SAS Rogue Heroes' Gwilym Lee: 'Bill Stirling must steer Paddy right to ensure the SAS's survival'

In this interview, Lee discusses preparing for the role, the camaraderie on set, and the insight he gained from Bill Stirling’s family, as well as reflecting on his journey from Bohemian Rhapsody to this gripping historical drama.

You’ve joined the cast of SAS Rogue Heroes for series two — who is Lieutenant Colonel Bill Stirling?

He’s David Stirling’s older brother. Series two starts with David in a prisoner-of-war camp. The SAS is slightly rudderless, with Paddy Mayne going off the rails, and Bill has come in to steer him in the right direction to ensure the SAS’s survival.

How did you prepare for the role?

There’s a lot of reading around the subject — although there’s not as much written about Bill as there is about David, which in itself tells a story. Bill was less interested in being the centre of attention and probably wasn’t as concerned about his legacy. I was very lucky to be in contact with Archie Stirling, Bill’s son. He was very generous with his time and shared photographs of Bill. To see him as a family man gave a different insight to him as a person.

Given you play Connor Swindells’s brother, did you talk about how you could be complementary in your portrayals?

Yes. I watched the first series, and I thought his performance was incredible. He was also very generous — he’d be texting constantly while I was preparing. And my first day on set, he messaged to say good luck. But there was also an element of Connor being frustrated at not being in the action as well. A lot of us actors are experiencing similar emotions to our characters this series.

Bill is officer-class compared to Mayne’s ramshackle men — away from filming, was there fraternising between you all?

Definitely. It was a real band of brothers. It’s a testament to this brilliant cast that’s been put together. They had all done the first series together, but they welcomed us as new recruits and we all felt we had a responsibility to do justice to this story and to these individuals. So, we’re all serving this greater story.

How did you come to acting?

I grew up in Birmingham and joined a drama group called the Central Television Workshop in Nottingham — which, by coincidence, Jack O’Connell was in as well. It was subsidised by ITV, and it allowed a diverse group of people who might not otherwise have access to acting get brilliant training.

You played Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody, the most successful music biopic ever in terms of box office and awards. Did it elevate your career to another level?

It would be a lie to say that the phone didn’t stop ringing and I was turning down scripts endlessly. But there was certainly more interest, and it gives you a reference point. Rather than going into an audition room and trying to convince people, they say: “I saw that film, I really liked it, well done.” And straight off the back of that I did The Great. Whether that would have happened without having done Bohemian Rhapsody, I don’t know.

Have you stayed in touch with Brian May?

There are a few text messages and emails every now and again. He’s a lovely man — he calls me his brother. I know Anita Dobson was quite freaked out when she saw me in all the gear for the first time. She was like [decent impersonation of Dobson-as-EastEnders’s Angie], "Oh, my God, you look just like him!".

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SAS Rogue Heroes season 2 will air at 9pm on New Year's Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while season 1 is available on BBC iPlayer now.

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