Golden Globe winner Richard Madden has discussed the “fun” aspect of playing Bodyguard’s David Budd.
Before last year’s political thriller shot Madden into worldwide fame, he’d previously played mainly doomed and heroic characters on screen, with Robb Stark in Game of Thrones being one of his biggest jobs. However, his role in Jed Mercurio’s scintillating series offered the actor something fresh to sink his teeth into.
In conversation with The Guardian, Madden explained: “I spent my 20’s playing Romeo. Twice, literally, and then versions of it. So I was glad to move into my 30s [he’s 32] and be in a place where I might be the villain.
“I’m used to playing a guy with a few bad characteristics. With that, you think, ‘What has made you this way?’ and you justify them. But what was interesting with Bodyguard was realising that… sometimes people are bad. Or they’re good, but they change.
“This character was fun because he’s manipulative and snide in his tactics, and a bastard,” he added.
“You’re being dark, and you’re not justifying it. I enjoyed playing that.”
Meanwhile, Madden recently said that it’s a good thing a second season hasn’t been developed just yet, with his character needing time to grow before his return to the screen.
“I think, with the nature of the story, to have this gap where you let David grow a bit, I think it’s going to be really useful,” he told Deadline.