See Hugh Laurie in new BBC One political thriller Roadkill
The BBC has released an image of Laurie as Peter Laurence.
BBC One released the first image of Hugh Laurie as the central character, Conservative politician Peter Laurence, in new political thriller Roadkill, which was first announced last August.
Laurie will be joined by Peaky Blinders' Helen McCrory and Cursed star Shalom Brune-Franklin in BBC One's major new political thriller written by David Hare.
Roadkill is the story of self-made, forceful and charismatic politician, but Laurence's public and private life seems to be falling apart – or rather is being picked apart by his enemies.
Laurie is adept at playing characters with moral ambivalence, as he proved in both House and The Night Manager and, according to the BBC, as Laurence's revelations spiral he is shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse, walking a high wire between glory and catastrophe as he seeks to further his own agenda while others plot to bring him down. However, events in Roadkill show just how hard it is, for both an individual and a country, to leave the past behind.
With enemies so close to home, can Laurence ever out-run his own secrets to win the ultimate prize?
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The dark, morally conflicted world of politics is nothing new to writer Hare, as he's proved time and time again with plays and films such as Damage and Stuff Happens, and it will be intriguing to find out how he works in the incredible recent developments in Britain's political culture.
Hare said: “I first worked with Hugh Laurie in 1987 when he set off on his riveting change of direction from adroit comedian to commanding dramatic actor. I can’t wait to see him embody the fictional future of the Conservative party in Roadkill.”
Roadkill will also co-star Sidse Babett Knudsen (The Accident), Saskia Reeves (The Child in Time), Sarah Greene (Normal People), Patricia Hodge (Miranda), Pip Torrens (Poldark, Preacher), Millie Brady (The Last Kingdom) and Danny Ashok (Deep Water, Capital).
Filming took place in London last year and we will report more detail of the four-part season as soon as it's available.
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