On Monday 9th June, Adam Lawrence will be seen playing Ryan Cooper in Acorn TV’s new crime drama Art Detectives, and he is also in the cast of a future feature film release – Palestine 36. Earlier this year, Adam played Luke in feature film Odyssey, which had its premiere at SXSW, and he appeared in every episode of A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story as DI Peter Gill alongside Lucy Boynton (Ruth Ellis), Toby Jones (John Bickford) and Toby Stephens (Melford Stevenson QC). In the 2024 biographical film Midas Man, Adam played Pete Best with the film based on the life of The Beatles manager Brian Epstein, for which he got to perform at Abbey Road, and he had his film debut playing Billy Duffy in England Is Mine – the 2017 biographical film based on Morrissey’s early years before forming The Smiths, with the film premiering at Edinburgh International Film Festival, and Adam worked with Jack Lowden, Jodie Comer and Laurie Kynaston, and met the real Billy Duffy. On stage, Adam most recently staged a reading of his play Let It Lie at London West End’s Criterion Theatre, with the play about the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, with the cast featuring Owen Teale, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (Brian Epstein in Midas Man), Toby Jones (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story), Tala Gouveia and Mark Stanley, and Adam has worked on the play for over five years. Previously, Adam was co-starring as Hamp in 2018 in For King and Country at Southwark Playhouse, and he is currently writing a second play and has his first feature film in development for BFI. Answering our questions, Adam talks to us about new crime drama Art Detectives, playing DI Peter Gill in A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, the biographical films Midas Man and England Is Mine and his play Let It Lie.
You are in the cast of the new crime drama series Art Detectives, which is premiering on Acorn TV on Monday 9th June, can you tell us about the show and your character Ryan Cooper?
It’s a really exciting original new drama set in the criminal art world. Led by the excellent Stephen Moyer and Nina Singh. Without giving too much away, I play quite the detestable character. A new-money millionaire who gets scammed and is the target of a murder…
What was the series like to be part of and who do you think the show will appeal to?
To work alongside Stephen was inspiring. He is so experienced and knows the filmmaking process inside-out from every perspective. To watch him work was impressive. The whole team were lovely. It will appeal to anyone who likes a mystery crime drama with a touch of comedy.
We understand you will also be seen in the future release of feature film Palestine 36, what are you looking forward to for the release?
To see a critical part of Palestinian history which has remained out of focus, and the brilliant Doberman dogs I got the privilege to chase soldiers through the forest with!
How was your time filming as Luke in this year’s feature film Odyssey and what did you enjoy most about this project?
Getting to work with one of my all-time favourite film directors and now friend, Gerard Johnson, was a dream come true. His ability to capture a gritty realism is largely down to his generosity with actors and cultivating an environment of improvisation and play. I only play a very small role but very proud to be part of it. The reviews have been incredible all round after its SXSW premiere.
Across every episode of A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, released on ITV in March, you played DI Peter Gill, how was it taking on the role and being part of the storyline?
I love historical true crime stories, they have the potential to contribute to societal change, especially when they have relevance to the modern age. So that alone was a reason to sign on. DI Gill is desperate for a promotion and if that means skipping over details in the case it’s something he’s willing to do. Characters with a compromised moral compass are exciting to play because they are very human.
What was it like on set of the series and filming with the rest of the cast, which included Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis and Toby Jones as John Bickford?
Lucy is an extremely dedicated actress and did a fantastic job. It was a joy to watch her, Toby Jones and Toby Stephens master the job of multiple takes with utter fluidity and minimum effort yet intense energy and presence.
How did you feel finding out you’d booked the role of Pete Best in the 2024 biographical film Midas Man, which is based on the life of The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, and how did you prepare for playing the character?
I didn’t have an agent at the time. I saw the casting breakdown on Spotlight and a mate of mine, Tony Pitts, kind of dared me to turn up at the production office. I dyed my hair black and threw on my leather jacket, turned up and asked for an audition. The producers were stunned, but agreed to let me tape. The rest is history. I did the usual research for playing a real person – accent, mannerisms etc. and visited Pete’s old house in Hayman’s Green, where the young Beatles first played. There’s still a wooden beam in the ceiling where a naughty teenage Lennon etched his name with a penknife.
