What can you tell us about Deuce?

Deuce is a Jamaican, ex-British army soldier. He moved to Birmingham at some point having met Brenda his wife who has been deceased for fifteen years. He was left to bring up his two sons, Dante and Gregory, with the help of Marie, who was Estella and Brenda’s mother. He was an alcoholic because he could not deal with the grief of his wife and the troubles of living in this country and being from another – this world all got to him. He has been ‘dry’ for four years, had become a preacher and is working at a factory. The boys and he are a very, very solid unit.

What really drew me to him was his authenticity, he is so layered and complex. He is fighting these demons within him the whole time, even when we see he is quite calm or when he is preaching. He is also a really good father and he tries his best to manage the different dynamics between his sons who are very different. But you can see that the relationships are good, they are very well nurtured. He has this thing about him that makes you want to know more.

Have there been any particular challenges taking on this role?

My family are Jamaican, so it’s not an accent that is unfamiliar to my ear from my household so that wasn’t itself a challenge. One of the biggest challenges of me approaching Deuce were his demons. On paper they seem like one thing but when you get on the floor with your fellow actors and director and you bring them to life they become something else. They become a lot harder than they seem and far more of a challenge off the page than on the page, which isn’t always the case.

What have been the biggest joys of the process?

For me the biggest joy of the process is having to work with such an amazing bunch of creatives. In all of my years doing this job, this has to be one of my top three. I have absolutely loved every minute of this show – the cast, the crew, the creatives. It has just been an absolute joy. Michelle has been wonderful to work opposite. All of the young ones have been a delight to be around. I have loved every minute of it. I have really enjoyed exploring this character and exploring it with them as well. You feel very safe creatively and that’s a really important thing for me and this has been brilliant.

Jordan and Levi are just wonderful men – great colleagues who have now become friends. It’s hard not to have a family dynamic when you have a family on screen. It’s then how that translates in real life and when you have that longevity, there’s substance in that. We are in an industry where everything is transient, you move from job to job to job, and at every job the people become your family. You make lots of colleagues and associates and have lots of nice moments. But how many people become your friends? I truly believe in this that we will stay in touch and we have already been in touch offscreen, in our own time, with things that have nothing to do with work. So, the dynamic on screen is very much reflective, certainly in many ways in what it is offscreen.

Set in a world of family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation, This Town tells the story of a band’s formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness. Both a high octane thriller and a family saga, This Town opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest. Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers.

This Town (6×60) is produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC, co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films and Nick Angel.

This Town is available in full on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 31 March, with episodes one and two airing on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 31 March and Monday 1 April. The series continues on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm.