Empire Online has interviewed some of the earlier cast members of Spooks, including Matthew Macfadyen. Here's what Matthew had to say:
MACFADYEN: I remember feeling really wobbly when we were shooting, thinking it was going to be rubbish. It was a real surprise when it did really well.
MACFADYEN: We started shooting in late 2001, just after 9/11, and did an episode (‘I Spy Apocalypse’) where we simulated a disaster and went into lockdown. That exact story was on the news.
MACFADYEN: Especially early on in Spooks, it wasn’t running around with guns, it was really mundane tradecraft. It was much more le Carré than Bond.
MACFADYEN: My favourite moment was probably doing a three-point turn on Great Queen Street and throwing a body out of the car on an icy day. I defy anyone not to enjoy doing a handbrake turn and throwing a stuntman out of a car at 2am in the middle of the West End.
MACFADYEN: The deep-fat fryer was the thing that grabbed everyone. Killing off Lisa Faulkner was a really good dramatic move.
MACFADYEN: I just remember being on the floor shouting a lot.
MACFADYEN: When Tom swims into the North Sea, I thought, “Well, that’s the end of him.” I’d only signed on for two seasons but I met Jane Featherstone and she sold me the idea of coming back for another couple of episodes.
MACFADYEN: We filmed that scene in Suffolk by a big nuclear power station and I had a bit of a hangover, so it was quite nice to get in the sea. How did Tom survive? I think he just used his genius spy-ness to hold his breath and float down the coastline. He was also in the swimming team at school and was first in his class at MI5 for holding his breath!
MACFADYEN: I think Tom Quinn’s making a lot of money in one of those private security companies, floating around the world. Or he’s running a camping shop in the Brecon Beacons. He could be a swimming teacher!
MACFADYEN: They got in touch about a cameo for Tom [in the last episode]. It was really elegant and fun. That was a morning in Hampstead.
There's a lot more in the Empire article be sure to read it HERE.
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