Sixth Commandment star on 'immersion' and how story 'got under his skin'

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Hardwicke said of his character: "There was never a day that went by that Peter and Ann weren't on my mind, and I'm glad that was the case. I think it's important that they were close to the making of this, that they're not just at the forefront of the story, but the 'why' in why we're making it.

"So I was thinking of them constantly and sometimes, because you're so close to it and you're filming it over three months, it becomes more and more moving and I felt closer to the story the further we went on."

He continued: "You don't really switch off because you go home and you've got the next day to prepare for and to think about character. It's a constant work in progress, you're always adjusting, you're always learning, you're always trying to be as faithful and true and accurate as you can. So every day I was going home and staying in it for the evening.

"And then there was a cut-off point where I would just say look, there's not much more you can do now, stop thinking about it and get some sleep. But I was in Bristol away from home for the three months so that meant I was immersed in it… because I like working that way."

Talking about the extent of his immersion in the role, Hardwicke said: "I like feeling like I have the time and space to dedicate everything to the story because it was written and created with such care and sensitivity and such dedication. And with the involvement of Peter and Ann's families, there is an extra responsibility, so you're only happy to stay in it as long as you need to.

"But after we finished filming, on the weekends, on the breaks, it was always there at the forefront of my mind. I've never worked on something like this, where the real-life story, the fact that this happened to them got under my skin so much."

Read more:

• The Sixth Commandment actor on playing killer Ben Field: "You have to suspend judgement"
• The Sixth Commandment's Timothy Spall says drama was "massive responsibility"

The Sixth Commandment star Reid previously explained how that the series explores the notion of "evil hiding in plain sight".

The actress said: "I think that the audience will find the whole story fascinating. But what's terrifying about this story is that this sort of terrible evil is hiding in plain sight. Ben Field could be anybody – he feels like he's a normal loving guy.

"It makes you sort of question your own life. I don't know whether I would have been taken in by someone like him, probably not. But it's very difficult to judge relationships."

The Sixth Commandment is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with the final two episodes airing on BBC One from Monday 24th July. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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