The Iris Affair's Niamh Algar teases the thriller's "explosive" opening sequence
Algar stars in the new Sky series, which comes from Luther creator Neil Cross.
Niamh Algar leads the cast of new Sky thriller series The Iris Affair, which comes from Luther creator Neil Cross and also stars Tom Hollander.
While Algar plays the titular Iris, an enigmatic genius an puzzle solver, Hollander plays Cameron, an entrepreneur who hires her to unlock a powerful piece of technology. However, when she discovers its dangerous potential, she steals the activation codes, leading to a chase across Italy as Cameron tries to hunt her down.
Algar spoke with RadioTimes.com at an exclusive screening of the first episode at The Barbican Centre, presented by Radio Times in partnership with Sky, and was asked which moment from the series she is most looking forward to fans seeing.
Algar said: "Each episode there's something bonkers happening. The show starts with a brilliant opener, and then you're gonna see the full extent of that scene later on. And that was hugely entertaining to shoot, it was pretty explosive."
The star-studded series also features in its cast Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Harry Lloyd (I, Jack Wright), Meréana Tomlinson (The Trials), Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who), Maya Sansa (Dormant Beauty), Peter Sullivan (Poldark), Debi Mazar (Entourage), Marco Leonardi (Anime Nere), Angela Bruce (Silver Haze) and Lorenzo De Moor (Another Simple Favor).
Recently, Algar called her character "a total outlier", who "functions almost like a computer, copying, storing, and processing only what she considers important, precise, and logical".
She continued: "She’s obsessive, manipulative, and unpredictable — spotting people’s weaknesses and using them to get what she needs.
"Dangerous, unique, and entirely her own — not motivated by romance or defined by trauma, but shaped by her intelligence and curiosity. Meeting her as she’s recruited by Cameron Beck [Tom Hollander] is just the beginning of discovering who she really is."
Meanwhile, Hollander said that the series is "a very contemporary debate turned into a sort of Wacky Races, structured thriller" – even if his character is "more sympathetic" than Dick Dastardly.
The Iris Affair will launch on Sky and NOW on Thursday 16th October. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
