Alun Armstrong plays Brian Lane
Alun Armstrong was delighted to return to the role of Brian Lane in
New Tricks - even though he admits his character's obsessive-compulsive
traits are starting to rub off on him.
"Any character you play for a while you start to turn into. I'm never
aware of it but my wife tells me I do become a little bit like the people
I play.
"We've all got a spectrum of emotional traits and different ones
can become emphasised if you're thinking about them a lot and practising.
"With Brian Lane, it's only natural because all actors are paranoid,
it comes with the job!
"It's great to be back, though. We love working with each other and
we always have great fun together.
"I enjoy being an actor because of the variety of work but it's
great to get back together with Dennis, Amanda and Jimmy. It's certainly
an enjoyable chemistry that we have."
Lane was a brilliant detective, but he comes to realise that his dedication
meant he frequently neglected his family.
Keen to make amends, he takes over in the kitchen when his wife Esther
(Susan Jameson) is confined to bed after a fall - with
disastrous consequences.
He also takes his son Mark (Sam Hazeldine) to a football
match - which was a memorable scene for Alun.
"Sam is the son of James Hazeldine, who was my best friend. He died
when we were filming the pilot of New Tricks. It was a very distressing
time. As well as a well-loved actor he was also a very accomplished
director.
"When I heard Brian's son was making an appearance in the series
I immediately thought of Sam. It was great to work with him - he's a
really good actor.
"Brian supports AFC Wimbledon, as do I. It's the breakaway Wimbledon
club started when Wimbledon FC was stolen from us and taken to Milton
Keynes. It suits the character that he would champion the underdog and
a cause he thought was right."
Alun is barely off the screen, appearing in When I'm 64, Carrie's War,
Between The Sheets, The Mummy Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Sparkhouse, David
Copperfield, This Is Personal, Goodbye Cruel World and Our Friends In
The North to name but a few.
He hates the celebrity culture, but being recognised does have its
funny side.
"I remember meeting Harold Wilson when I was on holiday in the Scilly
Isles and I'd just started doing TV. We stood having a pint when two
little girls came to the door, pushed by their mum. Instead of going
to Harold, they asked me for my autograph!"
Alun lives with his family in London and his next two projects have
a Dickensian theme - he plays policeman Bucket in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's new 16-part
adaptation of Bleak House and appears as magistrate Mr Fang in Roman
Polanski's new film of Oliver Twist.
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