TV Quick - UK
10 September 2005
Rupert Penry-Jones is exhausted. Not because, in his role as Adam Carter, he's been jumping from helicopters and the like. It's just that he has been juggling Spooks' gruelling production schedule with being a dad to his one-year-old daughter Florence while actress Dervla Kirwan is away filming.
'Dervla and I are like ships passing in the night sometimes' he tells TVQuick. 'When she was doing 55 Degrees North in Newcastle she used to take the baby with her, but it wasn't really working, so somebody takes Florence when I'm filming and I take over when I get home.'
'It's pretty relentless - I get very little sleep,' says Rupert who, despite his tiredness, looks every inch the designer dad, lean and toned in an immaculate white T-shirt.
The new series opens with a two-part special. The funeral of Danny Hunter takes place with a backdrop of a London terror attack. Although the story was written before the July bombings, it has alarming parallels to real life. MI5 spies have just 10 hours to prevent catastrophe and Adam assumes the role of leader.
'It's nice to play the hero' says Rupert. 'He's very sure of what he's doing - he has to be - and I think that's refreshing for the audience'
Theres a new collegue for Adam to lead. First seen last series, Zafar Younis (Raza Jaffrey) is ambitious, bright and funny. And he worships Adam.
'Adam doesn't like Zaf working on his own' reveals Rupert. 'Although sometimes he has to - and normally ends up getting into trouble!'
Rupert and Raza went to the same school and drama school but their paths didn't cross until spooks. In real life, it was Rupert who was the naughty boy.
'I was kicked out of drama school before he joined - they said I was a bad influence. I didnt like it much there anyway, but being kicked out meant I couldn't get an audition or agent for two years.'
Since then the bolshie drama student has redeemed himself in TV dramas Cambridge Spies and North Square.
Rupert is glad of the flexibility of an actor's working hours. 'It means I'm very close to Florence. If I had a regular nine-to-five job, I'd probably only see ehr for an hour every day. I was brought up in a similar situation as my parents were actors [ Angela Thorne of To the Manor Born and TV character actor Peter Penry-Jones] So when Mum worked, Dad would take over'.
Rupert wouldn't mind if Florence became an actress 'She'd have to do her A-Levels first though!'