Lucy Boynton plays Jean Courtney in new six-part thriller The Ipcress File, which starts on Sunday March 6 at 9pm on ITV. The espionage drama is based on the hit spy novel by Len Deighton which was famously made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine. Now Gangs of London and former Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole takes on the iconic role as British soldier-turned-spy Harry Palmer while Lucy is upper-crust spy Jean Courtney, who joins Harry on a dangerous mission to find a missing British scientist.
We caught up with Lucy Boynton for a recent Zoom call to talk all things Jean Courtney, Harry Palmer, Joe Cole and The Ipcress File on ITV...
Lucy Boynton on what drew her to star in 'The Ipcress File'
Lucy Boynton says: "I was just incredibly excited by the prospect of doing this version of The Ipcress File. It’s such a fascinating world to explore, especially through Jean’s eyes which is obviously how I approached reading the script in the first place. I just think she’s such an interesting commentary on what it’s like to be a woman in a male dominated industry. That's especially true within the context of this 1960s era of so called liberation for women and for young people, but we look at that era through the lens of a character like Jean. She uses that societal underestimation of young women to her advantage and so she carries out her job right under your nose and can hide in plain sight. So the utilization of that was so interesting and of course to see someone so excellent at their job is really satisfying, especially a job that is so dangerous and romanticised. I was just very excited to live in her shoes, I’ve never felt cooler!"
Tell us more about Jean Courtney's background…
Lucy says: "When we first meet her, Jean is living with her parents and is engaged to be married. Her family and fiancé believe that she works at the BBC, doing not much more than making tea and coffee for her male bosses! The fact that in reality she’s actually an intelligence agent, a spy, dealing with nuclear bombs, abducted scientists and brainwashing conspiracies in her day-to-day is just a brilliant contrast."
How would you describe Harry Palmer and Jean's relationship with him?
Lucy says: "He’s an accidental hero, without a ‘save the world’ agenda or complex. He’s nobody’s fool and won’t pander to hierarchy. He’s diligent and pragmatic but there’s that slight smile at the corner of his mouth and a glint in his eye that conveys that sceptical Harry Palmer sense of humour that’s really appealing and amusing.
"They start off with preconceived ideas about each other so it’s initially quite frosty, but as they get thrown into this wild world of espionage and are forced to rely on one another, it becomes a really beautiful relationship and I think a fun one to watch unfold."
With Jean and Harry, the initial frostiness is because Jean’s had to work so hard to be where she is in this male-dominated industry and she assumes Harry is entering with all the assumed authority of his gender. Then she starts to clock that Harry's different from any other agent she's worked with. They warm to each other. But Harry throws a spanner into the momentum of her life…"
What was it like working with Joe Cole?
Lucy says: “It’s been one of my favourite filming experiences. Joe Cole brings such a great energy and sense of humour to the set, which made the whole experience so fun. It’s always a real pleasure and privilege to work with such a dedicated actor.
“Led by our director James Watkins, everyone was very collaborative on this job, right from the first rehearsal and meeting. I think that partly stems from a shared enthusiasm and passion for the project you’re all working to build up together. When the script is as good as this there’s a unifying determination and excitement every day to do right by it and make the most of it.”
Tell us about your spectacular fight scene?
Lucy says: "It's the first stunt I've ever had to do. It’s a fight with a person significantly larger than myself and my driver on set was laughing and played Eye of the Tiger! It was fun to get into the thick of it."
Would you like to see more of these characters?
Lucy says: "Yes. I think there's still so much to explore. Especially with that era and meeting these characters as young as they are. Add to that the behind-the-curtain espionage of an era we all look to and reference so often. It’s unendingly fascinating."
When you can watch Lucy Boynton in 'The Ipcress File'
* The Ipcress File is a six-part spy drama that starts on Sunday March 6 on ITV at 9pm, 2022 but can be watched as a box set in full on both ITV Hub and BritBox after the first episode has aired. AMC+ will be showing The Ipcress FIle in the US and Canada at a later date. Take a look at Lucy Boynton in action in the trailer released by ITV below...
