Bodies writer teases Stephen Graham’s “intensely relatable” character
Paul Tomalin revealed he didn't think it was possible at first to cast Graham in the role.
Bodies is Netflix's new mystery series which follows four detectives who all investigate finding the same body in the same place, but they're all in different time periods.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, many fans will already be familiar with the show's twists and turns and Stephen Graham's intriguing character, Elias Mannix/Julian Harker.
Writer Paul Tomalin revealed exclusively to RadioTimes.com that when it came to casting the show, "Stephen Graham was on the 'Yeah right' pile", something he didn't think was possible.
He added: "The impossible 'no way would he ever dream of doing something this mad' pile. In terms of British actor choices he's in everybody's top three."
While Graham's character isn't one of the four detectives, he has been described as an "enigmatic political leader" and a "central character to the story", something Bodies writer Paul Tomalin hoped Graham thematically saw as "intensely relatable".
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Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Tomalin said: "I hope what he [Stephen Graham] saw was the relatability in the series, thematically, and he also saw the character he plays is intensely relatable.
"What he goes through, there is not anybody who won't be able to relate to it. His actions define the series, he's the beating heart of the show."
Bodies is a crime thriller like no other. The twist that links all four detectives is that the murders have the same MO, the exact same injuries and the victims are found in the exact same spot throughout time. Spooky!
Read more:
- Bodies: Release date, cast and latest news for Netflix series
- Nicolas Winding Refn on "puzzle" of casting the new Famous Five
Paul Tomalin later explained he almost turned down working on the series.
He explained: "The Jack the Ripper stuff, the Line of Duty stuff, the future dystopia, utopia stuff, this was wild. The ingredients were too unique not to be bound together…I believed it was too strange to actually get made."
However, he was soon convinced as he began to do more research.
"I thought, I'd love to throw myself into the research, I'd love to exist in these timelines, really absorb everything I possibly can and the put it on the page, and three, four years later…It was just this challenge I couldn't ultimately turn down," he added.
The official synopsis for the series reads: "When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate.
"As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader – Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) – becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play?
"To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years."
Bodies is available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 19th October 2023. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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