Six Four star Kevin McKidd teases cliffhangers and twists

The Grey’s Anatomy star is leading a brand new “complex” crime drama.

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Wednesday, 29 March 2023 at 12:00 am

When it comes to British crime dramas we’re in no short supply, but ITVX‘s latest release Six Four is set to be a multi-layered, unguessable watch of a series.

With Grey’s Anatomy‘s Kevin McKidd and Boiling Point‘s Vinette Robinson at its helm, Six Four follows the pair’s characters, Chris and Michelle O’Neill as they investigate their daughter’s disappearance. But what is their own personal worst nightmare soon turns into a case wrapped up with another mysterious, unsolved case that has divided the police, as well as politics, kidnap and corruption.

Ahead of the drama’s release, McKidd spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about his new leading role, highlighting that part of the joy of shooting Six Four was returning to his native Scotland and dipping his toe back into British crime dramas. He said: “It was nice to be on home territory, back on the home pitch, as it were. There were a lot of real positives to it.”

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Kevin McKidd as Chris and Vinette Robinson as Michelle in Six Four.
ITV

The role is McKidd’s first time playing a police officer and when asked about whether it was daunting at all, he said: “It didn’t feel daunting. I think I was strangely a little bit nervous because I’ve been playing an American character for so long, I was like ‘Are people going to buy my Scottish accent?’

“But within a few days of being back in Glasgow, within a day actually, it felt like I hadn’t left. It was a very joyful experience to be honest. It was interesting playing a police officer.”

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McKidd swaps his usual Grey’s Anatomy scrubs and white surgeon’s coat for a typical detective’s crinkled, worn suit in Six Four, marking a major change of pace for the actor. To really immerse himself in the role, McKidd said: “I spent some time with a Scottish detective, followed him a little bit and got inside his head – something I’ve never done before. It was a very joyful experience on the whole.”

As for Six Four as a series in general, McKidd added that the drama, which is inspired by the best-selling novel by Hideo Yokoyama, is a complicated treat for all. He explained: “It’s very tightly written, quite complicated, you can’t just have it on in the background.

“One of our inspirations for this was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – that kind of very layered, complex thriller mystery. It’s very human. At the heart of it is my character, Chris O’Neill, and Michelle, Vinette’s character, and how they’re struggling through the worst nightmare that any parent could go through, which is their daughter, their only child, going missing and we don’t know where she is.”

He continued: “It’s very dynamic, intense and I think it keeps people on the edge of their seat. When I read it, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to find out what was going to happen. Every cliffhanger and twist leads beautifully to the next one, a very satisfying four-part drama for people to really get their teeth into and puzzle over and discuss.”