Out of all the main villains, C ended Down Cemetery Road virtually unscathed. While he had to leave his current role, it wasn’t difficult for him to walk into something else.
The entire role was something different to anything we’ve seen Darren Boyd do before. Usually, he’s the sort of jerk with a lovable side. His heart is usually in the right place. But with C, we got something darker and twistier, although he certainly held his cool even as everything came crashing down.
Boyd chatted with us exclusively about C and what he loved playing in the series. He also talked about how the role was different to that in the book, and a look at a potential Down Cemetery Road season 2.
Precinct TV: I have to say that there’s usually something likable about your characters, but I actually loved that there was nothing redeemable about C. It was like nothing I’ve seen you do before, so what was it like for you to take on this role?
Darren Boyd: It’s interesting that you say that, because it’s true, especially earlier in my career. There was this output for years where I played the clumsy affable every man, and his likability was always a big part of that. And without sounding too obvious, it’s an absolute blast to play someone with, really apart from his very fine tailoring, has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and is unashamedly so.
It’s just great, because you get to give off an energy and just hold yourself in a way that is really selfish and self-serving. Everything from the physicality to the incredible dialogue and the great one-liners, especially when I’m bullying poor Malik, it’s just too much fun. I want to play more A-holes!
These types of characters are so needed, and he holds this whole conspiracy together on Down Cemetery Road. He pulls all the strings, and doesn’t get too worried when Malik is off with his own ideas. How did you go about prepping for the role?
It’s interesting, because C is much more shadowy in the books. He’s alluded to and referred to, and we understand very much how he’s puppeteering. In the series, he has a face and a presence, so it was interesting to decide what to do with that.
The series was written quite chronologically, so I very much had a handle on the episodes, probably episodes 1 through 4, and then later episodes were coming in. There were some inevitably script changes and tweaks, but early on, I really focused on what I thought — if I were an audience member — what I would enjoy initially. That was the interplay between C and Malik. They were such great scenes, and we were given a little bit of improvisation and room to play, so some of that found its way in.
I never worked with Emma [Thompson] or Ruth [Wilson], and I was isolated both in the sense of the character and the shooting schedule, so there can be an issue with tone, and you want it to be the same. Once I understood and had a level of confidence with the tone, I could have fun with it. You have to find that sort of humanity, even if in this case, it’s not a particular nice type of person, but you have to humanize them with the sort of tone and rye humor. I think I focused on that mostly.
He's also ex-military. He’s very protected to a certain level, and I think the whole story is a question of what happens when we dig to see what’s behind the curtain. Do we actually want to know? And if we do end up knowing, is that a good day? For him, that building, that office, that suit, it’s all honor. There’s a lot of ability to hide behind that in terms of remaining calm and stoic.
And he even gets to walk away in control of the situation. He’s seeing the downfall and decides not to stick with it. What was going through C’s mind in that final conversation?
It’s great, isn’t it? A character like him, the antagonist or the bad guy — whatever you want to call him — has to have a downfall. We’re waiting for it, or for that moment of redemption. So, the idea of he literally wins the day and scuttles off at his own behest while throwing Talia completely under the bus, is a twist on that for the audience. I don’t know if people will find that amusing or if they’ll be frustrated, but it’s just great to see the bad guy just disappear into the darkness.
Who knows what his next moves are? But to your point about how he manipulates, I think it’s like snooker or pool. He’s multiple steps ahead. He’s able to see the next twist coming, so he can counter. His military background and sheer audacity help him. There are moments when Talia confronts him and questions him, but it’s never enough to really throw him off.
And he’s golden with his job lined up in the private sector.
I don’t know if he had that from the get-go. In my mind, that was something put in motion quite quickly once Talia came on board. I don’t think he was always sitting pretty, as it were. He’s just the worst combination of arrogance and vanity with questionable morals. He’s also very, very, very, very smart, and it’s a very dangerous combination, but one that’s incredibly fun to play.
I’d love a second season to see what C does next.
I’ll be interested to know if there’s a space for him, or how he can weedle his way back into the universe. I’d be there for it if that’s the case.
As my last question, what was the most challenging part of Down Cemetery Road?
Not getting to go to that incredible location [in the penultimate episode of Down Cemetery Road]. It makes total sense of course, but what a landscape! I know they had a great time up there doing that, so I kept reading the scripts and thinking, ‘Do I get on a helicopter? No, I didn’t get that. I just stay in the office.’
Aside from that, there were some script changes later on, and they shifted things, which can work to your advantage, because it stops you from over-planning. You have to stay fresh and loose enough to be able to go with whatever those changes may be. It’s a nice sort of challenge, a fun and creative challenge.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Down Cemetery Road is now available to stream on Apple TV.
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