The Cold Feet star reveals five secrets from the set of his new dark thriller

JAMES NESBITT BLOODLANDS Tomorrow, 9pm, BBC1

1 My character Tom Brannick is a Belfast detective trying to find out the identity of the person dubbed Goliath, who was at large during the Troubles and responsible for several killings, perhaps even that of Tom’s wife Emma. We filmed a lot at Strangford Lough, in Northern Ireland, where it was very cold. There were times when I could hardly get my jaw to work to say the lines!

2 We filmed a scene in the town of Ballyclare involving an arson attack on a police car with an officer inside. My Aunt Edith, who lives there, was coming back from the shops, knew I was filming and feared I was the guy burning, rather than a stuntman who was protected! She needed reassuring after.

3 We shot this almost like a documentary and approached every revelation in as fresh a way as possible. I’d read the script lots but didn’t actually learn the lines for each particular day until that morning, so that I was living in the moment. It kept me on my toes.

4 I’ve lived in England for the best part of my life but Northern Ireland is still home. I feel like I’m part of the family when I go back there. The people are proud but don’t let me get carried away with myself! Each day in Ballyclare a different bakery brought us cakes – it’s common in Northern Ireland.

5 I spoke to a few policemen about what it was like during the Troubles. We had a police advisor on set for technical things; the way you communicate, the relationships that you have, the attention to detail, the constant threat from paramilitaries. But so much of it was already imbued in me from growing up in Ulster.

Tom with his daughter Izzy (played by Lola Petticrew)