaluable when you work with someone you've worked with for six years and it makes things a lot easier on set when he doesn't have to say much to know what he wants from me. It's a lovely thing to be back working with him again."
Death and Nightingales also offered the actor a chance to work once again in Northern Ireland after spending time away in Hollywood making the last Fifty Shades film.
"I love working in Northern Ireland, anywhere in Ireland," he said. "The magic thing for me is the crew, as a lot of them worked on various series of The Fall.
"That's a huge benefit when you are comfortable with people around you on set, you have a laugh with them and have something personal with each one of them and socialise together. Every job you do feels like a very odd family but when you have history together it's great – they are a great bunch.
"I love people from this part of the world; they are the best people in the world! I'm quite rubbish about coming home unless I have to work, I can count on one hand how many times I've been back here since finishing The Fall series three, so it's been brilliant and seeing parts of the country that I didn't know existed.
"The weather has been glorious the entire time and I love the light here, it stays light until 11pm. It helps you to finish your days and [it's] good for your soul."
Death and Nightingales will premiere on BBC Two on Wednesday, November 28 at 9pm.
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