An iconic British actor on The Night Manager reportedly became ‘tricky’ to deal with on set after wanting Tom Hiddleston’s role.
Nearly 10 years after the BBC thriller first hit our screens, all episodes of season two of The Night Manager will premiere on New Year’s Day.
Reprising his role as Jonathan Pine, Loki actor Hiddleston, 43, will be joined by a host of stars, including Daisy Jones and the Six actress Camila Morrone, who is replacing The Crown’s Elizabeth Debicki.
However, while Hugh Laurie will be serving as an executive producer on the latest series, after being taken down as arms dealer Richard Roper in the first season, fans might be surprised to hear that his presence on set was not always positive.
According to screenwriter David Farr, who adapted John le Carré’s 1993 novel for the screen, Laurie had very fixed ideas about the series after he originally tried to get the book made.
‘It was actually very tricky with Hugh because he’d tried to option the book when he was much younger because he’d loved it and he really wanted to play Pine,’ Farr told the Daily Mail.
‘Then I was suddenly doing the television show and had written the first episode, and everyone liked it and Tom Hiddleston had signed up [as Pine].
‘But then Hugh became really tricky, because he had such fixed ideas and none of his notes were about his character [Roper] – they were all about Tom’s character – and I was like, “Give me a break.”’
Discussing their relationship now, however, Farr has insisted that they are on good terms.
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He told a crowd at London’s Blackheath Concert Halls: ‘We’re fine now. I think if I’d been more mature, I could have dealt with it better. Hugh is a lovely man, very passionate. He’s not in the sequel that much, except in flashback.’
Farr’s 2016 series, which boasted Olivia Colman, and Tom Hollander amongst its case, became an instant success, pulling in 10 million viewers and winning a host of Golden Globes.
But, with there not being another sequel book by Le Carré, Farr has had to adapt the series further after originally relocating it to the Arab Spring.
This time around, Hiddleston is going undercover again as Pine, but he has also become entangled in a love triangle.
Pine, who has been leading a quiet life since his dealings with Laurie’s character Hugh, has re-entered the world of espionage on a dangerous mission.
Reuniting with national treasure Olivia Colman, who plays Angela Burr, Alistair Petrie plays Sandy Langbourne and Noah Jupe is Pine’s now-grown-up son, Daniel Roper.
New cast members include Babylon star Diego Calva as Teddy, Game of Thrones star Indira Varma as Mayra.
With Morrone replacing Debicki as Roxana, she is believed to play the main love interest.
In the latest trailer that has been released, the new season seems racier than ever with steamy shower scenes and threesomes.
Metro has contacted Hugh Laurie for comment.
The Night Manager season 2 launches on January 1 at 9.05pm on BBC One.
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