Matthew Lewis forged a spell on the hearts of Harry Potter followers as Neville Longbottom. Since then he has loved entering into extra grounded roles throughout the Muggle world. For his newest challenge, Homicide Earlier than Evensong, the 36-year-old performs Canon Daniel Clement, the rector of the fictional English village of Champton the place the invention of a lifeless physique has hyperlinks to his church. The vastly watchable character-driven Acorn TV homicide thriller collection is about within the Eighties. Amanda Redman performs Lewis’ strong-willed mom, and Amit Shah is a detective attempting to unravel the case with greater than a bit of assist from the rector and his mother.
Homicide Earlier than Evensong relies on the novel within the Canon Clement Mysteries best-selling guide collection by British creator, the Reverend Richard Coles. Forward of the premiere on September 29, Lewis opens up about what drove him to the half as he additional ventures exterior of Hogwarts.
Credit score: Matthew Lewis and Amanda Redman (Credit score: Robert Viglasky/Acorn TV)
Have been you acquainted with the supply materials earlier than you signed on for the challenge?
Matthew Lewis: I used to be on vacation in Greece after I was despatched the script. I type of mentioned I used to be away and wasn’t something. Then I noticed the title Reverend Richard Coles hooked up to the e-mail, after which I took an interest. Richard is somebody I’ve been conscious of for a very long time. I discovered the very fact I used to be not spiritual type of drew me to Richard at first. He’s a really eager broadcaster within the U.Okay. He’s a little bit of a nationwide treasure lately. He was often on panels within the U.Okay. and did comedy stuff, present affairs issues and BBC Radio work.
I discovered him so completely participating. He was in contrast to any man of the material. Rising up Catholic, he was actually not like all clergyman I ever encountered. I used to be conscious of him, however then I found he was a pop star within the Eighties and an excellent one with primary singles. He actually lived the lifetime of the pop star. His autobiography, which I’ve since learn, was intercourse, medicine, and pop music. He’s simply a captivating human being. So I mentioned, “okay, even on vacation I’ll learn this one.”
What had been your ideas on the script?
I actually dove in. Earlier than I learn the books, I learn the script. I’ve to say not solely is the story Richard wrote sensible, however Nick Hicks-Seashore, our screenwriter who tailored it…I simply assume he did such an exquisite job of taking the story and coloring it a lot. Richard did an incredible job. There is no such thing as a homicide till web page 100 within the guide. He loves this world of Champton and actually created his characters lovingly and engagingly.
Then Nick simply elevates to a different stage. He simply provides a lot depth to everybody. Among the subplots Nick brings in brings a stage of intrigue and darkness and actually places in what went on in Britain at the moment. It was earlier than my time. I used to be born in 1989, so this was years earlier than. It’s so fascinating with the category struggles which were cracked vast open, the social points we speak about, and the church and its place on this shiny new world, courageous new world. I feel Nick did such a great job. I couldn’t put it down, even on vacation. It drove my spouse mad. Once I received again, I arrange a gathering with David [Moore], the director and Radford [Neville], the producer. I used to be all in from there.
I like your dynamic between you and Amanda as you construct on that mother-son relationship. She is a scene-stealer for positive.
Completely. She is superb. I grew up watching Amanda on tv. I keep in mind being youthful and would watch At Dwelling with the Braithwaites with my household all these years in the past. After they instructed me it could be Amanda enjoying my mother, I used to be very excited. We’d by no means met earlier than. She has completed this for a very long time and inherently understands a scene. Whether or not it’s comedy or drama, she understands the plot factors of the journey in a scene. To sit down and work along with her, even earlier than we go on digital camera. To plot out these beats of our relationship. Notably in episodes 5 and 6, you actually need them to crescendo. You realize there may be some effervescent resentment, however you don’t need that to bubble up too early.
Amanda and I had been continually ensuring we pitched out on the proper stage all all through the collection so it could crescendo on the finish. I used to be delighted to do this along with her. Watching her work was superb, even the comedy facet. There might be moments that would collapse into the slapstick a bit of bit or appear over-the-top foolish, however she understood not to do this. Locations the place she knew if she performed it straight, that’s the place the humor is. She nailed it each time.
The present delves into social problems with the Eighties. One being what was going through the LGBTQ neighborhood. How was it so that you can see that explored by means of this present?
We got here at it with two completely different views. One of many points is the AIDS epidemic, which isn’t one thing at its peak I lived by means of. Speaking to different actors who did dwell by means of it, Amanda being one in every of them and Richard himself, who was a pop star [in the British duo The Communards] on the time. There was a variety of intercourse occurring, and he was very a lot in that world as a homosexual man as nicely. I don’t assume I can do it justice by saying it was horrific as a result of I wasn’t there. What individuals have described to me, the thought of being fearful of the telephone ringing since you’re considering, “God, who’s it this time? Who’s it subsequent?” That was as a result of they might go to funerals each week. Folks had been dying at a stunning charge, and never solely had been individuals dying, they had been being abused and shunned and handled like pariahs all for the sin of getting a illness.
