THE IPCRESS FILE
WE SPEAK TO THE CAST OF THE NEW ESPIONAGE REBOOT
It was a role made famous by Michael Caine and those iconic black glasses in 1965, but now Harry Palmer is back. This time, Gangs Of London star Joe Cole dons the famous specs in this ambitious tale of a disgraced British army sergeant who is made an offer he can’t refuse by British intelligence – to stay out of prison, he must become a spy. We spoke to Joe, plus co-stars Tom Hollander, Lucy Boynton and Ashley Thomas, about the new incarnation of the classic Len Deighton novel…
Joe, you take the lead as Harry Palmer. Did you have any reservations about taking on such a well-loved role? Joe:
No, I just saw it as a fantastic opportunity. I wasn’t too familiar with the character before, but after speaking to family and people from generations gone by, I soon realised what an important character he is in British history. I tried to avoid watching Michael Caine, though, and just do my own thing.
How did it feel putting on the glasses for the first time? J:
Well, it does a certain amount of work for you when you can hide behind a good pair of specs! It sets you on your way to becoming the character. In the end, I went to the optician and tried on every pair of glasses in the shop, and one just worked.
Did you watch the original film to prepare? J:
I did, but I quickly realised I wanted to put my own spin on it. When I watched the movie, I was worried I was going to start doing a Michael Caine impersonation without even realising it, because he is so iconic and has such a presence. So, I had to erase that from my memory and go on instinct and try to do my own thing. But this working-class character isn’t too far away from home for me. He’s an interesting amalgamation of me as an actor and as a person.
Lucy, you play Jean, who’s also a spy – what did you make of her? Lucy:
I was incredibly excited. It’s a fascinating world to explore, especially through Jean’s eyes. She’s such an interesting commentary on what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession, particularly within
the context of an era of so-called liberation for women. To look at that time through a character like Jean… she uses that societal underestimation of young women to her advantage. She carries out her job under your nose and can hide in
plain sight.
She’s very progressive, too, isn’t she? L:
Yes. She’s balancing all the societal expectations pressed upon young women at that time versus this complete other life as an agent. In her work, she finds so much freedom, responsibility and intellectual stimulation, which was so rarely granted to women in the workplace at that time.
So, the idea that she’s expected to reduce the scale of her world in exchange for getting married, staying at home and raising a family is out of the question.
Ashley, you play agent Maddox. How did you feel when you read the script? Ashley:
I was excited. I had a conversation early on with James [director James Watkins] and he was explaining that he wanted to
‘I TRIED TO AVOID WATCHING MICHAEL CAINE’
do justice to this character. He wanted to peel back the layers of this man, who is an African American in the ’60s, in a time of racial oppression, and make sure that was addressed.
The script fully encompasses issues such as racism… A:
Yes. Many black people during that time, because of the state of society, weren’t given opportunities. But we have Maddox, who is clearly very capable as he’s in a position of power, and to do that he has to be as good as, if not better than, his counterparts. It was interesting to explore that dynamic, to be a powerful African American at that time, which hasn’t been shown really. He’s funny, too – he has cool lines, he smiles a lot in a place that’s serious.
It’s interesting when there are moments of levity, it makes things fun.
Tom, you star as Major Dalby. Is he as great to play as is he is to watch? Tom:
Well, that’s the script.
I was so impressed with it. It’s the writer’s first TV show, and we all thought it was exceptionally good writing – witty, economical, and authentic to the period, but also contemporary. And yes, Dalby is so interesting. He’s like the headmaster figure, but he’s also conflicted and jaded. He’s living a complicated life, which emerges over the episodes, so there was lots to play with.
There’s quite a lot going on between Dalby and Harry, isn’t there? T:
There’s a lot of classic class dynamic stuff in the script, and they attack each other for being representatives of their class enemy. Essentially, both Harry and Dalby are trapped – they’re both restricted by their jobs and the world that they are in.
Finally, did you read the book before you started filming? T:
I read the script, then looked at the film and then dipped into the book, but I didn’t finish it. I hope that’s OK.
The Ipcress File is coming to ITV this month