Lauren Lyle reveals huge difference between Karen Pirie and her dramatic new role in The Ridge
Lyle plays Mia in the new BBC thriller series.
New thriller series The Ridge is now available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer, and it stars Karen Pirie's Lauren Lyle in a very different role.
Lyle plays Scottish anaesthetist Mia, a secret opioid addict who leaves behind some serious issues at her work to attend the wedding of her estranged sister Cassy in New Zealand.
However, on arrival she’s shocked to learn Cassy has died, fallen from a mountain ridge. Believing that she was pushed and murdered, Mia sets about hunting for the killer.
Lyle spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about her new role, and when asked why she was drawn to starring in the series, she said that it was "a couple of things", with one being "how weird the character was, how strange".
"Being a drug addict is such a different part to any part that I played," Lyle expalined. "Being a drug addict anaesthetist, hiding it all, not just like a full blown Skid Row type vibe, really trying to keep a lid on it.
"And just how much of an anti-hero she is, and how evil she can be at times, and manipulative she can be, and a bit of a user that she can be. That's fun to play. Because, with Karen, she's more of a good person. This is less the case."
Lyle said the other reason she wanted to star in the series was "the fact it was in New Zealand," because she "used to live in New Zealand, and kind of grew up part of my life there, and so this weird combo of New Zealand, Scotland, my two lives – I was like, ‘I can't pass that up. I really want to go out and do that, I can't say no.'"
She continued: "And there were scenes in the scripts, the weirdness of them. Like the fact there was, in the first episode, her pulling her sister out of the Morgan in a drawer and lying down next to her, falling asleep hold in her hand, kind of unfazed by a dead body, but also, just the deep love for her sister, I love that.
"That's so strange. So it was lots of those kind of things.”
The series also stars Jay Ryan (It Chapter 2), Dulcie Smart (Rematch), Florence Hartigan (Madam), Chloe Parker (Grafted), David Van Horn (Heart Eyes), Taqi Nazeer (Shetland), Claire Dargo (Doctors) and Cora Bissett (Annika).
The Ridge is available to stream now in full on BBC iPlayer. It will also air on BBC Two from Thursday 23rd October at 9pm.
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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.
