Interview with Iain De Caestecker
Iain De Caestecker plays Duncan Knock in Roadkill.
Published: 7 October 2020
David doesn't cast too many opinions on the characters, [the drama] is situational and he lets the audience make up their own mind. He gives the characters an identifiable voice, and he is very economical with it.
Have you enjoyed working on Roadkill?
I’ve had lots of fun. One of the big attractions to the project was of course David Hare, because of his prestigious repertoire and reputation as a writer, but also the scripts. It sounds cliché to say, but it's so nice to read something where the cast are so well thought out and full bodied. The way he writes two-handers is incredible.
I found with Roadkill that David doesn't cast too many opinions on the characters, it’s situational and it lets the audience make up their own mind. David gives the characters such an identifiable voice and he is very economical with it. Every piece of dialogue is so considered and thoughtful that, as an actor, you don’t need to stray away from it. But at the same time, if you had a problem with something you could absolutely go to him and he’d fiddle with it, it was a very safe environment for that.
Tell us about Duncan.
Duncan is Scottish, which is something we decided in rehearsals and I talked about with David. He went to grammar school and has worked his way up the political ladder. A big part of his identity now is merged with Peter, as he’s his political adviser. Whilst their relationship is predominantly professional, it’s still a very close relationship.
Duncan is ambitious and he’s married to his job; it definitely occupies a lot of space in his mind, so I think a huge part of his identity is what he does. Being a special advisor is kind of a bit of a controversial role as they work within a governing party, and although they aren’t actually voted in by the public, they are politically motivated and do have a political agenda. So he’s probably worked his way up with Peter the past few years and he knows where the bodies are buried, but he’s also complicit in that. He sees Peter as his ticket to the top as well. As much as I think he admires Peter in a big way and looks up to him, he's got his eyes on his own prize as well.
How does Duncan’s storyline unfold?
At the beginning of the series Peter and Duncan have just come out of winning this big case, where they’ve got away with something after they probably weren’t completely telling the truth. Duncan is young and a bit arrogant, he’s very smart and intelligent but he feels there’s a bit of invincibility to him and thinks he can’t be touched. He thinks he’s making his way up the political ladder and ultimately makes some big mistakes. He goes a little bit above his station when Peter tells him not to, and ultimately it’s his downfall.
What have Peter and Duncan got involved in in the past?
Peter and Duncan definitely have skeletons in their closets. They’ve won this big court case against a newspaper, but as things play out is that all isn’t as it seems; perhaps things were modified or changed, or underhand; tactics were used by them to cover up certain truths and certain realities.
As the story goes on, what you also see are constant things coming up from Peter’s past. He’s not your traditional politician, he didn’t come through Eton, and there are things in his past that they don’t want coming out.
What attracted you to the role?
There are lots of reasons. David Hare and the way he writes characters is brilliant. They are fully formed before you’re anywhere near the script, which is such a draw as an actor. On a personal level, sometimes I’m often cast more towards characters who are shy and introverted, but Duncan isn’t, he’s cocky and he’s a bit snakey and slimey and also a bit of a sap with Julia, so he's multi-faceted which is exciting. And then of course the project itself, playing across from Hugh in scenes, has been amazing.
Cast and Production Credits
Cast Credits
Hugh Laurie - Peter Laurence
Helen McCrory - Dawn Ellison
Pippa Bennett-Warner – Rochelle Madeley
Danny Ashok - Luke Strand
Millie Brady - Lily Laurence
Shalom Brune-Franklin - Rose Dietl
Sarah Greene - Charmian Pepper
Olivia Vinall - Julia Blythe
Iain De Caestecker – Duncan Knock
Gbemisola Ikumelo - Steff Frost
Sidse Babett Knudsen - Madeleine Halle
Katie Leung - Margaret Moore
Ophelia Lovibond - Susan Laurence
Saskia Reeves - Helen Laurence
Pip Torrens - Joe Lapidus
Patricia Hodge - Lady Roche
Emma Cunniffe - Sydney
Production Credits
David Hare - Executive Producer and Screenwriter
Mark Pybus and George Faber - Executive Producers for The Forge
Michael Keillor - Director and Executive Producer
Andrew Litvin - Producer
Lucy Richer - Executive Producer for the 麻豆约拍
Rebecca Eaton - Executive Producer for Masterpiece
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