Jamie Dornan on the key reason he said yes to The Tourist season 2
"My thinking was, 'Where are we going? Like, if we're doing this, where are we going?'"
BBC thriller series The Tourist is returning in the new year for a second season which transports Jamie Dornan's Elliot and Danielle Macdonald's Helen from Australia to Ireland.
Speaking with RadioTimes.com and other press, alongside Macdonald and new cast member Conor MacNeill, Dornan explained why he chose to come back for another season - and it seems that location change was a key factor.
"My thinking was, 'Where are we going? Like, if we're doing this, where are we going?'" Dornan explained. "Because it was a bit of an upheaval to go to Australia, and the idea of going again so soon after… I mean, these guys don't have kids, I have three kids.
"And I took them all with me, they went to school there, it was a big thing family-wise to do that. And the idea of doing that again so soon wasn't hugely appealing."
He continued: "But luckily, Jack and Harry [Williams, creators] had plans to make it something closer to home, and I probably approved those plans pretty quickly.
More like this
Read more:
- Boat Story star watched The Tourist to grasp thriller's "unusual" tone
- The Tourist season 2 teaser pics give new look at Jamie Dornan
"I was like, 'If there's a reason to tell it and you guys have a good idea of where it can go, and there's a want for it…'
"We knew there was a want for it, because there was a big reaction from the public here and certainly Australia, and definitely in the States a bit. So if there's an appetite for it and a good story to tell and it was closer to home, then I was in.
"I read that first script, and it hasn't deviated much from the very early draft that I read, what we ended up shooting. I just thought it was f***ing mad, just the way they are, and funny and confusing. So there were enough good elements for me to go again."
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The new season of The Tourist will see Elliot and Helen attempting to uncover the secrets of Elliot’s past, but ultimately being dragged into a longstanding family feud and facing the consequences of his past actions.
Macdonald revealed that she was also rooting for the show to go to Ireland, and that at one stage the show's creators, Harry and Jack Williams, considered setting the season in Canada.
"I remember talking to Harry pretty early on about it, and he was saying they'd had some thoughts about Canada," Macdonald explained.
"And I actually remember saying, 'What about Ireland? Doesn't that make sense? Like, he's Irish.' And they were like, 'We did think about that, too,' and I was like, 'That sounds fun.' I really wanted to go to Ireland."
The Tourist season 2 starts on Monday 1st January on BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
