‘The adults are flawed'

Stars Andrew Scott and Amir Wilson on their characters’ complicated father-and-son relationship

- Caren Clark

Andrew Scott has proved himself to be one of the most compelling actors out there with his BAFTA-winning performance as supervillain Moriarty in Sherlock and his scene-stealing role as Fleabag’s ‘hot priest’.

Now, the Dublin-born star is set to cause a similar stir in BBC1’s Sunday night fantasy epic His Dark Materials, based on the bestselling trilogy by Philip Pullman.

Following an early, unexpected glimpse of him in last year’s first season, this week’s episode sees Andrew join the show properly as enigmatic explorer John Parry, the father of troubled youngster Will, played by rising star Amir Wilson, whose career is also on the ascent with roles in 2020 film The Secret Garden and Netflix’s The Letter for the King.

John has been presumed dead for years after disappearing during an Arctic expedition. However, as intrepid Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda) continues his mission to find the elusive subtle knife, he manages to track John down… But the big question is, will John ever be reunited with his son?

Andrew, 44, and Amir, 16, tell us more…

‘I love that the children are the heroes’

Andrew Scott on the mysterious explorer John Parry

What appealed to you most about joining His Dark Materials?