New actor brings teen psychopath to small screen
JACK Rowan is a greenhorn in the industry, with a handful of TV shows under his belt; but he is promising.
And he’s been getting a lot of attention for his role as Sam in BBC First’s Born to Kill.
The four-part thriller, written by Tracey Malone and first-time writer and BIFA-nominated actress Kate Ashfield, follows a teenager who succumbs to his psychopathic desires.
His mum Jenny, a geriatric nurse, has led him to believe his dad died – a lie that comes back to haunt them.
Rowan explained: “When we first meet Sam, he’s trying to suppress his desires, and you discover the factors in his life that may have brought him to this point. From the outside, he’s a normal kid – he goes to school, he’s part of the diving team, he’s a good swimmer, the girls like him. But there’s a lot going on in his mind, and it’s about to break. As the story goes on, he becomes increasingly cold and manipulative, while still being charming. He’s capable of being normal, relatable. At some points you might even feel sorry for him.”
When asked what captivated him about this character, he said: “Oh man! I was with my best friend, and I knew I really wanted it. As the auditions went on, I wanted it more and more. Playing Sam was incredible – every day was different. There were so many layers to that character and, from an actor’s point of view, I get to show what I can do. To get a chance to play a role like this, to be the lead, it was the bes. I hope I did it justice.”
And there’s plenty of pressure. Rowan admits he channelled it through his creativity in ensuring he delivered a bona fide performance. He also did his homework by watching films and documentaries as well as wading through the material the production team sent his way.
As for the residual emotions after slipping into such a dark character, he said: “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t, but not in a huge way. But this character does horrible things. And some of the things he does are quite intense and quite extreme.
“When we wrapped at 8pm, I’d go back to the flat I was staying in by myself, and then I’d be up at 6am. So some evenings I’d just find myself sitting on the sofa trying to snap myself out of it. I felt down sometimes. Then I’d looked in the mirror and said ‘Man, look at what you’re doing!’ It was only moments when I felt down, but it’s normal.”
Born to Kill has a compelling story to appease whodunnit fans.
Born to Kill starts on BBC First (DStv channel 119) on Wednesday at 8pm.