Crime isn’t your usual police procedural. Based on the best-selling novel by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, the series isn’t interested in following a cut-and-dried format.
Instead, Crime uses the psychology of each character to move the story along, in a process which saw lead actor Dougray Scott collaborating with Irvine to see where the project would lead.
“When I read the book, I felt compelled to play Lennox.”
(BritBox)“I think Crime perhaps follows a less traditional storytelling path,” Dougray, 55, tells TV WEEK. “It’s more concerned with character and psychology than just the plot.”
Playing detective Ray Lennox has been a long time coming for the Scottish actor.
“Characters like this don’t come along very often,” Dougray shares. “When I read the book, I felt compelled to play Lennox. I felt an affinity with and we have many similarities, but Lennox is ultimately quite different from me. It was fun to see the world through his eyes.”
Joanna Vanderham plays Amanda – Ray’s partner in crime-solving.
(BritBox)The series follows the detective as he pieces together the clues surrounding the disappearance of a schoolgirl, along with a series of confusing deaths. But behind it all is a man struggling with addiction and trauma, whose work feel like the only thing keeping him afloat.
For both Dougray and Irvine, it was important to ensure the integrity of the character.
“I like to do a lot of research,” the actor explains. “I’ll look at documentaries, read books and talk to experts. I’ll have a picture in my mind of who I want my character to look like: behaviour, physicality, voice. Then I’ll start the journey to achieve that. I also use a lot of my own life experiences to inform the character.”
While the pair originally considered a film format for Crime, a six-episode miniseries won the day.
“We had so much more time to spend with the characters and with telling the story,” Dougray explains.
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