The interview with Becky Want for BBC Radio Manchester is available to listen again on BBC iPlayer. You can hear Tom Riley and Miranda Raison chat about the series, and Tom reveals he is always extremely indecisive when reading scripts for potential jobs. Tune in at around the 2 hour 47 minute 30 second mark to hear Tom's voice. It can be listened to outside UK!
Don't forget that the second episode of Dark Heart is on ITV at 9pm tonight.
Digital Spy has shared another interview with Tom, discussing changes to the show from the inital ITV Encore version.
The first episode features the murder of an accused but non-convicted paedophile, and Tom Riley has revealed the scene was heavily toned down compared to its grisly original so as not to offend viewers.
"It's treated with an eye on the audience," the star explained to Digital Spy. "When it was Encore it was aimed at the more cable drama type audience. So the implication of what happened is still there. I don't think some of the more gruesome shots are staying in and that's fine by me."
The shot in question is thought to be the one which featured a victim so horrifically mutilated that his testicles were cut off and shoved in his eye sockets.
"We had the luxury you rarely get in British TV to go back and see what works and what didn't and how to improve and redo elements of the first which has now been split into two," he continued. "That's very unusual to get the chance to shape where you're going having seen the reaction to the original."
Riley also says that the dynamic between Wagstaffe and his colleague Josie – played by Bodyguard actress Anjli Mohindra – has also been changed. In the original pilot, Josie is infatuated by her boss, and Riley argued that it was "reductive" to her character and the show.
"That was really interesting for us because as we watched it, that wasn't very interesting to us to have a female sidekick defined by her relationship to her boss and how she's in awe and love with him," Riley explained. "It felt like it was reductive to her and reductive to the show. So we talked about the idea that as this series progresses for Josie she begins by sort of holding him in such high regard and I think it's more of a crush on his ability than him as a person."
Arguing that his detective goes against type because he's not buoyed or powered by his flaws or personal weaknesses, they're holding him back from being competent at his job, rather than spurring him on to be a great detective.
"A lot of times when you play deceives with personal issues and who doesn't play by the rules and all that hard-bent cop cliches that is actually stuff that helps them solve the cases," he said. "For Will, these is flaws that potentially get in the way and was interesting for me as far as signing up and continuing the character is the fact that he needs to be obstacles they're not pluses for him."
Riley added: "They are very much things that could derail investigation and derail his personal relationships They're not his superpowers as the series progresses, Josie's going to realise that too."
HMV shared a very sweet interview with other members of the cast, who were asked what it was like working with Tom.
What was it about Tom Riley that made you choose him for the lead? And what was he like to work with?
Chris Lang: “He’s an exceptionally charismatic and talented actor and you’ll see him develop as the show goes on. I saw him in theatre and I saw what a great craftsman he is. He’s in complete control. He had plenty of thoughts on the character and was always asking questions about where we could take him.”
Charlotte Riley: “I was really glad we were finally able to work together. I’d always wanted to work with him and it’s a really interesting relationship to explore.”
Anjli Mohindra: “He was great. I felt like his young sister during filming, he was kind and nurturing. Wagstaffe has this instinct that you just cannot train and my character Josie just doesn’t have that. With that kind of confidence comes a messy life and disregard for the ways thing are done. Her job is to keep him on the straight and narrow. Tom is brilliant at giving characters so much depth and giving well-rounded performances. He was a laugh in between takes too, which is needed on a series like this one.”
