The brand new series of BAFTA nominated spy drama Slow Horses starts today on Apple TV+. Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Jack Lowden all reprise their roles from the previous 2 series, but series 3 sees Sọpẹ́ Dìrísù joining the cast in a leading role.
Slow Horses follows a group of MI5 rejects who have made errors in their job but haven't been sacked, so are sent to Slough House, a kind of administrative purgatory, headed up by miserable boss Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). They are expected to endure dull, desk-based tasks as well as occasional mental abuse from their boss.
The official synopsis for Series 3, entitled 'Real Tigers', says "a romantic liaison in Istanbul threatens to expose a buried MI5 secret in London. When Jackson Lamb and his team of misfits are dragged into the fight, they find themselves caught in a conspiracy that threatens the future not just of Slough House but of MI5 itself."
Sọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays Sean Donovan, the former Head of Security at the British embassy in Istanbul. In the first episode we see him in a Bond-worthy car and boat chase through Istanbul, ending in a brutal surprise that tears his word apart and starts him on a mission for revenge against what he believes is an M15 cover-up.
Show creator Will Smith spoke recently about why Sọpẹ́ is so perfect for playing Sean and what he brought to the role, "He’s fantastic at action, but he's also a brilliant actor. What we wanted for that part, the Sean Donovan part, is you've got to believe his anguish and his grief and that that is motivating him. If you don't believe that, I don't think you buy all things he does, and you start to question it."
He went on to say, "He just brought a reality to it, and an emotional heart and heft that just brings the central plot alive, brings it all alive. He’s phenomenal and I loved working with Ṣọpẹ́. He's already a massive star and he's gonna be an even bigger star. I mean, he's off, he's away."
The new series has already had plenty of 5-star reviews as well as a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes -
"the action is better, faster and tougher than ever...probably the best yet" - Evening Standard ★★★★★
"a beautifully crafted prestige drama" - Empire Online ★★★★★
"so brilliant you'd be silly not to get an Apple TV+ subscription. It's clever, it's fun....and it deserves a much bigger audience" - The Telegraph ★★★★★
And Den of Geek highlights Sọpẹ́'s performance in particular, he "makes a big impact in a short time"
Catch the first 2 episodes from today, Wednesday 29th November, on Apple TV+, with a new episode released every Wednesday. There are 6 episodes in total. Watch the trailer
Sọpẹ́ Dìrísù ís available for voiceovers from Anthea Represents. Click his image for his profile page and voiceover showreel.
