Richard Madden in talks with Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio over series 2
Following the success of hugely gripping BBC drama Bodyguard, the BBC star says he will meet up with the show's writer "in a couple of weeks"
It was the nation’s biggest whodunit since ‘Who Shot Phil Mitchell’ in 2001, with 10.4 million Bodyguard viewers questioning who was responsible for the death of ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague.
After a series of false alarms and red herrings, it transpired the supposedly ‘meek’ terrorist Nadia was working in cahoots with crime kingpin Luke Aitkens and police officer Lorraine Craddock to assassinate Julia.
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Now, following the series' debut internationally on Netflix, star Richard Madden has stirred the pot over rumours of a second series, saying he is in talks with Bodyguard and Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio.
“I’m going to meet Jed in a couple of weeks, to have a chat and see what’s in his brilliant brain," the 32-year-old said in an interview with Deadline. "So I’m like, what can happen next? You know, with David. Because he had a hell of a couple months there. Where do you go with this guy?”
He added, “I thought, maybe it’s going to be like American Horror Story where, in the second series, it’s a whole different incarnation of it, and I’m a royal and Keeley is on my protection team. And you get all the rest of the actors back, and we all do different things. But who knows what’s in Jed’s mind. I’m very keen to hear.”
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With Montague, played expertly by Keeley Hawes, being dramatically killed off halfway through the series, many fans speculated whether there was a way of bringing the character back – and some even wondering whether she was really dead at all.
Working with such an established actor as Hawes is what kept Madden engaged with the project, describing her as his “saving grace” during filming.
“Luckily, I had Keeley. She was my saving grace in this whole thing, and that’s why I love her,” he said. “I had her with me for half the job, which is great because the scenes are so intense that when the camera’s not running you do still need to bring a little lightness to it. We’d giggle like schoolgirls and be silly where we could be. The rest of the time was so, so serious.
“What was so good to explore was that knight and damsel thing in Budd’s mind. Despite all of that shit, he can’t help himself from wanting to save her and save the day, because if he does it’ll keep him intact. And I mean, he f***s that up, doesn’t he? Shittest bodyguard ever.”
