Paterson Joseph joins the cast of Law & Order: UK (ITV, Sunday, 9pm) as Ronnie and Sam's new boss DI Wes Leyton and TV & Satellite Week brought him in for questioning to find out more…
How would you describe Wes?
"Wes is frustrated because he is a desk jockey who is drowning in paperwork, when he’d rather be back on the street getting stuck in. He is firm and pushes the team as far as they can go. He knows Ronnie of old and they share a sense of humour and have both learned how to play the modern game of policing to get results, but Sam is a maverick which Wes hates because it is not a great way to get convictions."
What was the appeal for you?
"The plots are intricate with nothing soapy about them, it is all about the crime and how it is discovered and investigated and the show is confident enough to tell it to you without resorting to anything sensational just to shock. Take the opener with the train crash, it seems like it is a disaster episode but it is about people’s lives. That’s why the franchise has lasted because it has never let go of its premise of being about human beings and what they do to each other."
What research did you do?
"I met with an undercover cop and it felt quite cloak and dagger because I sensed that he was far away from anywhere he could be recognised, but you could tell that what he loved doing was what Wes would, which is nicking people. But I was surprised when he said the best thing about the job was following rules that had been set down over the years and rather than seeing them as restrictions, knowing that if you do what generations of cops have learned the hard way, you get convictions."
Did you enjoy playing a cop?
"I really loved it, there is something about being the person in the room who is a little bit smarter than everyone else and knows exactly the right questions to ask. I love that sense of power, it is really delicious! It must be an absolutely fascinating job."
What is it like filming in London?
"It's great, my favourite scene, which took us ages to film because of tourists, was walking across Westminster Bridge with Bradley Walsh discussing a case. I really felt part of London and like a proper London copper."
Do you get recognised a lot for playing Johnson in Peep Show?
"Yes, at least more than for the other things I have done. It happened in America a few weeks ago which was strange because I never think of any shows I do being in America, but I was in Ohio and people came up and said, 'It’s Johnson! What are you doing here?' I didn’t quite know what to make of it, I thought they were joking at first, but they were big Peep Show fans."
You live in France, what do you miss most about the UK?
"Because I have got BBC, ITV and Channel 4, I am alright for telly stuff and because I go across so often I get bacon and cheddar cheese, but the only thing I can't get that I miss is fish and chips, but I can't have it too often anyway so leaving the country has made me slimmer and healthier!"
