Marc Warren: 'I love playing baddies!'

(Image credit: BBC/Dusan Martinek)

The Musketeers star Marc Warren has said that he always gets cast as a baddie – and he likes it that way because playing a goodie can be difficult.

“I enjoy playing the baddies," said the actor, who plays the treacherous Comte de Rochefort in the swashbuckling BBC1 series. "They’re easier and more fun."

On playing a nice character, he said: “They’re very boring to play, and very difficult to play. I have done it and I really struggle”.

He also told Radio Times that the reason he gets cast as evil characters is because he has “something in the eyes”.

“I just have that look," he said. "It’s something in the eyes. But anybody who knows me would say I’m not like that at all. I'm very nice in real life!”

Marc, whose other TV credits include Hustle, Band Of Brothers and Mad Dogs, will be playing another baddie in the BBC1 drama Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, which is based on the novel by Susanna Clarke.

Marc also appeared in hit US series The Good Wife but said that fans of the show took a dislike to his alter ego.

“My instant reaction was that I didn’t want to do it, but everybody said I should. I was in New York for five months and ended up feeling right at home. I was playing another wrong ’un, but the fans hated my character.

“I was the husband of one of the main girls and the fans turned against me. I was booked for ten episodes, but I ended up doing nine. They hadn’t worked out how the audience would react.”

The Musketeers is on Friday, BBC1, 9.00pm.

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