How would you describe “Crazy Diamond”?

My character is Ed Morris. He works in the corporate world at this place where they make synthetic beings that are very lifelike and have consciousness, emotions and are self-aware, which he finds really interesting. I think he really loves what he does, but he also has this other side to him that yearns for a time that he’s only read about. He’s obsessed with the 70s and especially the music from that time. And he’s got a boat that he loves! He fancies himself as a creative guy and an adventurer, but I think in the world that he lives in that’s sort of discouraged. You really have to play by the rules. They don’t let you do everything that you want. In fact, it’s quite controlled – what you eat, how much you eat. So he looks for anything that lets him express his individuality. 

What’s the journey that Ed goes on?

He’s seemingly happy, or at least content. He has a good job that he really does like, and he’s married and truly loves his wife. They live in a very nice house. But there’s something that is unfulfilled, there’s a yearning, and maybe he doesn’t even know what it is until he meets a “Jill.” In this world, there are “Jacks” and “Jills”, and that’s what they do at the Spirit Mill – they make these synthetic beings that are programmed to live a certain amount of time. So he meets a Jill that’s failing, meaning that her time is going to be up in a few weeks, and he falls in love with her. She wants to keep living and the only way to do that is to be re-implanted with a QC – that’s what gives the Jacks and Jills their ‘spark’ or ‘soul’ - so Ed agrees to help her, I think because of many different things – he wants to be with her, he is in her spell, he also likes the adventure, plus he’s also not as connected to his wife as he wants to be, so he’s looking for this escape. Part of it is that if everything goes right, he will have the means to live the life he really wants to live, out on the sea. Ultimately, he’d like to do that with his wife, but she doesn’t seem interested in the same things that he is. Though she has her own creative side, and they really do love each other and are a good couple, they’re just at a stage where they’re a little bit in trouble. 

What drew you to this project?

It’s character driven, which is always what I look for. There are many great characters in this, and it’s really a character piece. It’s also futuristic, and makes comments about society, and there’s humour in it, which I also like, but I wouldn’t call it a comedy. It’s got adventure. So there are a lot of elements to it that as an actor I respond to. It’s also something that I would like to see. 

Is there anything that you like about your character? 

Yes, I think Ed is a good guy. He’s good at what he does, and I like that he has this adventurous side and that he feels conflicted. I think it’s hard for him, he’s always undecided. When he’s with his wife he truly wants to be there, and when he’s with Jill he wants to be there too, so he’s caught between two worlds. 

What are the key themes that you are drawn to in the script? 

As an actor I try not to look for themes because I don’t feel like that’s my job and it sort of distracts me. But I trust Marc Munden, the director, so much and I feel like that’s his territory, and also the writer, Tony Grisoni, who did a wonderful job adapting the Philip K. Dick story. I leave that to them. We had rehearsals for this, which is very unusual for TV, it’s unusual for film too, so we did get to talk about the motivations of each character, but the overall themes are best left to them. I’m more concerned about how my character fits into this world and what his motivations are. 

Can you talk a little bit about the production design of the show? 

The design of the whole show was really interesting because it is futuristic, but then you have the local bar where Ed meets Jill. So it’s a nice blend of old world and new world. They haven’t tried to imagine how everything in the future is different; there are a lot of things in it that feel familiar. The production design has been incredible. 

What kind of world does Ed live in?

It’s a world where things are controlled. People think that they may have freedom, but they really don’t. In some ways, it works – it feels like everybody is being taken care of. But then on the other hand, there is a sense of foreboding. One thing I will say is, it does address how climate change is only going to get worse, and you see that in this episode, where people constantly have to move because where they live, especially if you live close to the ocean, the cliffs are eroding. 

How has it been working with the rest of the cast?

When I watched things that Marc [Munden] directed, so Utopia and National Treasure, I knew he would put together a really great cast, and I was really honoured that he wanted me to be in it. The cast has been incredible: Julia, Sidse and Lucian – it’s been a real ensemble. I always feel like I’m only as good as the other actors that I’m working with, and they’re all terrific. That’s been so enjoyable.