The actor performs convicted offender John Worboys in upcoming ITV drama Imagine Me
ITV unveiled a primary take a look at the actor as John Worboys (Picture: ITV)
Daniel Mays has confessed he was “completely terrified” upon studying the script for his new ITV drama Imagine Me.
The actor portrays convicted prison John Worboys – who grew to become often known as the ‘black cab rapist’ after focusing on girls below the quilt of being a licensed taxi-cab driver.
He was discovered responsible in 2009 for offences together with sexual assault and drugging with intent towards 12 girls, studies the Mirror.
“I truly underestimated how a lot it was going to have an effect on me,” Daniel revealed as a primary look picture of him as Worboys was unveiled.
“I have been knowledgeable actor for 26 years, so I’ve finished lots of true crime and performed lots of fallacious ‘uns. After I bought these scripts, it completely terrified me, as a result of I am a father myself.”
Aimée-Ffion Edwards stars within the ITV drama (Picture: ITV)
“My head instantly went to my 13-year-old daughter Dixie. She’s venturing out, occurring trains, and earlier than lengthy, little doubt she’ll be at the back of a taxi. In order a father, I discovered it an extremely disturbing and terrifying learn.”
He added: “It was a tough factor to have rolling round in my head earlier than filming. It was a really isolating character to play, by its very nature.
“After I was introduced to play him, I bought this tirade from household and buddies and work colleagues who cannot fairly consider it, going, ‘Why would you need to play one thing like that?’ So, the problem was to humanise him, actually, and that was a really tough and unsettling factor to tackle.”
The four-part sequence, filmed in Cardiff, centres on the ordeal of Sarah (portrayed by Peaky Blinders’ Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (portrayed by Raised By Wolves’ Aasiya Shah), who reported sexual assaults by Worboys, and the way their allegations weren’t correctly investigated.
ITV stated it “tells the story of how the victims of one of the vital prolific intercourse attackers in British historical past have been failed by the system”.
Daniel, recognised for Des and A Thousand Blows, stated there’s “at all times an enormous accountability” portraying an actual particular person on display screen, however that this was “a complete different degree”.
He defined: “That is instructed from the attitude of the victims, and for them to inform their fact, have their tales instructed – the ordeals that they went by means of and the combat they took on towards the Metropolitan Police and the court docket methods.
“So, once you’re coping with that, the onus was on me to get it completely 110% proper. That was paramount to me.”
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Imagine Me is coming quickly to ITV1.
Should you or someone you realize has been affected by this story, contact Sufferer Help without spending a dime, confidential recommendation on 08 08 16 89 111 or go to their web site, http://www.victimsupport.org.uk.
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