While he
naturally has a deadly aim with a bow and arrow, he is slightly
different to the traditional man in tights - he has style and wit by
the bucketload.
Many were
surprised when the BBC signed up relatively unknown actor Jonas
Armstrong to play the iconic hero in their lavish £8m series,
and he says he feels some burden on his shoulders to do the part
justice.
"Of course
there is pressure being a newcomer in a primetime show like this. It's
the first lead role I've had," he confides.
"When I
got the part I sat down and thought to myself, `Do I think about the
pressure of this part, how I'm going to play it and are people going to
like it? Or do I just take it whole heartedly and go with it?' Now I
feel really excited about the show going out.
"But it is
also very nerve-wracking," the Lancashire lad adds. "My parents came
down for the first screening of the show and I could barely speak to
them, but I was really happy - and relieved - when I saw the final
product.
"You're
always going to be picky about what you see, especially about your own
performance, but as a whole, I think the show really works and the
supporting cast are great, so I had a smile on my face when I saw the
first episode."
Of course,
he has a lot to live up to. Many famous actors have played the role of
the outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, including
Richard Greene and Errol Flynn. While Jonas, at just 25 years old, is
far too young to remember those performances, he admits he did enjoy
Hollywood's 1991 take on the story.
"I was
only five or six when Robin Of Sherwood was being broadcast, but I can
remember the images from the show, and of course I remember the Kevin
Costner film really well.
"Lads
always play bow and arrows when they are young and pretend they're
Robin Hood in the forest, so I was gobsmacked when I got the part."
And it
wasn't just the bow and arrows Jonas got to play with on set - Robin's
other weapon of choice is an impressive Saracen sword. Luckily, the
slight actor is a dab hand at sword-fighting.
"I've got
a certificate for stage combat. I trained when I was at Rada, so I
didn't go into it as a novice. I think that paid off.
"If there
was anything too risky though, for instance walking across a beam, I
had a stunt double that stood in. I got really annoyed they wouldn't
let me do that - it was only eight foot tall," he laughs. "I think it
was for insurance reasons."
One thing
they did let Jonas do was the horse riding.
"They gave
me free rein on the horses. I'm the only one who was allowed to
gallop," he grins. "It's a really good buzz when you're stuck on a
horse and told to fly around one-handed with a bow in one hand,
shouting orders - that's brilliant and I really enjoyed that."
But don't
be fooled, it's not all about the action. At the centre of the story is
Robin's romance with Marian.
"They were
sweethearts and then Robin went off to fight for King and Country in
the Holy Land," Jonas explains. "Obviously Marian was a bit miffed when
he decided to go off there for glory rather than staying with her.
"He comes
back and thinks he can pick up where he left off and get her to fall
back into his arms, but it isn't that easy. That makes it all the
better! It's about him trying to woo her."
It is
because of Marian we get to see a darker side of Robin's character too.
In the first episode, Robin seems amiable and cheeky, but things soon
change.
"He so
wanted to come back from the war and rekindle himself with society and
get his position sorted, but that goes totally out of the window. He
has to completely readjust to life in the forest with a bunch of
unscrupulous strangers.
"His
personality gets darker. This guy is a trained killer, he was in the
King's guard, so he's a very able fighter."
Having
already signed on for a further two seasons if the programme proves
successful, there is no doubt that the show is set to catapult the down
to earth, aesthetically pleasing Mr Armstrong - who has previously
starred in Teachers and The Ghost Squad - into the public eye.
