Just a quick warning, if you haven’t seen the latest episode of Endeavour look away now! With ITV’s atmospheric mystery-thriller continuing to impress week-after-week, we got chatting to English television and film actor Rob Jarvis (Luther, Doctor Who, Hustle, Jonathan Creek) about his recent appearance as Endeavour’s very own murderous ‘Strangler’, Roy Huggins. Burridges Department Store worker by day, killer by night, ‘The Strangler’ commits a series of murders in an attempt to frame his wife’s lover, Joey Lisk.
OxStu: So, Robbie, have you been a fan of the programme so far?
Rob: I wasn’t really a big fan of the original Morse, to be honest, but I did see the Endeavour pilot when it came out. The attention to period detail in the new series is just amazing: it’s beautifully shot as well as beautifully performed.
OxStu: Yeah, I’d agree with you; the way they’ve captured the sixties era is absolutely incredible.
Rob: It’s brilliant. Although, I did see something that someone had put on Twitter last night; in one of the shots you can apparently see an Odeon cinema and a satellite dish. They definitely won’t be happy about that. [Laughs]. But, seriously, it is amazing. I sort of grew up in the sixties, so when we were filming the scenes in the Burridges Department Store it was really like stepping back in time; seeing all the old washing machines, all I could think was: ‘That’s what we had!’.
OxStu: Did you get a chance to film in Oxford at any point?
Rob: No, actually, all of my filming was done elsewhere. The Department Store scenes were filmed somewhere in Uxbridge, and we also did a few shots in Reading. In this lovely little village in Berkshire they’ve also got an old studio set up in a biscuit factory; but it’s falling to bits. So, for the interrogation scene, I shot in this dreadful, dilapidated old building. [Laughs] It gives it atmosphere, I suppose!
OxStu: Have you ever visited Oxford?
Rob: I have! Actually, my wife’s grandfather was the gardener at Christ Church college for a long, long time. I also did a lot of theatre in Oxford when I was on tour, and I was with the Oxford Stage Company for a bit, so I know the area reasonably well. It’s a lovely town.
Endeavour continues Sunday at 8pm.
PHOTO/ ipswichstar
