James McArdle plays calculated villain Miles in ITV's new thriller, Playing Nice, which follows two sets of parents who discover their toddlers were swapped at birth.
The Scottish actor, 35, stars alongside James Norton, Niamh Algar and Jessica Brown Findlay in the gripping series, which follows the two couples as they are faced with a horrifying dilemma: to keep the son they've raised or reclaim their biological child?
While James is a big name in the world of theatre, he's become a familiar face on-screen in recent years thanks to his roles in Mary Queen of Scots, Mare of Easttown, Andor and Sexy Beast. But how much do you know about his life away from the cameras?
James' upbringing and career
James grew up in Darnley on the south side of Glasgow. He developed a love of acting from a young age and attended Paisley youth theatre group PACE before moving to London to study at RADA.
The actor was just 17 years old when he jumped on an overnight Megabus to London for his RADA audition.
© Joss BarrattWhile James didn't tell his parents about his audition, they've always been supportive of his career. He told Essence Magazine: "I think I bewilder them a lot. They have always supported my chosen career. Always. I would never have been able to do this without their 100% support. I'm aware how... strange it is for them.
"I don't think watching some of the things I've done on film and on stage was something they saw for their future. But I'm glad it is. I hope they are proud," he added.
© ITVJames' love of theatre is something he shared with his grandmother, Betty. "She looked after me a lot when I was growing up, and she had access to culture," he told The Telegraph. "She was a working-class woman from Govan [south-west Glasgow], but I could talk to her about Noël Coward and Shakespeare."
Opening up about their close bond, James told The Herald: "I feel like I owe her it all. My manners, my belief, tenacity, compassion – it all came from her."
"She's what I measure any moral decision on," he continued. "She's very present in me. And it's going well. Touch wood."
© © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. AlAfter graduating in 2010, he made a name for himself on stage, starring in productions of Chariots of Fire, Spur of the Moment, The Tragedy of Macbeth and most recently, The Real Thing at the Old Vic Theatre.
As for his on-screen credits, viewers will recognise him for starring alongside Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown, as well as for his roles in Life After Life, Andor and Sexy Beast.
James' acting beginnings and friendship with James Norton
James attended RADA alongside his Playing Nice co-star James Norton, as well as a host of other major names, including Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Midsomer Murders actor Nick Hendrix and This Country's Daisy May Cooper.
Despite starting out in drama school together, Playing Nice marks the first time the Scottish actor has worked with the Happy Valley star.
© Joss BarrattSitting down with HELLO! on the set of the Cornwall-based series, James Norton explained: "James and I haven't actually worked together, but we were at drama school together. We weren't only in the same year but we were also in the same acting class, which meant that in our first year, we spent a lot of time together, and it was very intense. It's that kind of breakdown and build-up cliché in drama school, which is very real, and we went through a lot as ambitious young actors just starting out, before we got into the profession."
Recalling an acting exercise they worked on at the time, James praised his co-star's talent. "I just remember thinking James is phenomenal," he said. "We did this one particular acting exercise together, which was my proudest moment of drama school and I think it was up there with his as well, and so we became close and just respected one another.
© ITV"Ever since then, I wanted to work with him, and I've seen everything he's done," added the Grantchester star.
James' love life
James likes to keep his love life out of the spotlight, so not much is known about his relationship history.
