He became "the most hated man in Britain" for his sinister role in hit ITV drama, Liar. Despite the label, leading star Ioan Gruffudd has revealed that he was completely gripped by the gritty storyline and couldn't wait to play the complex role. "I read the first three scripts and I couldn't put them down," he told Australia's Confidential. "I was breathless and I absolutely had to play this part." The Welsh actor played serial rapist Andrew Earlham alongside Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt, who played school teacher Laura Nielson.
Ioan Gruffudd starred as Andrew Earlham in Liar
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Liar was aired in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which has been dominating global news. Touching upon the recent topic, Ioan added: "Our show is highlighting how awful it must be to be a victim of something like this because you feel that somehow it's your fault and you're shamed." Earlier this week, Ioan's wife Alice Evans revealed she rejected the disgraced Hollywood producer's advances, claiming that she and Ioan were never considered for a Weinstein film again. She said on Good Morning Britain: "I've never claimed our careers went badly because of that, but it was repugnant because we all knew what he meant and my husband did not get the film."
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The show's writers, Harry and Jack Williams, recently confirmed that they have started work on the sequel, with both Ioan and Joanne set to reprise their roles. "We are delighted there will be a second series and we've written a bit of it already," Jack told The Mirror. "We don't want to do it cynically – it will be a new set of lies and perceptions. We want to give ourselves time, it will probably be the year after next. I hope people feel happy to wait." Harry added: "There are certainly a few suspects and we hope to explore that further."