With Indian Summers proving popular every Sunday night on C4, What’s On TV caught up with one of its young stars, Alexander Cobb, who explained how exhilarating it is to work with Julie Walters.
He plays the drunken Scottish tea-growing entrepreneur Ian McLeod, who’s been upsetting some of the British rulers in 1930s India. He's set to become even more crucial to the story as viewers last week saw Ian witness the murder of troubled Indian woman, Jaya.
This shocking event that throws Ian headfirst into a conflict with both the British justice system and Simla socialite Cynthia, played by Julie…
"Working with Julie Walters is exhilarating,” says Alexander. “Our scenes are just great. Because Julie is so fun, friendly, hilarious and brilliantly normal, when you see that turn in her eye as she’s making Cynthia become vile, she’s scary! She's very scary! It’s amazing how someone so loveable can act so scary and nasty. We did enjoy working together and it was enjoyable to have those sorts of scenes where we clash, as they’re the most fun to do.”
The murder of Jaya and its repercussions mean more intense scenes coming up for Alexander in this Sunday's episode of Indian Summers (March 29) and the weeks ahead as Ian is dragged deeper and deeper into the mystery.
“It has a big impact on him,” says Alexander, who's previously starred in Mr Selfridge and Parade's End. “When he wakes up the next morning he’s a little bit worse for wear. He knows he heard a scream in the woods, but he doesn’t yet know there’s been a murder. It’s only later that he puts two and two together! Then, when being questioned by the police on what he knows about the murder, he inadvertently implicates his friend and business partner Ramu Sood. It does have pretty dire consequences…”
Alexander talked about filming in the intense heat of Malyasia, which doubles as 1930s India in the production, as well as his brushes with some of the exotic and dangerous wildlife there.
“During the Jaya murder scene, I heard a monkey scream from inside the wood. There were poisonous spiders everywhere and people found out I hated snakes. There were even King Cobras in one location!”
Watch our video chat with Indian Summers star Alexander Cobb, above.
