The Cry star Ewen Leslie's latest war-torn role as a soldier

The Cry, Ewen Leslie as Alistair
(Image credit: Synchronicity Films Ltd/Lachlan Moore)

Ewen Leslie's role as Alistair in The Cry had viewers hissing at the TV. Now he's taken on another challenging part as a troubled soldier.

Ewen Leslie, who played horrible husband Alistair Lindsay in BBC One's The Cry has taken on a more heroic character for his latest role.

In a new Australian mini-series, Fighting Season, he plays Captain Ted Nordenfelt, a soldier who returns home to Australia from Afghanistan in 2010. But he and the rest of his troop are haunted by a secret involving something that happened while they were off fighting for their country.

Fighting Season, Ewen Leslie as Captain Ted Nordenfelt

Ewen Leslie stars as Captain Ted Nordenfelt in the Aussie mini-series Fighting Season. (Picture: Foxtel)

To prepare for his role, the actor spent time training in a boot camp with experienced soldiers and was truly put through his paces.

"On the one hand it’s incredibly helpful with 4 days of training with weaponry,” Ewen says in an interview with TV Tonight. "But on the flip side it shows you how completely unprepared you are to be playing the person you are playing. But the guys we worked with knew we had never done anything like that before and were really generous with their experiences."

https://youtu.be/id-rLivZuQs

The Cry, Jenna Coleman, Ewen Leslie

Jenna Coleman with Ewen Leslie in The Cry. (Picture: Synchronicity Films Ltd/Lachlan Moore/Matt Burlem)

Meanwhile, twisty-turny thriller The Cry, which has been the BBC's second-biggest drama launch of the year behind Bodyguard is soon to be seen in Ewen's home country of Australia. Perhaps he should be prepared to become one of the most hated men on TV!

"It was a very tense shoot but also a very playful set," Ewen told IF about his time filming The Cry in both Scotland and Australia.  "I think when you’re working with material that is this heavy, everyone does their best to balance it with humour. Despite the material it was actually a very fun, joyful experience."

Simon Timblick
Writer

Simon has long been a fan of soap operas, and especially loves OVER-THE-TOP plots involving evil twins, hair-pulling catfights and natural disasters.

Anyone remember the Sunset Beach earthquake/tidal wave?

Or when Krystle Carrington got locked in the attic and replaced by look-a-like Rita in Dynasty?!


Simon has written for a variety of TV and childrens’ magazines/websites including Inside Soap, Nickelodeon, What’s On TV, Radio Times, Metro, Girl Talk, Disney Girl, Toxic! and Digital Spy.

He has reported LIVE from the red carpet at The British Soap Awards interviewing glammed-up stars from soapland, and hosted a Facebook LIVE session for Metro with Home and Away legend Ray Meagher (Alf "Stone the flamin' crows!" Stewart) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Aussie soap.


Simon is also co-author of The Treasures Of Coronation Street (Carlton Books)


And the writer and director of (very!) low budget fright flick, Midsummer Night's EVIL and the sequel webisodes series, The Hatchet Woods HORROR.