Many were surprised when the BBC
signed up
relatively unknown actor Jonas Armstrong, who was brought up in Lytham
St Annes, to play the iconic hero in their lavish £8 million
series.
The former Arnold schoolboy admits he feels some burden 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 wholeheartedly and go
with it?' Now I feel really excited about the show going out.
"But it is also very nerve-wracking. 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."
It was only a decade ago that Jonas was learning his craft in
school productions at Arnold School in Blackpool.
His parents, Eva and Harold Armstrong, St Annes, said they
were
over the moon he had landed the role. Eva admits her son did not think
he had any hope of getting it when he auditioned, particularly as he
was up against actors such as Shameless star James McAvoy.
Jonas has appeared in Channel 4's Teachers and The Ghost Squad, and had
a role in Rutherford & Son at Manchester's Royal Exchange last
year.
He was born in Ireland, but the family moved to St Annes when he was
six.
His mum maintains he has a "great affinity" with the area: "He loves
coming back home for Christmas."
When he does he likes catching up with friends at the pub and has been
known to play at St Annes Tennis Club.
It also helps that Robin Hood - leader of the famous band of
merry men - was one of his heroes as a child.
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 25, is too young to remember those performances, he
says he did enjoy Hollywood's 1991 take on the story.
"I think every boy is a fan of Robin Hood. 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 - Robin's
other weapon of choice is an impressive Saracen sword. Luckily, the
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. 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 – I think it is
a
love story."
Because of Marian, we get to see a darker side of Robin's character. In
the first episode, Robin seems amiable and cheeky, but things 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 does adjust, because
it has to.
"His personality gets darker. This guy is a trained killer - he was in
the king's guard, part of his personal protection, so he's a very able
fighter. He has got a temper and while he can usually control himself,
he can also lose it.
"As the series goes on you do see snippets of that coming out,
especially in episode eight. I can't say exactly why, but it's to do
with Gisbourne and Marian. He goes to a dark place then. He is capable
of having a menacing side."
And that is not the only flaw in Robin's character, Jonas reveals.
"He's quite arrogant, rather vain, and can be self-centred. But overall
the rounded Robin is essentially a very decent, good-spirited person."
Fans of previous films and series of Robin Hood may be surprised by the
costumes in this latest offering. The green tights have been banished -
instead, the outlaws wear clothes with a modern twist.
"Some of the characters have Diesel boots and combats, and I've got a
hoodie," Jonas laughs. "The costumes are really cool."
Having already signed on for a further two seasons if the programme
proves successful, there is no doubt the show is set to catapult Jonas
into the public eye. His unkempt good looks are bound to get a few
hearts racing, but is he ready for his life to change?
"You know when you accept a role like this that they are going to
really push it, and you have to realise your face is going to be known.
Until it starts to happen, I won't know how I'll react."
And what about the almost guaranteed attention from the female of the
species?
"If that happens, I'll see what it is like then.
''But as a red-blooded male, I won't be complaining!" |
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