Life On Mars
Dean Andrews plays the moustached DS Ray Carling
After a mistake, and a demotion at the end of series one, Ray finally ends up back in Gene's good books. How does that affect him and his work?
Ìý
"After his demotion last year, Ray realised he wasn't going to win the battle with Sam. It's more important that Gene, his mentor, likes him rather than Ray liking Sam.
Ìý
"I think Ray is on his best behaviour a bit; he still doesn't like Sam and lets him know every so often and always tries to have a little dig here and there!"
Ìý
This series reveals a more vulnerable side to Ray, which is unusual for him. Have you always known he had a softer side?
Ìý
"The beauty with this series is it shows Ray's vulnerability, but also his dedication, and maybe even some of that 'Neanderthal instinct' comes out because he feels like he has to go back to work. He also has the moral high ground on Sam at that point, as well, because Sam isn't always right.
Ìý
"At one point, he puts Ray in danger and he comes out of it quite badly. Ray, however, becomes the hero and he becomes the boss's boy again. It was quite a good one to act because I could show a different side to Ray, rather than just the macho/testosterone side.
Ìý
"Throughout the series, there are some great stories and situations that go some way to vindicating Ray's behaviour to a degree. When Gene gets arrested, Ray sticks up for the Guv when Sam doesn't. There have been some great moments for Ray as well as some near tearful moments which you would never have dreamt of in series one."
Ìý
How was it growing a real moustache for the role?
Ìý
"It was horrible – almost as horrible as having a fake moustache. It certainly wasn't a macho tash, either! I think it looks great, though, so it was well worth it. I shaved the tash and the sideboards off as soon as we finished filming. I've only just shaved my hair off now, but it feels a lot better!"
Ìý
How do you feel about this being the last series?
Ìý
"I've had a good time in the Seventies, and it's a show that I'll definitely miss. I know it's not a bad thing, the show will go out on a high, everyone will talk about it and hopefully it'll become a classic. Everyone was great and the cast and crew had great camaraderie – I'll definitely miss that."
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