A Spy Among Friends: Anna Maxwell Martin praises Guy Pearce's 'mammoth' performane

A Spy Among Friends director Nick Murphy and actor Anna Maxwell Martin have paid tribute to Guy Pearce for his performance in the ITVX espionage drama. A Spy Among Friends launches on ITVX from 8 December.

Video transcript

STEFAN PAPE: It's a wonderful cast. But I was going to ask because obviously, Damian and Guy-- but Guy, I mean, even in "The Neighbours" finale--

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: Yes, Damian and Guy.

STEFAN PAPE: Yeah.

NICK MURPHY: That's why they're on the poster, maybe. They don't put us there.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: Well, they won't put you there! I'm in the show, Nick.

NICK MURPHY: Yeah, OK.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: Yeah.

NICK MURPHY: Go ahead.

STEFAN PAPE: You should be on there.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: Thank you, love.

STEFAN PAPE: I was going to ask about Guy because I watched "The Neighbours" finale, like lots of people did. And he took it so seriously--

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: Oh, yeah.

STEFAN PAPE: --and in such a brilliant way. Loads of people came in. It was like, a day, a day on set. You--

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: No, Guy smashed it.

STEFAN PAPE: --got Kylie and Jason running around. He smashed it.

NICK MURPHY: And his affection for the show is absolutely genuine. But also his focus and his approach to work is the same as whatever it is. He literally isn't able just to come in and dial it in. He works-- he sent me a text this morning of a part he's now playing in New Zealand, and his facial tattoos, and his-- he's just utterly unrecognizable.

He commits completely. And if that-- it happens to be in "Neighbours", it happens to be in this. His performance in this is, particularly, as the six hours unfold, is just phenomenal, and every bit as strong as Damian's. And just, they are mammoth performances.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: But not-- so combined, is it as strong as mine?

NICK MURPHY: It's extraordinary. They add up.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: So two together--

NICK MURPHY: Together, put together, they make it 96% of the way toward your performance.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: I mean, Guy is in one of my most favorite shows of all time, "Jack Irish," which I would highly recommend. It's just brilliant. And he's brilliant in that because--

NICK MURPHY: He's a wonderful actor.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: --he's just like-- yeah, he's great.

NICK MURPHY: He's a wonderful actor, wonderful guy.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: And a lovely person.

NICK MURPHY: Lovely person. And everybody on the show has been-- genuinely, we've got on and laughed our asses off on this.

STEFAN PAPE: Yeah, but that was going to be my question, was that, was him in "Neighbours" a testament to what he's like all the time? It sounds like he was.

NICK MURPHY: Yeah, yeah, no, he's totally committed. And the laughter, and the sense of joviality we've had on set, has never-- that's never precluded hard work. We have! It's been a giggle. I mean, when she gets laughing, it's a noisy affair, sure.

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN: [LAUGHS]

NICK MURPHY: But-- but it's been-- but it's never precluded work. We've done great work. We're very, very proud. It's been a delightful show.