The Musketeers: Marc Warren on playing the Comte De Rochefort

BBC One’s high profile take on The Musketeers has it’s second season premiere on 2 January 2015, the always excellent Marc Warren has joined the cast playing the sinister Comte De Rochefort. Here he talks about joining the series and relishing the chance to play a baddie!

How did you come to be involved in The Musketeers?
I took seven months off last year and I was in Prague anyway, so I met up with Tom Burke a couple of times because he’s a friend of mine. I knew that he was doing The Musketeers and he said that there was probably going to be baddie part coming up; the main villain of the show for series two. So I’d expressed an interest in doing that, and I’d seen the show and liked the look of it. It was more a direction I wanted to go in career-wise, plus I really love Prague so it was a no-brainer really.

Tell us about your character.
I play Comte de Rochefort who is the villain of the piece; he got put in a Spanish prison and the King of France didn’t pay his ransom, so he got tortured. This obviously affected him and he’s dangerous. Rochefort comes over to France and tries to worm his way into court, and works his way into being King Louis’ right hand man. Also alongside that he is trying to get close to the Queen, who he used to know when they were both younger. Basically he’s just horrible; he’s got no redeeming features at all apart from that his love of the Queen!

Was it nice playing a villain?
It’s always good playing a baddie. They’re easy to play and also if you get a bit annoyed during the day at other things you can just use it during the work! If you’re tired and angry you can channel it into the character.

Are there any scenes that were particularly challenging?
There is one later in the series where Rochefort puts the Queen under threat. It was one of the hardest scenes to film physically and it was quite challenging. It was a long tough day that! Rochefort is great to play though – I just learn the lines, turn up and do it and get to be horrible!

How have you enjoyed filming out in Prague?
Yeah I’ve enjoyed it! It’s gone so quickly. Seven months and I think it’s one of the quickest jobs I’ve ever done – I just don’t know where the time has gone. It’s very beautiful out here. I’ve been coming for nineteen years and I’ve worked over here about five times I think, so it’s a bit like a home from home really.

Did you bond with boys on set?
I think the boys are fantastic. I’m a big fan of them and I’ve certainly bonded with them on set, but I don’t tend to socialise that much with everyone. They’re great boys and I’ve had a lovely time with them, they make me laugh a lot. They are such incredible looking lads as well – you don’t want to sit next to them in make-up! They are all fantastic looking guys anyway, but especially when you put them in their leathers and on their horses!

What would you like audiences to get from the show?
That’s something I never really personally think about really, I just turn up and do my work and then forget about it. The rest of it isn’t really in my control. Once you get involved in it too much, I think that way in madness lies, so I’ve just learnt to let it go. But I think audiences are certainly in for a visual treat. It looks fantastic and there’s plenty of love interests this series. More of the same great fighting and horse-riding! I hear that the series has sold really well over the world as well which is great.