James Norton thinks filming in Cornwall made a "massive difference" to 'Playing Nice'.
James Norton enjoyed filming in Cornwall for Playing Nice
The 39-year-old actor features in the upcoming ITV drama about two couples who find out that their children were swapped at birth and believes that filming on the coast over several months allowed him to forge closer relationships with co-stars Niamh Algar, James McArdle and Jessica Brown Findlay.
Norton told BANG Showbiz and assembled media at a screening of the programme: "I think it made a massive difference that we were all in Cornwall together for three months. And we didn't leave."
The 'McMafia' star was relieved that it wasn't too cold during filming so the cast could have surfing lessons and recalled how they became regulars at a local pub.
He said: "We were filming in October, November, December. It wasn't too cold.
"We were accepted by the locals. We had our local bar.
"By the end we were gnarly, but we were hopeless at the beginning."
James plays the character of Pete Riley in 'Playing Nice' and enjoyed the character's transition from "modern man" to a more aggressive figure as he and his wife Maddie (Algar) fight for custody of the children in the face of legal action from Miles (McArdle) and Lucy (Brown Findlay).
He explained: "What was enjoyable for me was the journey he goes to realise that to play nice is not necessarily always right.
"He is a really modern man and he makes really admirable choices in order to allow Maddie to have the life she has. She's a fantastic chef and he gave up journalism to allow for her job.
"He thinks that the right thing to do in the modern masculine way is to make space for his wife. That is true to a point but then he realises, through Maddie's instruction and guidance that to just make space is not often the right thing. You can't just be passive, you can't just sit back and allow for someone else to thrive.
"You have to step forward and in the face of Miles' confrontation he learns that that to be a good husband he needs to be stepping into that space and be confrontational to a point."
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