Matthew Goode Talks ‘Dept. Q’ and ‘Downton Abbey 3’

Matthew Goode is prepared — and somewhat nervous — to unleash Dept. Q on the world.

“I’m on eggshells at the moment,” the English actor tells The Hollywood Reporter about his new Scotland-set police thriller premiering on Netflix Thursday, May 29. “I don’t know how people will react to it.”

Luckily, Goode, star of Downton Abbey, The Crown and The Imitation Game, to call a number of, has Scott Frank on the helm. Screenwriter-turned-director Frank, finest identified to viewers because the creator of Anya Taylor-Joy’s wildly common 2020 miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, is popping his consideration to the difference of Jussi Adler-Olson’s Nordic crime noir novels.

“The Queen’s Gambit is special, and that’s him, that’s his mind, that’s his ability, that’s his direction, his authority,” Goode gushes about Dept. Q mastermind Frank. “And he’s only getting more authoritative and more brilliant. He’s like the second coming of Sidney Lumet. He’s not letting you down. He’s cinematic, he’s intelligent, and he never, ever treats an audience anything other than being as intelligent as he is.”

Frank’s script relocates Adler-Olson’s central character from Copenhagen to the grizzly, gothic streets of Edinburgh. Goode performs DCI Carl Morck, a superb cop, however a horrible colleague. His razor-sharp sarcasm has made him no mates within the Edinburgh Police. After a taking pictures that leaves a younger PC lifeless and his associate paralyzed, Goode’s character finds himself exiled to the basement as the only real member of Dept. Q., a newly shaped chilly case unit.

But the division is a PR stunt, there to distract the general public from the failures of an under-resourced, failing police pressure that’s glad to see the again of Morck. More accidentally than design, Carl begins to construct a gang of waifs and strays who’ve the whole lot to show. “So, when the stone-cold trail of a prominent civil servant who disappeared several years ago starts to heat up,” a plot synopsis teases, “Carl is back doing what he does best — rattling cages and refusing to take no for an answer.”

The ensemble solid additionally contains Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives, Shirley Henderson and Kate Dickie.

Below, Goode talks with THR about changing into a brand new main man of Netflix, shying away from the load of fame and why he gained’t be returning as beloved Downton Abbey character Henry Talbot in the franchise’s upcoming final film.

Matthew, how did Dept. Q and DCI Carl Morck enter your life?

Well, I’m very fortunate to share [agent] Joel Lubin with Scott [Frank]. Ironically, [Lubin]’s my American agent, so he truly flew to Winnipeg once I first labored with Scott in 2005 [on crime movie The Lookout]. At some level, he began repping Scott as nicely. So to chop a protracted story quick, he phoned me up and mentioned, “Scott’s got this new series coming out. He’s sort of thinking about you for the lead in it.” I used to be like, “Really?” After The Queen’s Gambit, nobody was extra shocked than me.

So he despatched me the scripts and I used to be identical to, “Oh, I’m in. I’m in.” I learn the primary two and I used to be like, “If he wants me, he can have me.” I simply love his scripts, I like his phrases. It’s the identical response I’ve once I noticed The Lookout script. I don’t know. He has a present, he actually could be very gifted. So, yeah, that’s the way it got here to me. And then clearly he needed to go and bat for me, persuade Netflix and Left Bank [Pictures]. And fortunately, I’d labored with Left Bank on The Crown a bit, in order that they didn’t hate me. But I believe it’s a little bit of a departure as a result of it’s a special sort of position. Scott thought I may do it, however clearly, individuals prefer to pigeon gap you, so it’s the second time he’s given me a task the place I don’t suppose different administrators would essentially agree.

How do you think about that dialog with Scott, Netflix, and Left Bank went down? What do you suppose he mentioned?

Well, he’s fairly assured as nicely. I believe coming off the again of a worldwide hit that was The Queen’s Gambit, he in all probability would have mentioned, “This is who I would like.” And they simply went, “Okay, look, [Frank] doesn’t seem to misstep, so…”

Why have been you shocked when Scott approached you for Dept. Q?

I’m at all times shocked when anybody’s approached me about something. It’s simply the character of [the industry]. Also, it was simply after the writers’ strike, and one’s profession — except you attain the highest the place you’ve gotten your individual firm… It’s like a river that you simply don’t actually know the place it’s going to take you. There are going to make sure moments the place you’ve gotten big monetary insecurity and you’re going to need to take no matter is round. And then typically, somebody like Scott comes alongside and simply pops somewhat reward into your lap. It’s few and far between.

So you learn the script, you’re character is flawed — what’s it that will get you so excited?

I simply love the character and how he behaves. It’s basically the naughty boy in me. [Laughs.] It’s so nice to see somebody who doesn’t care about being that impolite or bodily. I received misplaced within the story. I received hoodwinked by the construction, and I don’t need to give an excessive amount of away… But, episode one and two I used to be like, “Ah, okay, all right. Okay. You made me feel a bit stupid.” It’s simply the sheer degree of intelligence.

But it’s extra concerning the dynamic between the opposite characters. It’s not simply a type of detective issues the place it’s all about myself and a associate. That’s one of many causes that Scott attracts such good different actors. Yes, they’re good Scottish actors. But take the Scottish away, they’re simply good actors, full cease. They’re crème de la crème individuals. Some of them I desperately wished to work with for a very very long time. And you may solely appeal to the extent of these individuals if the writing is three dimensional and nuanced and nice, and that’s what Scott offers you.

How would you tease viewers in who may not know something about Dept. Q?

