Daniel Mays, the actor known for roles in Line of Duty and Fisherman's Friends, has spoken about the challenges of lockdown after his wife broke her leg. Speaking over lunch at Quo Vadis in Soho, his first meal out in months, Mays recalled how his wife Louise Burton slipped down a bank while on their daily exercise in north London woods early in the pandemic. 'That first month was insane,' he said. 'Lou was in plaster, my son was doing his mock exams in the attic and I was homeschooling my daughter downstairs.'
Mays, 40, had been inundated with leading roles before the pandemic, including the film Fisherman's Friends and TV series Code 404, Temple and White Lines. He had been considering a break when lockdown forced his hand, turning him from workaholic father to full-time carer. His wife has since recovered, and Mays was looking forward to his children returning to school.
The actor also discussed his role in the ITV drama Des, about serial killer Dennis Nilsen, in which he plays DCI Peter Jay opposite David Tennant. Mays described working with Tennant as a 'disconcerting masterclass', noting that Tennant remained aloof on set to stay in character. 'As soon as he started acting I was sat opposite him in that interrogation room and thinking, like wow. It felt to me like a complete embodiment of Nilsen,' Mays said.
Mays prepared extensively for the role, meeting Jay's widow and son and reviewing archive material. However, when he met Brian Masters, the author of the book on which the series is based, Masters dismissed DCI Jay as 'just PC Plod'. Mays took this as useful insight into the dynamic between the two men.
