{"id":11834,"date":"2022-03-07T18:41:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T17:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1597930"},"modified":"2022-03-07T18:58:42","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T17:58:42","slug":"ipcress-files-ashley-thomas-on-cia-agent-paul-maddox-hes-confident-in-being-a-black-man","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/ipcress-files-ashley-thomas-on-cia-agent-paul-maddox-hes-confident-in-being-a-black-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Ipcress File\u2019s Ashley Thomas on CIA agent Paul Maddox: \u201cHe\u2019s confident in being a Black man\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Abby Robinson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 07 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Before The Ipcress File arrived on the silver screen, with Sir Michael Caine leading the cast of the 1965 espionage thriller, it began its life as a novel. Now, more than 50 years on, Len Deighton\u2019s source material has once again proved irresistible, with screenwriter John Hodge (Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting) spinning it into a six-part series for ITV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Peaky Blinders<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Gangs of London<\/a> star Joe Cole has stepped into Caine\u2019s shoes as British secret agent Harry Palmer, who is operating in 1960s Berlin and London against the backdrop of the Cold War. Appearing alongside him is Ashley Walters (Them<\/a>, Top Boy<\/a>), who plays CIA agent Paul Maddox, a character who doesn\u2019t feature in the film, but is present in Deighton\u2019s book.<\/p>\n

Thomas sat down with\u00a0RadioTimes.com<\/a> to discuss how he constructed Maddox, what his character brings to the table and how he handled the legacy of the Caine classic.<\/p>

You came to The Ipcress file after filming Them, which is also a period piece, and I wondered what the appeal was of stepping back in time once again for this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because it was set a decade later [than Them], for me that was interesting. It wasn\u2019t like I was playing the same, which wouldn\u2019t have been a problem anyway. But [Henry and Paul], they\u2019re totally different characters.<\/p>\n

I had a conversation with [director] James [Watkins] and he was like, \u2018We\u2019re going to develop the character. He\u2019s someone in a position of power and he\u2019s going to have some layers.\u2019 So once all the scripts came through, I was happy to jump on board.<\/p>\n

How do you think coming from the set of Them impacted the way you approached the role of Paul Maddox?<\/b><\/p>\n

On Them, I found a new respect for character development and understanding the sense of responsibility that I\u2019m taking on in a way that I hadn\u2019t maybe considered so deeply before. There are some things I can lean on experience-wise, but it\u2019s also about stripping away my own ego and approaching each character with a clean slate, and being open to learn and take on the experience of that character.<\/p>\n

I spoke to some of my friends for The Ipcress File, just in terms of gaining an understanding of the history and understanding experiences that they would have had over there [in the US] that are different to what we would experience in the UK.<\/p>\n

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One of Paul\u2019s first lines in episode one is, \u201cYes that\u2019s right, I\u2019m Black.\u201d How did you react when first reading that line? What do you think it says about Paul?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I think it says that he is confident. He\u2019s confident in who he is, in being a Black man and in working where he works because in order to get to that position, he would probably have had to be even more impressive than his counterparts because there was there was a lot of oppression on our peoples. So I think it just really shows his confidence.<\/p>\n

When I read it, I liked the line. I was like, \u2018Yeah, that\u2019s right.\u2019 And if anyone has a problem with it, it\u2019s their<\/em> problem, not his<\/em> problem.<\/p>\n

I also read that James Baldwin was critical to crafting the character of Paul.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was his confidence, both in himself and for his people, as well, and his grasp of language, his intelligence. I listened to loads of interviews of him, and really focused on the civil rights movement as a whole. He was definitely key to developing the character.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a flirtatious aspect to Paul and Jean\u2019s relationship \u2013 and we see him watching Jean through binoculars while they\u2019re in Berlin. Is Paul attracted to her?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In that moment, when the period is set, I think you have two people who are experiencing oppression, so they have that in common immediately. He identifies that in her and she identifies that in him. And I think that\u2019s what makes it fun with those two and their interactions; they find the banter within that and then they get to work. She\u2019s like, \u2018This is me.\u2019 He\u2019s like, \u2018This is me.\u2019 And then that\u2019s out the way and they deal with each other on a human, professional level.<\/p>\n

I think they\u2019re both attracted. I think they\u2019re two aesthetically pleasing people. Taking my own face out of it, he\u2019s kept himself nice, and Jean has done the same as well, so I think there is a flirtatious attraction there, and they\u2019re having fun.<\/p>\n

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Altitude Film for ITV<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Many viewers will be familiar with the film version of The Ipcress File. How did the film\u2019s legacy impact the way you and your fellow cast members approached the project? Was there any trepidation?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s a classic, iconic film and it\u2019s was about making sure that we add to that.\u00a0\u00a0It was just about making sure that I approached my work with the utmost respect and care, and put the time and work in to give my best performance.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a film, this is a TV series. More than anything, it\u2019s based on the books, so that\u2019s where we drew the inspiration from. But the classic film is there and it\u2019s just making sure that you respect it, and I made sure not to dismiss it. And you try to put your own spin on it. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s about making it better. It can\u2019t be better. All you can do is be inspired by and try to give your take.<\/p>\n

The character of Paul features in the novel, but he\u2019s not a part of the film. What do you think bringing him into the series, particularly as a person of importance, gives the story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are voices that were previously excluded from film and television for years because of the way the world was. People of colour, Black people, existed during this time and were working in these positions and in these companies, but they\u2019ve been forced out of the history books. So I think all it is doing is giving people a more accurate depiction of the time, and it adds additional layers and a richness to the project.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by: Flora Carr<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read More:<\/strong><\/p>\n