America’s longest-running crime show has led to a number of spin-offs, and now the franchise has hit the UK.

Creator Dick Wolf has given the nod of approval and the new show stars Bradley Walsh and Jamie Bamber.

The fast-paced show, which also stars Freema Agyeman, Bill Paterson, Harriet Walter and Ben Daniels, sees both side of the law – the police and the criminal justice system.

We caught up with Bradley and Jamie who play Detective Sergeants Ronnie Brooks and Matt Devlin.

How did the roles come about?
JB: I contacted my UK agent and she said she wasn't even sure if she represented me anymore! But she had a script that I might be interested in. It was really well put together.
BW: I got called in to do a reading and I was so nervous.  It was the worst reading I’ve ever given. 

Why?
BW: Because I haven’t done many auditions.  I’ve usually just got jobs.  I was so nervous, I told my agent that I had blown it.
JB: Auditions are horrible.  You walk into a room of people and you’re not in character and then you’re asked to read and it's not in context.

Did you get to meet Dick Wolf? 
JB: Yes a couple of times, but he let us get on with it without interfering. In fact he was barely around!

Tell us a bit about your characters.
BW: Ronnie's had two marriages and is a recovering alcoholic. He’s got two daughters that he rarely sees. Matt is the son he never had.  He also sees a lot of himself in Matt when he was young.
JB: Matt has a complicated family life, but he loves Ronnie. He has a lot of respect for him and sees him as being a bit old school like the Sweeney. He's young and outspoken and a bit of a flirt.

Your characters really really get on - will the audience see your relationship grow further?
BW: You don’t really get to see their lives outside work, but they're a true double act.
JB: The show only focuses on their work life.  They're the kind of work friends who only know so much about each other.
BW: Yeah, Matt's probably only been round to Ronnie's flat about twice in five years.

Do you think that is realistic?
JB: Definitely. I've worked with people for six months, got on fantastically, but don't know much more about them outside of work.

You come from such different acting backgrounds - how did you get on on generally?
BW: I learnt a lot from Jamie.
JB: Like always sleep in your lunch break.
BW: Ha!
JB: Brad is a born entertainer.  He's very patient and wants to make the best of a scene.  I learnt tons from him.  He was learning panto lines whilst filming for this show. Amazing.
BW: Sometimes I wouldn't 'get' a scene and Jamie was brilliant at helping me understand.
JB: Likewise, Brad is so good with language. He'd make script suggestions to make the characters' dialogue flow. That's definitely comes from his comic background.
BW: We're a team. A lot of actors only want to shine but we just wanted to do our best for the show.

Jamie, What was it like filming back in the UK?
It was great to be back for six months seeing family and friends.  I love London and I’m a Londoner, but home is also America, because my dad’s American.
I really enjoyed filming on the streets of London. It felt really raw and real.

What happened to your blog Jamie?
I only wrote one entry. I gave up writing a diary five years ago when I got married and my wife found it! Nobody wants to read about me.

 

 

http://tv.sky.com/interview-law-order-uk