As a fan of Slow Horses, I must say that I’ve been utterly captivated by the intricate web of family dynamics portrayed throughout this series. The characters, each with their own secrets and struggles, have managed to draw me in and keep me guessing until the very last episode.
Everything is set up perfectly for an exhilarating finale of “Slow Horses” – and it seems that season four’s antagonist, Hugo Weaving, shares this sentiment as well.
A British actor renowned for his part in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy has become a member of the cast for this year’s Apple TV+ installment of the popular spy thriller, which is adapted from Mick Herron’s Slough House book series. In this role, he portrays Frank Harkness – a character transformation from a former CIA agent to a cult leader, who intends to create an army of assassins eager to carry out his dark commands.
As the storyline progresses, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Harkness could be River Cartwright’s (Jack Lowden) real father. The striking resemblance between River and “Robert Winters”, who David Cartwright (Jonathan Pryce) killed, is quite unsettling.
Simultaneously, Gary Oldman portrays Jackson Lamb, a disheveled, intoxicated yet insightful character, who is determined to find the elderly Cartwright, who is grappling with dementia and memory loss. Despite Catherine Standish’s (Saskia Reeves) disapproval of Lamb’s tactics, Slough House’s leader persisted, mercilessly convincing David that his grandson, River, is no more. When David confesses he took such actions “for her,” hinting at his daughter, the true extent of Lamb’s connection with Harkness becomes chilling.
In the story, it’s revealed that Isobel, River’s mother (portrayed by Anna Wilson-Jones), was forcibly taken and made pregnant by Harkness at Les Arbres. To secure his daughter’s release, David disclosed he bartered with Weaving’s character for cold body passports and armed Les Arbres with weapons and funds.
Meanwhile, Emma Flyte, played by Ruth Bradley and now in charge of the Dogs, is persistently searching for David. The much-awaited season finale of “Hello Goodbye,” starring Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner, Naomi Wirthner as Molly Doran, Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander, and Kadiff Kirwan as Marcus Longridge, is set to air on October 9th on AppleTV+.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Weaving discusses finding inspiration in Herron’s books, explaining why Frank Harkness is central to understanding what Slow Horses is all about, and hinting at takeaways from the season finale as viewers eagerly await season five: “I believe it resonates well with audiences – it’s a fitting conclusion for the season.
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I’m interested to know, were you a fan of the show before your involvement?
Right after reminding myself to catch up on “Slow Horses,” I found myself presented with an opportunity to portray Frank across six scripts. Realizing this could be my chance to finally watch it, I seized the moment and dove right into the series almost immediately after reading the script.
It was a fantastic role, and very easy to say yes to. One of the things I did before I signed off on it was that I wanted to also read the books that Frank appears in. I really raced to read anything to do with Frank. I read three books just to get as much information on Frank as I could that wasn’t actually contained in the season on screen at the moment.
Did you find that you were letting that character in the books influence your portrayal on screen?
Indeed, it did. I was curious about Mick Herron’s perspective on Frank, given that he brought him into existence. I wanted to know how Frank from the book differed from Frank in the series, as there were noticeable differences in emphasis. I aim to add as much complexity and contrast as possible to any character I create, as I believe this makes them more authentic. To me, all people are complex, so I’m always intrigued by the complexities of characters like Frank. In a way, he serves as a father figure, but he’s also a teacher and a nurturer – yet he’s lethal and deadly, too. This duality is fascinating to me. Frank is an excellent new addition to the Slow Horses universe, and he’s a captivating character in his own right.
Your performance is incredibly chilling yet rich in layers. Does taking on the role of a villain seem like a good fit for you?
When discussing my character, I refer to them as the antagonist rather than a villain, as an actor’s perspective often differs from the role’s intended portrayal in the storyline. While it’s important to recognize their function within the narrative, I find that labeling them as the villain isn’t particularly helpful for my performance. Instead, I focus on uncovering the human aspects of the character, which is what I strive to explore and bring to life.
Do you find Frank quite different to characters you’ve played before?
Absolutely, he does possess such qualities. I’d describe him as a covert operative, working within the realm of intelligence. He operates in secrecy, often defying the norms, even going against his own organization, the CIA, when necessary. He is both enigmatic and rebellious, yet highly evolved and unsentimental. He understands the darker aspects of the secret services, including the necessity of deniability, such as feigning ignorance about certain actions or events. I believe he operates in a world where he must maintain an appearance of politeness and charm to avoid drawing attention, unless he wishes to be threatening. However, these hidden capabilities are seldom revealed, as they should not be exposed for the sake of his job’s integrity. In essence, he is a complex individual who possesses unusual experiences that most people wouldn’t have, yet he must mask this complexity in public interactions.
I have some reservations about sharing too many details, but since the final episode is approaching, could you give us a hint? Will there be a showdown between Frank and River? Is it true that Frank is River’s father, as many viewers speculate?
[I love] this whole idea about Slow Horses being centered on a dysfunctional family. Slough House is a house in which a whole lot of kids live, looked after by a father figure, Lamb. And they all want Lamb’s love, but they also don’t, really, and they also feel rejected by the other house they used to live in — the other parent, the mother. And into that world of needing to be noticed and needing to be accepted, which we all feel, is why Slow Horses is a great series. This season seems to be increasingly focused on family. David’s losing his marbles, the one father figure is losing his marbles. Another father figure, Lamb, is still there. And then this [other] father figure comes in. So something about the introduction of Frank into Slow Horses focuses our attention on what Slow Horses is actually about. And I think it’s really fascinating.
Can you give us a teaser of what’s to come?
In the sixth episode, River is abducted and transported in a car’s tire by Patrice, the robotic assassin. The opening of this episode is thrilling as it creates a tense atmosphere due to the time-bomb-like situation. At the same time, Frank expresses a desire to bring River along with him, despite the absurdity of such an offer and the extreme nature of Frank’s proposition for River.
It’s incredibly exciting! The scenes are truly captivating. Performing them was an immensely satisfying experience, something truly enjoyable. They were intriguing to delve into, and as a viewer, I believe they deliver. Overall, I think this season is superb. It’s a brilliant conclusion to the series.
How has it been working with this cast? It must be cool to see a great like Gary Oldman at work.
Regrettably, I didn’t share any screen time with Gary during that particular project. We were supposed to work together for around two consecutive days, possibly on the same set, but he contracted COVID-19 before we could start. As a result, his scenes had to be rescheduled. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet him then, but I’m hopeful that our paths will cross in the future.
Working with Jack was truly delightful, and I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with him quite extensively. I also worked a bit with Naomi, who portrays Molly Doran, and she’s simply charming. Tom Wozniczka, playing Patrice, and Kristen Scott Thomas were equally fantastic to work alongside in episode six. It was an absolute joy to meet such talented actors. Ruth Bradley is another wonderful addition to the cast, and her character is fantastic. Overall, I had a fantastic experience working on this series. The production is well-organized and efficient, yet it maintains a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Being on set was a pleasure.
Slow Horses releases its sixth and final episode on Apple TV+ on Oct. 9.
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2024-10-08 22:25