Daniel, as a reverend, can’t bear this. He’s somebody who, for him, with the politics of the church on the time and the way it’s stepping into a transition with the nation turning into extra secular and desperately attempting to not upset its congregation who’re getting old. Then attempting to tread this line of strictly talking, we predict homosexuality is unsuitable and it is a homosexual illness and all this type of nonsense. For Richard and Daniel, it’s quite simple. These individuals are in want and struggling and as a person of God it’s my responsibility to be there and assist them simply because it was for Jesus earlier than. I’m not a non secular particular person, but it surely’s fairly clear in scripture what Jesus would do. He would wash the toes of the lepers and deal with the sick and unafraid of it. Individuals who had been shunned and ostracized by society, these had been the individuals Jesus was drawn to. For me, it could be a no brainer. For Daniel, it truly is, however that comes into battle with some from the church. That’s the crux of the collection and what Daniel is attempting to navigate. Does he toe the celebration line to maintain his job and hold being a vicar or does he take a stand and do what he is aware of is the suitable factor to do, which is to assist these individuals.
Photograph Credit score: Ludovic Robert/AcornTV
You’re identified for the Harry Potter franchise. How is it so that you can dig into tasks like this as you proceed on later in your profession?
It’s superb. I’ve been so lucky in my life. I say fortune as a result of stepping into Harry Potter to start with was an unimaginable stroke of luck. Then what do you do after that? I’ve been working 5 – 6 years earlier than Harry Potter as a toddler actor and transitioning into an grownup actor by means of Harry Potter. If that had been the very last thing I’d completed and needed to get an actual job, it nonetheless wouldn’t have been the worst factor on the planet. On the time, it was the largest movie collection of all-time. I might nonetheless have counted myself very fortunate. As it’s, right here we’re 14 years because the final movie, and individuals are paying me to do that inexplicably. And so I really feel very lucky. I used to be fortunate in popping out of Harry Potter.
There was this concern of being typecast and enjoying wizards or to not play something in any respect as a result of possibly no person might see you as a wizard or Neville Longbottom. I’ve been very lucky that folks, whether or not out of charity or not, have given me work constantly that isn’t even near Neville in all of the years since then. Every thing has been so completely different, so indifferent. I’ve completed different issues very completely different from Neville. Each challenge is a brand new alternative, and I like diving into new issues. I’m fairly drawn to interval issues. I’ve been fortunate to do some Victorian stuff, within the Thirties and now within the Eighties with this. I’m a eager reader and studier of historical past, so to have the ability to inhabit these worlds and placed on these costumes and stroll within the Eighties. It’s one thing I didn’t notice, however I’m drawn from these tasks exterior of Harry Potter.
What are your ideas on the TV collection, and Rory Wilmot forged to play Neville?
I truthfully haven’t actually processed all of it or thought of it. I feel in some unspecified time in the future I most likely will, and my therapist would be the first to listen to about it. I solely learn about Rory as a result of I feel he’s from my outdated neck of the woods. We’ve got mutual buddies it appears. So, I assume Neville is canon as being a Yorkshireman, which is good as a result of I don’t assume he was within the books. That feels prefer it could be a tribute or testomony to how I did it, which is good. Don’t quote that as a result of I don’t know if that’s true or not. I do know he’s from my neck of the woods. If something, I’m happy {that a} fellow Yorkshireman is taking on the mantle. That’s all I’ve to say about it actually.
In terms of Homicide Earlier than Evensong, you begin to assume it’s one factor after which on the finish of the primary episode turns into one thing extra. The story actually grips you. What do you need to say to viewers about what’s to come back because the layers are being peeled again of this homicide thriller?
I’d like to emphasise how actual this present is by way of how nicely the characters are written. They’re actually deep. It does much more than being a homicide thriller. At its coronary heart, it’s a great homicide thriller and retains you guessing proper as much as the top. However round that, there are a variety of questions round society, household, faith. There may be plenty of character depth that I feel can have individuals concerned with characters’ particular person tales in addition to simply the homicide. Folks can lump it a bit of bit with cozy crime, however I feel people who find themselves coming to search out cozy crime may discover one thing that really isn’t that cozy and may put them out of their consolation zone a bit of bit. There’s a little darkness that runs all through the collection. I feel individuals mustn’t come into it too relaxed since you may end up shocked and on the sting of your seat.
Homicide Earlier than Evensong premiere, September 29, Acorn TV