Did you do any training with New York cops for the show?
Theo James: I did some kung-fu. No, I’m joking! I started out by hanging out with a guy who was a homicide detective and moved to cold case. He was an extremely experienced guy and very cool. We hung out for a long time, and I would ride with him whenever possible—I would sit in on interviews and be in the background. That was my first section of direct research, then afterward I spent time with [the show's] advisor. We would do things like get sh-t-faced in a cop bar, and that’s when the really meaty stuff comes out—when people can talk a bit more freely. What I find about the police force here is that it does genuinely seem like unlike any other in America and even the world. There’s a very specific culture dynamic, a specific chemistry. There’s almost a specific set of rules because of the city and the size of it. Doing that stuff was the most important. Especially as a British punk coming over from London.
What surprised you the most with training and playing this character?
Theo: What really surprised me was how good of friends they are. Our advisor's ex-colleagues are his family. That’s a big theme in cop shows. Before I did this show, I would see cop shows and read the language and think it was kind of cliche or something of a by-gone era. But I realized it’s not. They really use that language. The family thing too. As our advisor says, you spend so much time with them and share so much because you see a lot of sh-t, a lot of death, and a lot of pain. Inevitably you’re going to become very close to each other, and on top of that there’s going to be good and bad stuff that happens to you in your career. People have affairs, people have kids, people leave, people come back, people die. It’s pretty complex.
Is there going to be a love interest in the show?
Theo: There's definitely something with Bonnie Somerville. You see elements of that in the first season, but it’s more of a long game. In the beginning, he is definitely a lone wolf. He’s very closed, very single minded. His relationship with Chi McBride's character opens him up. It becomes a father-son thing, and he begins to respect other people and take advice, which he didn’t before because he was such an arrogant bastard. Later, there is a love interest, which is a huge thing because he’s never really had that or felt that. At the end, you see the repercussions of that for better and maybe worse.
The show's filmed in NYC. How is it coming here as a British transplant?
Theo: It plays such a big part in the series. I think you can tell when a New York show isn’t shot in the city. It’s so iconic and has such a specific energy. For me, it’s extremely useful because it just means it’s another weapon in my arsenal to being as deeply seeded in the character as I can be. Also, it’s fun! It’s one of the greatest cities in the world.
What are your favorite places to go out?
Theo: To me, the difference between New York and London is that things are boring and staid in London. But even the sh-tty diner and bars here are kind of exciting for me. Downtown is funky, West Village is beautiful with the cobbled streets, but I love going uptown because you then you go, "F-ck, I’m in New York!" You see all the skyscrapers. One of the books I read for research said that perps can always tell a tourist because they are always looking up at the skyscrapers. After that I never look up: “I’m not a tourist, I’m a tough guy!”
What’s the biggest difference between London and New York?
Theo: The accent! No, I’m joking. Geographically, London is a bigger place, so it’s more spread. I know there’s Brooklyn and all the boroughs, but Manhattan specifically is so condensed that the energy is very vibrant. Everywhere you look there is something happening. Especially now with the great job that the police force and the mayors have done with cleaning up the city. It feels very safe to me. People say that New Yorkers aren’t friendly, but I think they’re more friendly than Londoners. Here there is a front-footed nature of Americans. You can go out on a night out and meet 10 random people and stay in touch with them, whereas that’s not going to happen in the same way in London.
We are huge Downton fans at Glamour. Do you get crazy fans who ask about Mr. Pamuk? Theo: Not crazy fans, polite fans. I was quite surprised because I think I look quite different. I was filming last week, and I was speaking with an American accent and someone said, “Mr. Pamuk” as if I was him. He died, but he didn’t die that Mr. Pamuk. He lived on in our sexy memory. Tantric lover he was.
Source Glamour Magazine
He's silly. He's always cracking jokes. He'd be fun to hang out with.
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