Jason Flemyng talks about Mark Walsh and juggling two time periods in ‘The Missing’

Jason Flemyng is extremely popular for his roles in blockbuster Hollywood movies. Part of big banner movies, Flemyng is famous as Azazel in X-Men: First Class, Thomas Button in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Acrisius in Clash of the Titans, Santa in Seed of Chucky, Knave of Hearts in the 1999 TV movie Alice in Wonderland and for his roles in movies like Transporter 2, Great Expectations and Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation!

His latest outing is The Missing. Told using a fascinating narrative puzzle, The Missing explores the impact of a child's abduction, the emotional cost of obsession, hope and finding when to let go. This gripping suspense drama is told simultaneously over multiple time frames and set in France and London.

The series received several nominations including –Best Drama Series and Radio Times Audience Award at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards. For the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, Tom Shankland received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special.

Here Flemyng talks about the show, his character Mark Walsh and why you should watch The Missing-

How did you react to the scripts when you read them?

I have been at this game quite a long time so when I get scripts I usually do what most actors do and look for my bits! But this was the first time I’ve ever read an entire script from beginning to end. In fact, at the audition when I first met director Tom Shankland, I said however it goes in the casting, I need the next two episodes because I need to know what happens. That wasn’t even a way of trying to get the job, that was the absolute truth. It’s an amazing read and, hopefully, an even more amazing drama.

Who is Mark and how does he fit into the story?

Mark is a British liaison officer who is in France at the same time as the tragedy happens. And just by proxy he becomes the assigned liaison officer for the Hughes case. In the story, Mark has a kid as well and the situation deeply affects him. When you’re making a film which is so deeply based on the disappearance of a kid, it affects you as an actor as well. Mark feels compassion towards the couple and that’s really the role he plays. He’s like a lynchpin of sympathy and affection for people who are a fish out of water in a place that they don’t understand.

How did you prepare for the role?

Emotionally, I’m quite a simple actor. When I play a character I ask myself what I would do in that position or situation, it’s quite a simple process. I tried to bring as much of me as I could to Mark and it’s been quite an easy fit. It’s not like a square peg in a round hole. I think Mark is basically a version of me, they go hand in hand. After having done so much acting work in make-up like X Men, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Clash of the Titans, to just be a human being that’s close to me is a nice thing and it helps. I find it just as satisfying playing a character that is close to me as I do playing something which is obscure and strange.

What was it like playing the different time periods?

It’s mostly superficial like a change in appearance that is the most poignant. The sets change completely as do the people. Tcheky’s got a heavy beard and Frances changed the colour of her hair. I get to have nice youthful makeup on and different shoes and that’s about it! But emotionally I think it’s pretty much the same journey. You’d be on that journey if it was a week later or if it was 20 years later because it’s the same storyline, the same story arch.

What’s been the biggest challenge during this shoot?

The biggest challenge is probably managing to get to the Eurostar station on a Friday night but I’ve succeeded in it, which I’m very happy about! I’ve got twin boys so for me, even though I’ve loved the job, what’s been great about it is that I can get home to see my family.

The lead cast of The Missing.

What do you see as a major theme in the story, and how does it relate to Mark?

Transition. Mark’s character is initially compassionate, professional and supportive of the couple but by the end of the eight hours he’s actually in a relationship with Frances’ character. He falls in love with her and they end up marrying. That’s a huge transition for him professionally and morally, it’s like a doctor and a patient. It’s a really blurred line and crossing it emotionally is difficult for Mark because it’s meant to be a line that you don’t cross. He knows that if you do cross it, you have to accept that there’s going to be sacrifices professionally. And his career suffers because of it. It’s certainly a controversial choice and people fall on one side or the other of the fence in how they feel about it.

Why did Mark take that risk?

It’s the same in real life when you meet someone who’s with a partner and you can’t believe they’re together. Maybe you can’t believe he treats her like that which is similar to how Mark feels about Tony. If they’re a friend,you leave it as an emotional thought because it’s difficult to impose but if they’re not then you can cross that boundary because you don’t owe either of them anything. Mark thinks Emily is amazing and as his feelings grow he chooses to take the risk and seize the day and then the choice is up to her. It’s a really interesting thing to play because I think we’ve all been there.

Does the show have a specific visual style?

Tom Shankland (director) and Ole Birkeland (director of cinematography) have tried to create two very different looks. For the early years they’re using an older lens which gives it a really amazing look. I didn’t believe a lens could change the look, I thought it would be a filter or some sort of atmospheric trick, but it really does make a difference. What’s interesting about this show is that it spreads over a period of time and is filmed chronologically but it’s not shown chronologically. So in one of the early scenes I meet the couple and I’m very professional but in the next scene it will cut to me married to her. In that way it’s amazing because it throws you up in the air and you don’t even know what’s happening in the case. The next scene could be six years after the case has closed and so the change in time is very abrupt. It has got to be very clear so that without writing on screen ‘six years later’, you know exactly what you’re watching just from the look of the shot and the characters.

How has it been working with one consistent director?

Tom basically did eight one-hour TV movies which is like shooting four movies in a row in a very short period of time and he did it brilliantly. I’ve done miniseries and seen directors lying on the floor shouting ‘action’ because they’re so exhausted and their back is out and they’ve got flu but Tom was as full of beans at the end as he was in the beginning.

What has been particularly difficult to do on this shoot?

My past has been in making movies and, for instance, on Benjamin Button it was 18 months of shooting and if we messed it up we’d go back and shoot the same scene again. This has been interesting because we shoot scenes that are eight or nine pages long in a day whereas on a movie we’d shoot that in five or six days. Apart from that, my position in movies usually means that I’d have about ten lines a week but on this show we’ve done scenes with eight pages of dialogue! I found that quite challenging just because I’m not actor fit - I haven’t had that experience for a long time where I’ve had a lot to do in a short period of time. It’s the same as any job; it’s about preparation and confidence. It’s been really good for me to get back into doing that sort of work.

What is it like working in Belgium?

For whatever reason I’ve spent the last ten months working in France and I’ve spent a lot of time with French crews. I love working in Europe and with diverse international crews. To an outsider you think the Belgian and French are similar because they speak the same language and are close geographically close but they’re not, just like Americans and the English. You think they’re the same but they’re so different.

Why should viewers tune in to the show?

I think it’s the first time I’ve read scripts all the way through without missing anything. It’s absolutely compelling and encapsulates you completely. My actor pattern is that I’m a gypsy and I travel all over the world so I’ve always got a TV show on my iPad, usually a Scandinavian series. I definitely think this would be one of those but I know what happens so it’s going to be nice for everyone else but not for me.

How does this compare to other shows?

When you make something well and the script is great, it stands alone. I don’t think it’s trying to make itself different from any other drama. The difference is the story and that fact that it’s really well made. The actors are impeccable, apart from me, but I was cheap! It’s not forcing itself into a new market because there is always space for great drama. There always has been and there always will be.
 

The show will premieres this Monday, November 30 at 10 om on FX.