Stephen Mangan would “absolutely” reprise his role as Nathan in a sequel or spin-off series to BBC One’s hit legal drama The Split, which returned on Monday 4th April for its final season – and shocked fans with a huge death twist.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Mangan also spoke about his character’s relationship with Hannah (Nicola Walker in The Split cast), after their marriage crumbled at the end of last season following her affair with co-worker Christie (Barry Atsma).
On whether he’d return for a spin-off to The Split, Mangan joked: “Nathan and Christie open an antiques boutique in the Cotswolds together,” before adding: “All you want as an actor is to be in stuff like this that’s well written, well acted, well directed, well produced and popular and interesting. So yeah, absolutely, of course.”
Season 3 will include plenty of drama between Nicola Walker’s Hannah and Mangan’s Nathan, who has already started a new relationship with a child psychologist named Kate (Laura Pulver) behind Hannah’s back.
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On whether Nathan and Hannah could get back together later this season, Mangan said that “there’s a reason why they had such a long and successful marriage”.
“At the beginning they’re splitting up and let’s see where that goes. But there’s a reason why they had such a long and successful marriage. They really got each other and they’ve known each other their lives,” he explained.
“Their lives are completely intertwined in every respect, so there’s no reason why they wouldn’t do a [Richard] Burton and [Elizabeth] Taylor and carry on getting divorced and married and divorced and married.”
He continued: “I think there’s a proper, proper love there, which is what makes it so painful, of course, because if there wasn’t, it’d be easy. They’d just say, ‘This isn’t working.’ But that’s the problem.
“What do you do when you love someone but it’s not quite working? Do you stick it out? Do you split up and think there’s more to be had out there? I’m sure people are wrestling with that conundrum all the time.
“I think almost every adult will know what it’s like to be with someone or want to be with someone or be with someone who doesn’t want to be with you. All those variations. That’s what the show is about. It’s such a fundamental part of who we are so yeah, it does explain its popularity in some degree.”
The Split continues on BBC One on Mondays at 9pm, with all episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. Take a look at what else is on with our TV guide.
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