ON THE COVER Getting To Know… Rob James Collier
The actor transforms smoothly from a bad boy butler to a chatty detective – just don't ask him to drive!
◆ I wanted the next thing I did after Downton to be something new and good. Sometimes you have to wait for that. The Level is really fresh, fast-paced, high-octane, exciting and has a young cast. It’s just non-stop with so much going on and is so interwoven and interconnected. To be part of that is a privilege. It was worth the wait.
◆ I was so nervous on my first day filming on The Level. I hadn’t worked for about eight months so I was like, “Oh, how do I act again? I’ve forgotten.” It was a bit like, “Don’t let anyone find you out.”
◆ Downton was a once-in-a-lifetime experience in terms of its success across the world. I can’t see that happening again for a while on such a scale. To be part of that was fantastic, and to get six years out of it when I was originally only signed for the first series – because Thomas was going to get sacked or die!
◆ There was an increase in the number of bad guy roles I was offered. Although not necessarily butlering! So it was nice to get a role in a modern cop show.
◆ Kevin is a police detective at the National Crime Division in London. He’s very gregarious. One of those guys who can fit straight into an office. Confident in his own skin. Good at his job, knows what he’s doing. There’s a warmth to him and he’s quite funny.
ROBERT PLAYED LIAM CONNOR IN CORONATION STREET FROM 2006 BEFORE LEAVING IN 2008 AFTER HIS CHARACTER WAS MURDERED
“I THINK WE CAN BE TOO CONNECTED TO BEING CONNECTED. ANDWE DO LOOK AT SCREENS TOO MUCH. IF AFFECTS THE SENSES. IT’S INTERRUPTING LIFE TOO MUCH. IT’S BAD FOR THE EYES ASWELL”