Vicky McClure and Morven Christie reveal 10 things you need to know about The Replacement
TV Magazine gets the lowdown on BBC's new must-watch show
Here's what you need to know about BBC1's new thriller The Replacement...
1 The three-part series follows top architect Ellen (Morven Christie), who recruits Paula (Vicky McClure) to cover her maternity leave.
But Ellen feels like she’s losing her identity to the newcomer – is Paula manipulative, or is Ellen losing her mind? “The more you learn about them, the more you’re confused as to who you’re backing,” teases Vicky.
2 Glasgow-raised actress Morven couldn’t believe her luck when she got the call for the role. “I thought it’d be a scene in an indie film because that’s all I’d get offered without an audition,” she explains. “Then my agent said: ‘It’s a BBC drama.’ So I thought: ‘Okay, a small part.’ Then: ‘It’s one of the two leading roles.’ Okay… ‘And the other will be played by Vicky McClure.’ I went: ‘F*** off!’ Then she said: ‘And it shoots in Glasgow.’ I was like: ‘Oh my God!’”
3 Fans of Vicky from This Is England and Line Of Duty will see a very different side to the actress. “Paula’s a strong but vulnerable person with weird characteristics that I don’t think are like me or the parts I’ve played before,” says Vicky.
4 Unlike their characters, Vicky and Morven had each other’s backs after rehearsals. “In one part of the story, I felt my character was in the right and Morven felt hers was too, so we had these intense conversations to battle it out,” says Vicky. “By the time we got to set, it never felt like: ‘This actor’s trying to f*** me over.’”
5 Wearing a baby bump brought out odd behaviour in Morven. “It changed my mental state – I’d have my hands on it between takes, swaying back and forth. It’s is an instinctive thing when women rub their bumps.”
6 Vicky also had issues with Paula’s unforgiving wardrobe. “We made the decision for my clothing to be quite tight, which was also painful,” says Vicky. “She’s trying to be sophisticated but not quite getting it right.”
7 As the show deals with a pregnant woman, both actresses were often asked an inevitable question… “It’s a little bit irritating being asked: ‘Do you want kids?’” says Vicky. “It’s not the be-all and end-all.”
8 Pregnancy aside, one of the toughest challenges actors face in their job, according to Morven, is snobbery. “There’s a big class thing in our industry,” she says. “I’ve definitely thought: ‘I’m the chavviest person in this room.’” Vicky chips in: “Then I came along!”
9 The Replacement is not just about competitive women in the workplace. “Men fall out as much as women do,” says Vicky. “Some of the dramas I hear from men are pathetic. Yes, women can be bitchy – but so can men. I don’t believe in competition with other people.”
10 Nottingham-born Vicky loved filming in Glasgow and reckons it felt like her home town. “There’s a tag line that ‘People make Glasgow’ and it’s true. I had a great time there.”
NEW! The Replacement, Tuesday, 9pm, BBC1