Manhunt actor Tobias Menzies on what 'haunted' him about new series
Menzies stars in the new Apple TV+ historical drama about the assassination of President Lincoln.
Tobias Menzies, star of the new Apple TV+ historical drama Manhunt, has revealed the key discovery he made about the true story behind the show during filming, which he says has stayed with him in a "haunting" way.
The series follows Menzies's character Edwin Stanton, President Abraham Lincoln's war secretary, who is seen leading the manhunt to find John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated the president at Ford's Theatre.
Menzies spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about his role in the series, and explained: "I think the thing that's really stayed with me in a slightly haunting way is that the death of Lincoln was so close to the end of the Civil War, and that it threw the result of that war into question.
"And I had never really understood that, the sort of proximity of those things, and that through that manhunt, through those 12 days that it took them to find Booth and his Confederates, that Stanton was having to try to hold together this country that might well have fallen back into civil war."
He continued: "The kind of fragility and precariousness of that… I guess it's easy to draw some parallels to now, it feels like a rich story to be telling, to be looking at, that democracy is a fragile thing and needs looking after. And so, in that regard, it feels like a relevant and resonant story to be shown and to be sharing."
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As well as Menzies, the series also stars Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air), Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass), Patton Oswalt (The Sandman) and Lovie Simone (Power Book III: Raising Kanan).
Menzies also spoke with RadioTimes.com about how playing Stanton compared with his other high-profile role as a real-life figure, Prince Philip in The Crown seasons 3 and 4.
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He said: "The honest truth is you have a bit more licence, because they can't, like, point to the footage of him walking into a supermarket and go, 'That's not what he's like.'
"So, I guess, a bit more leeway to create the character that we needed for the centre of this story. And it goes without saying, it's not a documentary, it's a piece of reimagining."
Manhunt will premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday 15th March 2024 with the first two episodes, then episodes will be released weekly. Sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
