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Richard Armitage talks to Benji Wilson about his roles in Spooks and Robin Hood.
BW: It's the jaw-dropping final episode of Spooks. Any hints?
RA: I can't give too much away, but we're up against probably the greatest threat that the UK could ever face. It's sort of a ticking clock, and we're involved in something like a chase across London. We have to get to a certain place at a certain time in order to prevent something from happening, but we're being pursued by the FSB [KGB], so we have to go underground to do it. It's quite a surprise to find out how we manage to get across London, because we're being watched from everywhere.
I bet there are a few viewers who would love to know how to get across London so quickly.
I can't say how. But the series does end on quite a dramatic cliffhanger. You think it's all been solved and then there's a massive spanner in the works, which hopefully will lead people towards an eighth series.
You lost a stone to play Lucas. Now you're off playing Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood again - are you a yo-yo dieter?
It was just the one shot for Lucas - I wanted to make sure that when he was described as being malnourished [after spending eight years in a Russian prison] I wouldn't stand there looking healthy. When I was playing Guy, I had to build up quite a lot. We're doing an extended fight sequence in every episode this year, so in order to cope with that stamina, I couldn't really be underweight. So I trained through the end of Spooks in to Robin Hood.
Are the rumours of a Guy of Gisborne spin-off true? Could they call it Go-to Guy?
No, it doesn't exist. Again, I can't reveal what's going to happen, but Guy goes through quite a big shift in season three. He's sort of turned inside-out really. There's a brilliant flashback episode to Robin and Guy in childhood, which we're about to shoot, and it puts everything in perspective. You begin to understand how both of these people became who they are.
Is there a small boy playing a mini-you?
Yes, a mini-me. I made sure that he had a relatively small nose. I was paranoid they were going to get a child actor with an enormous hooter.
Guy v Lucas - who'd win in a fight?
Lucas, without a doubt. Guy got thrashed by Marian dressed as a nightwatchman, so he's a bit rubbish. Lucas is a trained killer. He could kill somebody with his bare hands.
Is it true you once joined a circus?
Yeah. I did a 20-week contract in a circus to get an Equity card. Funnily enough it was in Budapest, where they film Robin Hood. I was in a sort of cabaret group - it was mime and physical theatre. I was chucking hoola hoops at skateboarders and holding ladders for jugglers. I learnt to tumble and do a bit of acrobatics, but I was really just helping out.
Physical theatre? Isn't that a euphemism for weird nudist stuff? Can you assure us there are no skeletons in the Armitage closet?
No, no, but it was that kind of weird cabaret. With ultraviolet bodypaint and that kind of rubbish.
Is there any filmed evidence of this spectacle?
No. Absolutely not. I've destroyed every piece of it.
One final question: you're starring in Spooks and Robin Hood. If you landed Doctor Who and EastEnders, have you thought about holding the entire BBC1 primetime schedule to ransom?
Ha ha! Absolutely. It would all come crashing down. No, I'd wake up in the night with a cold sweat if that was happening. They'd have a collar round my neck and I wouldn't be allowed to breathe.
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Read our full Spooks guide - or take a look at our Robin Hood guide.
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