Spooks' master-spy Rupert sets up series six

Spooks' master-spy Rupert sets up series six
Spooks' master-spy Rupert sets up series six (Image credit: KUDOS)

Off-screen Rupert Penry-Jones, 37, is a measured dad of two who's engaged to Dervla Kirwan. On-screen, he lives life in a netherworld of deception and near death as MI5 agent Adam Carter in Spooks... Adam is usually in the wars, literally. Any near misses during this series? “He catches bubonic plague, he nearly drowns, he goes through about four near-death experiences and has a very complicated love life this year. Which is pretty much how it is every year for Adam!” There’s a lot of stunts on this series. Do you do all your own? “I do most of my own stunts, although there’s a couple they won’t let me do. There are some great ones this series – car chases, street fights and a really dramatic fight in the passenger cabin of a plane. There was bit of scaling the wall of a house, which they decided wasn’t safe for me to do. The team are very good at making the stunts look realistic and dangerous without actually putting me in harm’s way.” How his relationship with Ros developed? “Well, without giving too much away, their relationship has definitely moved on, as you’ll see in the first scene of episode one! Because of the job they do they find it very heard to trust each other, which would make a romance tricky. Plus Adam’s having an affair with an asset which complicates things with Ros as well...” Which is your favourite episode this series? “I think episode eight. There are just some lovely moments in there between Adam and Ros as all the deceit and tension from the whole series comes to a head.” Spooks is pretty topical with regards to world affairs. Do you have concerns about dramatising these sensitive issues? “No, it’s never gratuitous; they are issues that people are interested in. What’s going on in the world today. I mean, of course, it’s fiction, but you do feel like you get an insight into what really could be happening.” CLICK here to watch the trailer for series six of Spooks

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