'I’m not Tom Cruise' Coma star Jason Watkins on leading new Channel 5 drama as an 'ordinary man'
18.03.2024 - 08:51
/ ok.co.uk
When Jason Watkins was offered the part of a man at breaking point in a brand new drama, he couldn’t wait to get started. From McDonald & Dodds to Hold The Sunset, Jason has a habit of playing “the little man”, which is how he describes his character, Simon, prior to a split-second decision that changes his whole world. In the four-part series, Simon is living a very normal life with wife, Beth (Claire Skinner) and their daughter.
That is, until the neighbourhood falls victim to the terrorising antics of a group of teenagers.
Leading the pack is Jordan (Joe Barber), who ends up in a confrontation with Simon. Feeling threatened, Simon punches Jordan, a moment with devastating consequences for both of them. “I’m not Tom Cruise,” says Jason.
“I’m not a traditional action man in a psychological thriller. I wanted very much to be an ordinary bloke with vulnerabilities.
That’s the person you see trying to work out what to do, and not really being very good at it. Simon is not capable of this.
This isn’t something he can deal with.
“With the lies Simon goes on to tell, the scenario grows exponentially and gathers moss, taking him into very dangerous areas. It also pricks his vulnerabilities – things he historically struggled with start to surface again.” After Simon lands the punch, Jordan falls into a coma, and Simon is terrified he has killed the teen.
To make matters worse, Simon then meets Jordan’s father, Paul, played by Jonas Armstrong. “On the face of it, Paul is a psychopath, a very volatile, violent man,” explains Jonas.