Charlie’s dangerous role!
Has the actress got what it takes to infiltrate a terrorist cell?
Charlie finds herself entering a perilous world of spies and terrorists, after being recruited by a charismatic Israeli intelligence officer in last week’s opening episode of BBC1’s new spy thriller.
Becker (Alexander Skarsgård) believes the young actress could be the key to finally catching a dangerous Palestinian terrorist named Khalil…
Setting a trap
‘Becker wants her to pretend to be Khalil’s little brother’s girlfriend and lure the terrorist into a trap,’ says Florence Pugh, who plays Charlie. ‘She may not know anything about espionage, but her acting talent makes her perfect for the job!’
Spymaster Kurtz (Michael Shannon) knows Charlie will need to be well prepared if she’s going to pull off the most important acting role of her life, and wants the actress to know everything about the girl she’ll be impersonating.
‘Charlie needs to be familiar with every detail of this girl’s life,’ says Florence. ‘So Becker pretends to be Khalil’s little brother Salim and builds up her knowledge of his relationship. They even mess up their hotel sheets so people think they’re actually lovers!’
For Florence, who wowed critics in the lead role in
critically acclaimed British film Lady Macbeth, the chance to star in an adaptation of a famous John Le Carré spy novel was too good to miss!
Thrilled
‘I was absolutely hooked on The Night Manager,’ she says. ‘When this came up I was desperate to do it, but I was worried they’d want a big name to play Charlie. So I was totally over the moon to get the part!’