Interview with Law and Order actor Bill Paterson

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Saturday, 09 January 2010 02:17

ITV After the success of the Law & Order brand in the US there must have been a certain amount of pressure to make the UK version a success. You must be delighted that an average of six million viewers each week have proved the UK version was a hit as well?

“Yes, people really like it. The style of the American series is quite low key and it has a sort of standard look that’s quite settled now. I think ours has adapted both for the legal point of view and the general culture milieu of Britain quite well. And particularly with the police, I think the guys are just terrific. Bradley and Jamie are fantastic, I love their take on it. They’re not the usual hard bitten cops. There’s a nice lightness and yet they’re very, very humane. So I think that’s a great asset.”

In this series we see George take to the stand as a defence lawyer for an old friend. Do you enjoy bringing more of your characters past life into the role?

“Oh yes I got to put the wig on. That episode was good. I mean to some extent George is a figurehead, he’s there to be a sounding board. They come and they hit off me and I’m either pushing them to do more, or pulling them back from doing too much. And obviously the nice thing about it is that Denis (Lawson) who played the old friend in this story is actually an old friend of mine. Denis and I have known each other since we were at college together in 1966 and we’ve been friends since then. Although we’ve never, ever worked with each other. So that was nice because my character doesn’t get out and about very much. George is often trapped in his office.”

Some of the storylines you cover and film are harrowing. Do you find it hard to switch off after a long day filming?

“I’ve not had to deal with so much of that. I must say there are other jobs where that’s happened with me, when you do get caught up in filming harrowing scenes. Generally speaking, I am not at the cutting edge of dealing with the crime scenes or the victims. So I would say it’s not been a major problem for me to switch off.”

What is your character’s favourite attribute?

“He seems to be quite like me! There’s an uncanny resemblance to me, that’s one of the great advantages. By just sheer luck he bears an uncanny resemblance, so no matter how much I studied and tried to find alternatives he just seemed to constantly remind me of myself. He is comparatively like me in the sense that he tries to see all sides of things. I don’t think there’s room for George to be messianic, to go down one track and say, ‘This is how it’s got to be done.’ There’s no room for that. I’ve got to be slightly all things to all men and I quite like that.

“So that’s what I like about him, he's a pleasant enough guy. I could do with him getting out more but that’s not George, that’s the show. I like being out in the streets, that’s just my taste. For example Freema likes being in the offices or in the police station where it’s more controlled but I like being out in the street.”

What do you think the viewers like about the series?

“The thing that’s quite refreshing and my wife has said this, is that it has enough reality but the violence and the bloodletting is very low key and quite controlled. If its there it’s needed but it’s not sensationalised in any way and I think a lot of people feel easier for that. Sometimes you watch a crime story and you think, ‘Gosh, I don’t want to watch that.’ There’s some guy getting beaten senselessly and there's a kind of voyeurism about that. I think with Law & Order the viewer knows what they expect to get. They know that if they come in on a story they’ll get the crime or the teaser of the crime and the incident that is going to be followed up. They get the investigation and then they get the legal process. It’s a format for storytelling that’s recognised and I think a lot of people like that.

“We live in very changeable times and there are so many choices for the average viewer. You hit Law & Order and you know what you’re going to get and that’s a good hour taken care of. I do particularly think the police side has got a very good balance of reality and a lightness of touch. Even though Bradley’s character is older and more experienced he’s still not a weary, bitter cop. It’s a nice change from the hard regime. Both Bradley and Jamie care but they always have a joke. It’s very believable and it’s a good asset.”

What is your favourite episode is from series 2?

“I like Episode 1 about the police officer who holds back from going up to help his mate. He was part of the police force and I have to say, ‘We need the police, we owe the police a lot. We don’t go looking for flaws in the police service as without them we don’t operate.’ Yet on the other hand they’re saying, ‘We cannot have this.’ So I think that was a good story, I liked that.

“Also one of the great things about this series is that we have very good people featured. The non-regular cast are always very, very good. Jamie Foreman was the police officer in that. I didn’t have many scenes with him because I just watched him in court. I seldom have scenes with characters other than James and Freema. But I always like watching the quality of the work when I get into court. When I see them in the dock, they're always very good actors.”

Why should the viewers come back and tune into series 2?

Well, they’ve got that guarantee at 9 o’clock, they’ll see something they are familiar with but each show will be intriguing. I try to think of myself as comparatively smart but the stories challenge me. What’s going on? What angle can be taken by the law here? I think people like that. It’s like a very good crossword puzzle, that’s just manageable. You don’t want to do crossword puzzles that are too easy and you don’t want ones that will completely stump you. I think that’s what Law & Order: UK is like, a very good, challenging crossword puzzle.”

Law and Order UK returns to ITV1 on Monday 11^th January at 9pm. Interview courtesy of the ITV Press Office. Interview and images copyright of ITV.