For individuals who don’t know, it’s an adaptation of Department Q, the Scandinavian novels by Jussi Adler-Olson. They’re unbelievably common. And the star of our present is Scott Frank, he’s been one of the best screenwriter for 30 years in Hollywood. Or considered one of, and it’s a brief record. And now he’s probably the greatest administrators. We all had the pleasure throughout lockdown of — I imply, I do know we have been a captive viewers — however The Queen’s Gambit is particular, and that’s him, that’s his thoughts, that’s his means, that’s his route, his authority. And he’s solely getting extra authoritative and extra good. He’s just like the second coming of [American filmmaker] Sidney Lumet. He’s not letting you down. He’s cinematic, he’s clever, and he by no means, ever treats an viewers something apart from being as clever as he’s, proper? So the story will unfurl for the viewing pleasure of an viewers that he is not going to write all the way down to you. He believes in them, and you’re going to get an ideal story with spectacularly good performing. I apologize for myself, clearly, however everybody else is good in it.

It’s a gripping story, it’s a puzzle. And he invitations everybody to get in on that puzzle. Also, the nice factor is, it doesn’t really feel prefer it’s gonna be, “Hey, we want to be part of the zeitgeist, so we’re just gonna release one episode per week.” It’s like, “Hey, you want it? You got it. Have the lot.” It’s to your viewing pleasure. If you need to undergo it since you find it irresistible, you may. And I like that. I hate having to attend per week.

You don’t just like the weekly episode drops?

I imply, I don’t care what anybody does. But if I need to watch one thing, I need to watch it. You’ve received me hooked. Let me watch all of it. [Otherwise] I would get offended and simply go, “Well, sod that. I don’t want to see what happens then.” I’m like a spoilt youngster. [Laughs.]

No higher platform for binge-watching content material than Netflix. How did this set examine to different reveals you’ve labored on? You felt they have been associate on this?

I’ve labored with them on a few issues now and I’m at all times amazed at how extremely palms off they’re. I stepped into the second season of The Crown, so I don’t know what the primary season was like, however once I walked on the set, I used to be like, “This is great.” It’s not, like, seven individuals with a clipboard. It was simply the director. And I’ve heard it’s an exquisite expertise for many individuals. And clearly, for Scott, that is his third time working with them. He’s given them Godless, Gambit, in order that they’re fairly palms off. Which was pretty.

I learn not too long ago that you simply don’t like the thought of being well-known, or at the very least it doesn’t sound like one thing you’d take pleasure in.

I’ve seen mates which have gone via it and it simply looks as if an awfully troublesome factor to navigate. But, I don’t know, I like my job greater than I ever have now. You undergo the adolescent stage and I believe my spouse is like, “Oh maybe you’re about to finally grow up.” [Laughs.] I don’t know. I’m very conscious of how fragile it’s, you would lose all of it in a day by way of a alternative or simply being knocked over by a automobile or one thing. But yeah, I’d love to come back again and do one other season of this.

The complete expertise was so fantastic. But it’s all concerning the firm of actors. It was essentially the most uncompetitive, stunning surroundings too. I imply, don’t get me unsuitable, it kicked the proverbial out of us, trigger it’s long-form TV. It’s like, carry some stamina, since you’re making 4 or 5 movies again to again, successfully. But it was joyous and I felt like I’m getting higher at having a place of accountability, and how one can assist.

Are you cautious, then, that you simply’re about to step into the lead position of what’s going to be an enormous Netflix present? Especially with Scott hooked up, off the again of The Queen’s Gambit.

I fairly just like the accountability of it. If we get to go once more, I believe Scott will write one thing equally good and if we get to come back again to Edinburgh, I imply, it simply ticks so many containers of pleasure.

I don’t know the way individuals will react to it. I’m on eggshells for the time being as a result of I’ve been in issues that I believed have been good earlier than and it’s like tumbleweeds [when it airs]. You go, “Oh, no… Misjudged that one.” So we will see. I really feel like this has a contemporary take. It’s at all times going to be contemporary to a sure level when you’ve gotten a model new solid of people that have by no means labored collectively. But Scott’s intelligence and diploma of professionalism, throughout digital camera and making it cinematic and and additionally having simply so many fascinating characters — and a whole lack of sentimentality. He rips any of that out, he hates it. It’s nice enjoyable. You’ve received to do your homework, you’ve received to come back ready, however it’s simply good.

Did you learn the unique books?

No. We’re taking it out of Copenhagen and placing it into Edinburgh, which is the right metropolis to make it English-speaking. Not simply because it’s the judicial middle of Scotland, but additionally with the mediaeval structure and it’s fairly small. It turns into an actual character of our sequence.

Scott warned me off [reading the books] in a means, and that was so liberating, as a result of I’ve achieved many variations of my profession. And typically you get so hooked up to bits within the e book and then they simply don’t seem in it. We received to create a special previous. So [Morck] continues to be a little bit of a thriller to individuals, which is, once more, why I need to come again.

This is a present that’s asking for a season two.

It’s begging for it.

And I’ve to ask about Downton Abbey 3, too, as I noticed you gained’t be returning as Henry Talbot for the movie…

Well, I used to be filming [Dept. Q]. And for the scene they wished to do, it was half a web page. So there was by no means going to be an excessive amount of in there, however I couldn’t do it. And truly, I mentioned, you recognize what? Why can’t this be a very optimistic factor? Because I don’t know what they’re doing. They may kill [Henry]! I didn’t see the script. But it’s an exquisite alternative — [Mary, Michelle Dockery’s character] is like this contemporary feminist icon and in a bizarre means, possibly she doesn’t want a fella. Maybe Downton’s sufficient or possibly some previous suitor will are available in. Now, it opens up the story to have one thing vital occur. Why have Henry come?

It would have been pretty to have achieved it as a result of I adored the solid. To work with Allen Leach every single day is to actually have a really, very humorous day. And Hugh [Bonneville] and clearly, Dockers and the remainder of them. But I’ll tune in. I’d like to search out out what occurs.