Olivia Colman had a dilemma when she learned that she was pregnant with her third child. The Broadchurch actress was eager to win the part of intelligence officer Angela Burr in BBC1's The Night Manager, but nowhere did it mention that the character was pregnant. But, as TV Times discovers here, Olivia [who gave birth to her first daughter last August] knew she had to tell the truth when she went into a meeting with the drama's director, Susanne Bier...
So Olivia, what happened in the meeting?
"I thought, 'I can't lie,' because it would soon become quite obvious. So I said, 'By the way, Susanne, I'm pregnant' and she replied, 'OK, we'll talk to the producers...'. There was a bit of a lull while we waited for the decision to come back and then Susanne said, 'It's OK, you can be pregnant.'"
What do you like about Angela?
"I love the fact that she never seems to compromise and won't be bullied. There's something special about this renegade woman who sounds different from the public school and establishment men who surround her. I always thought of her as a zebra among the lions, but a zebra that isn't scared or intimidated - and that's what freaks the lions out!"
How did you enjoy working with megastars Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie?
"It was such a treat! Hugh has a gravitas playing this despicable baddie who's also charming and sauve. Tom is fantastic as Pine, too - he's so multi-faceted and his character is quite Bond-like."
Was it exciting getting to meet John le Carré?
"He's a wonderful, charismatic, incredibly youthful and energetic man. You can see why his books have stayed poignant and brilliant."
The Night Manager is filmed in lots of exotic locations - was that fun?
"I've never travelled so much, but it was a very companionable job. We all really believed in it."
The Night Manager continues on Sunday, BBC1 at 9.00pm.
