'It's scary and exciting leaving Death in Paradise for Mr Loverman,' says Tahj Miles
The BBC adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo's novel marks his first TV appearance since leaving the murder mystery.
Former Death in Paradise star Tahj Miles has said that "it was scary but exciting" joining Mr Loverman following his exit from the long-running murder mystery series.
"When I booked the job, it was just a good feeling to know that I can book something else other than Death in Paradise," he told RadioTimes.com.
"But then it was nerve-wracking because I've just been in the head of Marlon [the police officer I played on DIP] for four years, so to jump into a whole different character who has his whole different problems and things he has to go through, it was scary."
The eight-part drama, which is adapted from Bernardine Evaristo's novel of the same name, stars Lennie James as Barrington Jedidiah Walker, a 74-year-old Antiguan-born Londoner who is on the verge of coming out to his wife of 50 years so that he can spend the rest of his days with his longtime soulmate and best friend, Morris.
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"Things like this make people uncomfortable," said Miles of the subject matter. "To watch stories like this might seem a bit too real and too close to home. And some people are scared of being uncomfortable.
"But in my personal opinion, being uncomfortable is what raises questions, and questions raise answers, which is what you need to evolve and grow in this crazy world we're living in."
Miles plays Barry's 17-year-old grandson Daniel, who is about to head off to university. But despite his bright future, he's wrestling with some anxieties of his own.
"It's meant to be a very simple, easy part of your life," he said. "You just go to school, you have your friends, and you go home and keep it simple.
"But when I started thinking back [to when I was 17], I was like, it was actually a really mad time because there are so many different things you have to deal with.
"There are so many things to look forward to that it’s exciting, but it's also terrifying at the same time.
"And Daniel, being someone who's got the world ahead of him, who's got so much potential, he's incredibly smart, level-headed, articulate, respectful, and his family know how good he is and how good he can really be, but that's just more expectations and more responsibilities on your shoulders... which can send you on a completely different stretch of life [if it all becomes too much]."
Miles is joined in the cast by Sharon D Clarke (Doctor Who, Holby City) as Barry's wife Carmel, Tamara Lawrance (Time) and Sharlene Whyte (Sherwood) as the couple's daughters, and Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials, Good Omens) as Morris, the real love of Barry's life.
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All episodes of Mr Loverman will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Monday 14th October. The first two episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm that evening, with episodes continuing to air weekly.
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