The sweetheart of 90’s teenage girls, former Eastenders star Paul Nicholls, is poised to take the role of heartthrob in the sixth series of Law & Order UK.
The Bolton-born actor landed the part hot on the heels of playing Harry Keegan in Secret Diary of A Call Girl with Billie Piper. He admitted that the cast of the Dick Wolf series work “like lightening” and they pulled a series of 18 hours days, but that the show was “amazing”.
Nicholls plays DS Sam Casey who is brought in to investigate the death of DS Matt Devlin. Survivor’s Guilt sees Ronnie attempt to cope with the loss of his partner, coming dangerously close to taking up drinking once more. The truth behind the shooting of DS Matt Devlin turns out to be more complex than Ronnie can cope with in his heightened emotional state and he soon comes to blows with DS Sam Casey.
Nicholls found working with Bradley Walsh a challenge as the star of the show is a fan of cracking deadpan jokes just before each scene:
“Bradley is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever worked with. I’m terrible at corpsing so he knew that within days and would say something just before I was about to go on. He is such a joker but always keeps a straight face and does a great job. Then he’d tell me I’m unprofessional because I’m laughing… we had such a great time on set.”
Nicholls can also be seen boxing in an episode of Midsomer Murders, Rare Birds, scheduled to air on 11th January 2012. He admits that boxing is a big part of his life:
“When I’m not working I find that I still get up early so I go to the gym. I might do a two mile run, do five rounds on a punch bag – I don’t spar anymore as I got concussion once! – have a go on the bike, and I just find whatever has been going through my head, whatever stress I had, simply lifts. I don’t do it every day but when I’m not working gym is massive part of my life. Healthy body; healthy mind.”
An estimated 5.6 million people tuned in to Law & Order UK in 2011 and the Dick Wolf series promises to be no less popular in 2012.
Law & Order UK Series Six Episode One “Survivor’s Guilt” airs on ITV on 6th January 2012 at 9pm for UK audiences only.
Table of Contents
Cast
DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh)
DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls)
Natalie Chandler (Harriet Walter)
Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman)
Senior Crown Prosecutor Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan)
Director of the CPS Henry Sharpe (Peter Davison)
Kaden Blake (Jamie Cummings)
Mark Ellis (Charles Mnene)
Doug Greer (Colin Salmon)
Production
Producer Richard Stokes
Director Andy Goddard
Writer: Emilia di Girolamo
Executive producers: Andrew Woodhead, Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone
Series creator and executive producer: Dick Wolf