Was there anything that drew you to the script and how was it helping tell Brian’s story?
It’s a side of The Beatles history we’ve never seen before. Brian was definitely the fifth Beatle if there ever was one. He gave the boys everything and watched them soar, and lived vicariously through them. He never found love or belonging himself. It’s a tragic story of a beautiful man. The script really captured that. It wasn’t an epic but a heartfelt, sensitive love letter to Brian.
Do you have any favourite highlights from filming for Midas Man that you can share?
Undoubtedly getting to play in Abbey Road, Studio 2 where The Beatles themselves recorded. The foam sound-deadening on the walls was stained with nicotine and god knows what else. Decades of music history baked into the walls. Magical.
You portrayed Billy Duffy in England Is Mine – the 2017 biographical film based on Morrissey’s early years before he formed The Smiths; how much did you know about Morrissey before auditioning and how was it getting into character as Billy?
I knew of Morrissey but not the origin story. It was another heartwarming script of a regular working class guy dreaming big but at war with his own limited cultural conditioning. Admittedly, I never knew of Billy Duffy until I got the audition, but I practiced guitar on my lunch breaks in the basement of the coffee shop where I worked, until my fingers bled from the strings. The ironic thing is in the final edit they’d recorded all my guitar in post anyway.
How was it meeting and working with the real Billy Duffy and what do you feel you learnt from your time involved with the film?
It was the first feature for a few of us – Jack Lowden, Jodie Comer and Laurie Kynaston to name a few. Plus the director, Mark Gill. It meant that we really cared about the work and were invested. I got to meet Billy shortly before the premiere. It was funny telling him about his own childhood as if it were mine! We are good pals now, he took me under his wing in LA and we go camping together on occasion. I attend his gigs with The Cult whenever they play over here.
How did you find the experience attending the world premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival and what was it like watching the completed England Is Mine for the first time?
Scary. The screen was huge. It was my first film. I hated my performance, but I wasn’t watching it objectively. I’ve learned to shut that part of my brain off and see the bigger picture now.
On stage, you most recently held a staged reading of your play Let It Lie at the West End’s Criterion Theatre starring Owen Teale, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (who played Brian Epstein in Midas Man), Toby Jones, Tala Gouveia and Mark Stanley; can you tell us about this?
Let It Lie is about the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings, it’s a story very dear to my heart and I’ve been trying to get it picked up for over five years. It explores the fine line between narrative vs truth. The cast were phenomenal, as well as our director, Iqqy Khan. I’m hoping the Birmingham REP take it on. But I’ve already adapted it into a television screenplay which was recently shortlisted for the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition.
How was it seeing the play come together in the staged reading and how long has Let It Lie been in the making?
It’s one thing writing it but seeing heavyweight actors bring it to life with their own flare was exhilarating. Five years and counting it’s been in the works – it just needs to catch the right train at the right time. I’ve no doubt it will be received well.
What has Let It Lie been like to write, and do you have any future plans for this play/writing in general?
The historical research provided a strong blueprint for what I moulded into a very human and relatable story between two people: one detective’s pursuit of truth which threatens to destroy his relationship with his grief-stricken widow, who is resolute in her belief that the killers of her brother are in custody.
I am currently writing my second play, and also have my first feature film in development with the BFI, which is really exciting.
What was it like co-starring as Hamp in the 2018 production of For King and Country at Southwark Playhouse?
I played a young and innocent, child-like solider who had no place being on the frontline, who “deserted” his regiment and had PTSD from the horrors of war. He was ultimately tried and sentenced to death. It was very intense. I made some good friends on that production.
How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
Yes. But It was actually my secondary school drama teacher who convinced me to audition for drama school and helped me with my monologues. We have since become best friends. I knew I was on the right path when my degree never felt like work, it was utter fun.
What do you enjoy doing away from your career, and what are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?
I love gardening and being in nature. It’s a good way to practice grounding and remembering who you are, away from the industry.
My favourite films would be Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn and The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson.
What are you hoping this year brings for you, and do you have any further projects coming up that you can talk about?
If I can pay my rent from this line of work I will be more than happy. If I can’t, then at least I better create something I’m proud of. One of them is this film I’m writing for the BFI. More to come on that one…
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