{"id":20429,"date":"2022-08-18T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T07:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1695297"},"modified":"2022-08-18T09:34:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T07:34:25","slug":"the-suspects-aidan-turner-casting-plays-with-audience-expectations","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-suspects-aidan-turner-casting-plays-with-audience-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"The Suspect\u2019s Aidan Turner casting \u2018plays with audience expectations\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Morgan Jeffery\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 18 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The director of ITV\u2019s new thriller The Suspect<\/a> has hinted that Aidan Turner\u2019s role in the series will toy with audience\u2019s \u201cpreconceptions\u201d about the actor.<\/p>\n

Based on the novel of the same name, The Suspect casts Turner as Joe O\u2019Loughlin, a psychologist whose squeaky-clean image comes under scrutiny when he becomes entangled in an investigation into a young woman\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an incredibly brilliant role for an actor,\u201d director James Strong told RadioTimes.com<\/a>. \u201cBut it\u2019s got to have somebody who can be credible as a top clinical psychologist but also as a man who\u2019s got secrets, and has flaws, and has another side to him \u2013 [we need] to be able to explore that and unpack that journey, whilst giving the audience just enough insights into his character.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want somebody where you\u2019re not sure [about them] \u2013 someone who\u2019s initially likeable, someone you trust and someone you want<\/em> to like\u2026 so when they start to turn, you\u2019re even more like [gasp], no, no, no no!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Aidan Turner as Doctor Joe O\u2019Loughlin in ITV\u2019s The Suspect<\/span><\/figcaption> ITV<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Strong, who was recently lead director on BBC One\u2019s hit drama Vigil<\/a>, explained that it was fun to play on Turner\u2019s heroic persona on-screen, established via his involvement with series like Poldark<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was delightful to be able to play with those preconceptions, particularly with Aidan who\u2019s used to playing the hero and playing the good guy unequivocally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adapted for the screen by Gangs of London<\/a> writer Peter Berry, The Suspect also stars Shaun Parkes (Small Axe) and Anjli Mohindra (Vigil) and is from Vigil and Line of Duty producers World Productions.<\/p>

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