‘JULIEN IS CREATING PAIN ALL AROUND HIM’
THE FRENCH ACTOR ON WHAT IS NEXT FOR TROUBLED DETECTIVE BAPTISTE
When The Missing first aired in 2014, it was clear that Julien Baptiste was the standout star of the show. The grizzled former detective was drawn back into the unsolved case of a missing five year old, and his complex, irascible character captivated audiences from the off. So much so, that writers Jack and Harry Williams gave him his own spin-off series. Now, Julien is back, and star Tchéky Karyo tells us what to expect…
Where do we first find Julien?
He’s in a moment of his life where everything is shaking. He has endured a personal tragedy and is at the bottom of himself – and at the bottom of a lot of bottles.
His wife is trying to get him to come back to reality, but he is blind and selfish, and doesn’t realise how much pain he is creating around him. He feels so bad, he’s a masochist with himself. Then he sees this TV appeal from British Ambassador Emma Chambers. [Her husband and sons have gone missing while skiing in the Hungarian mountains], and she is telling her pain through the media, which makes Julien get out of the trap he has put
himself in. By investigating this, and by going through the pain of somebody else, he can focus again.
How was it getting back into playing the character?
It made for some interesting days before I started – the preparing of this character, who is now going through so much, and is in such a different state since the last series. I needed to let my beard grow for a few months – I actually had to let other projects go as I wanted my beard to be real.
Do you have any action scenes this time?
Yes, there is action. We have this scene in the first episode where Julien gets into a fight with the police, and they don’t know who this guy is. He’s so angry and drunk, in such a scruffy and sloppy state. It was an interesting day to film. And it was a nice challenge, to be in this fight with these
‘JULIEN STILL HAS A LOT OF ENERGY AND IS ABLE TO FIGHT’
young guys. I’m happy to show that, even when Julien is at the bottom of himself, he still has a lot of energy and he is able to fight. I really enjoy this, to be able to express that. I’m nearly 70, but I feel like I am 30 years old.
How much of you is in the character of Julien?
I gave a lot of myself, and a lot of my personality, to this character. I can have a lot of temper, but I can also be patient, and you can rely on me. And as an actor, playing the role gave me so much confidence.
That [the writers] were not afraid to give me a really heavy and complex mission as an actor has been one of my best experiences. Before this, I was afraid to do a series, but then I really enjoyed it – it’s exciting to work with such creative people.
Talking of creative people, Fiona Shaw joins the cast this time. What was it like working with her?
She is amazing, the way she gets so involved. She is always questioning and doesn’t take things for granted. Every character has their own story to deal with, and Julien’s the one who goes through all the different spaces and puts the pieces together, so it’s an exciting adventure.
With Fiona [who plays Emma], it became like a dance, a duet we are going through together. She has a lot of stamina, she goes deep down in pain. We are more or less the same age, and we have the same way of approaching this complex series, full of different levels.
This series has been described as the most ambitious Baptiste yet…
Yes. It’s set in Hungary, and is really bold because they are questioning the society – how extremism expresses itself, and immigration problems, and how people deal with fear. But the writers don’t forget to have humour – life is not a tragedy or a comedy, it’s a tragicomedy and they play this strength.
We heard that this might be the last series?
Who knows? He may be back. But if it is the last one, he will continue to be alive in the memory of all the people who welcomed him. I am going to miss him, though.
Baptiste starts on 18 July on BBC1