Shaun Evans has opened up about his new role in BBC’s Vigil, and has admitted that he couldn’t imagine anything worse than working on a submarine for weeks at a time.
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Chatting to the BBC about how he would struggle in that sort of environment, he said: “I could not think of anything worse! Freedom is the best thing, right? The freedom to go and take a walk, get a cup of coffee, get away from people. The idea of not being able to do that or to even step outside to get a breath of fresh air? It is my idea of hell.”
WATCH: Will you be watching Vigil?
He also opened up about the extensive research he took on for the role, where he plays a Coxswain. He explained: “I spoke to some guys in the Navy who put me in touch with some submariners – one of whom was a Coxswain – and I spent a good bit of time chatting to them, to find out what their jobs entailed and what was required.
Could you handle it?
“Plus, I think importantly, what kind of person is attracted to that role – because I think if you’re doing it 24/7 then there must be certain common traits or qualities required to do it well. I was intrigued by what the common elements might be, and I think the key one is that you really do have to get along with people.”
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He continued: “For the coxswain especially, you have to be available to others – be friendly, upbeat, able to rub along well with others - and definitely not a loner. There’s a real diplomatic quality required as well, in order to be able to straddle both worlds and liaise regularly between all ranks on board. The submariners I spoke to were just really fun, interesting guys, and by speaking to them I got a sense of the camaraderie between them, and what it must be like to do that job.”
The actor is best known for starring in Endeavour
The upcoming six-part drama follows Suranne Jones as a detective sent onto the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil to investigate a suspicious death. Although the death was written off as an accidental overdose, Amy suspects foul play. But when the crew close ranks in the face of Amy’s questioning, a new threat overshadows her inquiry.
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