What would you do if you were suspiciously offered a new job that paid more than your wildest dreams? That’s the premise behind Channel 5’s latest psychological thriller Too Good To Be True, which begins as a fairytale romance before the layers are peeled back to reveal a world of murky secrets and past trauma.
The four-parter centers on cleaner and single mum Rachel (played by EastEnders and Mr Selfridge star Kara Tointon), who’s up to her eyes in debt and struggling to provide for her 11-year-old son, Liam (Matilda the Musical’s Charlie Hodson-Prior).
Rachel thinks her prayers have been answered, however, when she’s hired to clean for mega-rich entrepreneur Elliot (Downton Abbey favourite Allen Leech), who offers her more pay for fewer hours.
Soon Elliot wins Liam over by gifting him a kitten called Ginger and even invites Rachel to a lavish gala fundraiser. But as Rachel begins to fall in love with Elliot, can she really trust him?
Here, Kara reveals the twists and turns in store…
What sets this psychological thriller apart?
"I love thrillers like these. But now I’m a mother of two [to Frey, five, and Helly, three], those moments watching TV are quite sporadic! But this series is really interesting because it’s almost like a rom-com initially, so when it all starts to unravel, it somehow means more. The story keeps you guessing and it's a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. You don't know which way it's going to go until right at the end."
Tell us about Rachel and what you enjoyed about playing her?
"I got two episodes to read before I auditioned for the part and I just instantly got behind Rachel. She’s a single mum and she works all hours of the day to make ends meet. She’s just a woman trying her best and I could relate to that. And especially with everything that comes along with being a mother – you suddenly feel this weight of the world on your shoulders!"
How would you describe her relationship with her son?
"They’re a real team. It just so happens that he’s this incredibly intelligent, academically gifted 11-year-old and so she's striving to give him the best she can. They have an incredible bond. And Charlie, who plays him, is a real pro. Some of the scenes are quite heavy but he took it all in his stride."
When Rachel meets Elliot, does she think her luck has changed?
"Certainly as an audience you think, 'oh my God, all her prayers are answered.' You hope things will finally turn around for her. But everything's a little bit more serious than it seems, and as soon as Rachel delves below the surface and into Elliot’s past, it all unravels!"
That’s when things get creepier, don’t they?
"Yes, you warm to Elliot at first. He starts to opens up about his childhood and you believe he’s being truthful. But you never really fully get to know the extent of Elliot's past until quite near the end! It was a shock when I read the final two episodes – that’s when things really rev up! Allen and I have known each other for a long time, so when I knew he was playing Elliot, I was so chuffed. I thought it was a really clever casting choice – the way he played Elliot wasn’t obvious, so that made it all the more interesting."
You filmed in Dublin. Did you socialise much as a cast?
"No, there wasn’t much time! We were filming five-day weeks. Usually I was picked up at 5.45am and then we’d wrap at 7pm, so it was really intense. I enjoyed my weekends walking around Dublin, but I also needed that time to prep for the following week and to see my kids! It was a full on experience, but I loved it!"
You play a cleaner, but are you a naturally tidy person?
"I'm a whirlwind of mess, but I also can't concentrate until everything is tidy, so I actually find cleaning quite therapeutic. Because I've got two young children, anything that you can focus on that doesn't revolve around not being able to hear yourself think is quite a zen experience! Although I do need to get my kids tidying up their toys themselves because I realize that my mum did far too much for me when I was younger!"
And finally, do you have any stand out moments from filming?
"Normally I love stunt work, but I managed to tear my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) two weeks before the end of filming, which was a horrible injury. We had to get a double in while I was hobbling around in this massive knee brace!"
Too Good To Be True starts on Channel 5 on Wednesday, February 14 at 9pm on Channel 5.
