Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Marc Warren is one of those actors who just keeps surprising. His versatility has not let up since his television breakthrough role as PC Dougie Raymond in The Vice, well over a decade ago.

Since then, his many incarnations include popular favourites such as Danny Blue, the razor-sharp conman in the hit Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ one drama Hustle, his memorable Byronic Count Dracula on ITV and a very unnerving assassin in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather on Sky.

Comedy is also easily within his reach, as shown when he played the emotionally inept Martin opposite Keeley Hawes's Jen in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ comedy drama Mutual Friends.

Now, this actor of many parts returns to peak-time Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One playing a man who acts impulsively and pays a very high price for his actions, in Accused.

Kenny Armstrong lives a quiet life with his wife and kids, until one apparently normal day turns into a nightmare.

Playing this latest leading part was a "no brainer," says affable Marc, confiding that he has always wanted to be in a drama written by Jimmy McGovern and, likewise, work with director David Blair.

Marc explains why Kenny represents another new direction for him and talks about his experiences while making the drama.

"To be perfectly honest, I tend to play eccentric people, larger than life individuals, so to play Kenny, who is a very normal guy, is a challenge and real change for me, although Kenny does do a unusual job – but more about that later.

"We all know someone like Kenny. He's a decent guy who's married to Donna (Andrea Lowe) and they love their three children, Chloe (Jade Kilduff), Matthew (Dominic Senior) and Ben (Harry Simpson).

"But early in the episode Kenny gets a phone call from his kids saying that a man in the local park has hurt his daughter, Chloe, but the extent of what has actually happened is not clear.

"Nevertheless, it's a frightening scenario and obviously something bad has happened. So, on complete impulse, Kenny and his two friends, Gordon (Joe Duttine) and Jack (Neil Richmond), decide retribution is called for and rush off.

"In the park, the friends see a jogger meeting the description of the man described to them and they lay into him. This attack unleashes some ugly violent behaviour, which later has serious repercussions for Kenny.

"Basically, Kenny gets caught up in the violence but he is not an aggressive person and his conscience is very troubled by the ferocity of the assault and whether it's the right thing to do in the first place."

Marc emphasises that this is difficult subject matter and the episode is full of complicated moral dilemmas.

"What I like about this story is that it's very credible and believable. There's nothing in it that you can't easily see happening. A clever and perceptive mind thinks these things up."

Does Marc sympathise or condone his character's reaction?

"Well, I'm not a parent but I can understand completely why some people respond in such ways to paedophiles and I don't know what I'd do in a similar situation if one of my loved ones was hurt.

"Everything is hypothetical until it happens to you. This drama's about Kenny's reaction and how he gets involved in something much bigger than himself."

This brings Marc to describe how his character Kenny makes his living and how filming in a working crematorium was a deeply affecting experience.

"On the page it says 'Kenny works in a crematorium as a technician', but the reality of the job was not at all like I thought it would be.

"We didn't shoot Kenny's scenes at work until the last two days of filming. But seeing what actually happens after the curtain closes was a very humbling and strangely life affirming experience.

"I found the experience both powerful and deeply disturbing. I don't think I spoke to anyone on the crew for those two days on site.

Marc reflects: "Crematoriums are very sacred places and the processes are really carefully carried out. I have a lot of respect for the people we met working there – they were very generous explaining their job and allowing us to film. It was something to behold and I don't think such work has featured in a television drama before.

"If I'd had a choice I'd rather be out in the fresh air, rather than near three kilns that reach temperatures of 850 degrees, but then a healthy consideration of death can only add to life. In our age of sanitisation, the experience was far more earthy and visceral than I expected."

Summing up, Marc says: "Certainly, the experience makes anything in life less fearful and a lot easier to deal with for a while and begs lots of metaphysical questions that I can't answer!"

Moving back to terra firma, Marc's fans can look forward to seeing him early in 2011 starring alongside John Simm, Max Beesley and Philip Glenister in Mad Dogs, a project he helped get off the ground.