Our House sees Martin Compston play one of the most ‘emotionally draining’ roles of his career.
The four-part thriller, airing nightly on ITV from Monday, March 7 to Thursday, March 10 at 9pm, is based on Louise Candlish’s best-selling novel and sees the Line of Duty star play troubled Bram Lawson, whose estranged wife Fi (Tuppence Middleton) is stunned to learn that their family home appears to have been sold without her knowledge.
Flashbacks then show how their marriage falls apart when Bram has an affair and then both their lives start to spiral out of control as we follow the shocking events that lead to Fi’s horrifying discovery.
We chatted to Martin Compston to find out more about Our House...
'Our House' is so tense! What was the appeal for you?
“The script was a page-turner! It’s a classic thriller where you don't know who you trust, you don’t know who you’re rooting for, the tables turn constantly and everything goes wrong. It will definitely get people talking, because it shows how one wrong move can destroy your life. There are great moral questions. All the characters at one point find themselves in a pretty extreme situation...”
How do you see Bram?
“Bram’s full of contradictions, which is fun to play. He is a bit wild but hopefully a lovable rogue. He's a good dad and sees himself as a family man. But he’s somebody who, throughout his life, has sought out danger and that can lead him into a sticky situation.”
What is his relationship like with Fi?
“It was a happy marriage. They were madly in love and there still seems to be love there. The scripts are full of sliding doors moments where, if somebody didn't do that, then things would have been fine. But it never seems to go well! You think, ‘Will these people just talk to each other!’”
Has it been challenging to film?
“It's probably the most emotionally draining part I’ve played in a long time. It has taken a lot out of me. The scripts are a gift for an actor. But they go very dark at times and it can put you in a darker frame of mind. Tuppence is cracking though, we both like a laugh. She's been a joy to work with!”
You have been in some incredible shows in the last few years from 'Line of Duty' to 'The Nest ' and 'Vigil', do you still have to pinch yourself?
"Yes, it's been a wild ride trying to cling on and just enjoy it and appreciate where you are because you can take a lot of things for granted. I had a really nice level of fame for a long time where people just let me go on, but it's probably got a bit more intense. But in terms of my actual career, it's happened at the right time, because I feel I am ready for it. I'm more interested in the work than the party side of things, I got all that out of me in my 20s! But I'm just really enjoying this period where people are coming to me, I think that's the most exciting thing!"
Does everybody want to offer you an opinion on the finale to the last series of 'Line of Duty'?
“Yeah, but l don't mind, people invested so much time in it. And so everybody is entitled to their opinion, and you've got to respect that, it's one of those things. It got a bit out of hand how big it got but it's really exciting. The support we've had from people over the years has been outstanding, it has taken us from a wee show on BBC2 on a Wednesday night to being the biggest drama of the century. So that's a blessing. We can only just say thank you.”
Our House airs each night from Monday, 7 March to Thursday, 10 March at 9pm on ITV and will air in the US at a later date.
