Jack O'Connell has addressed the criticism surrounding Steven Knight's show SAS Rogue Heroes ahead of season two hitting our screens.
The Skins star is part of the cast of the BBC war drama opposite Sex Education's Connor Swindells and Dominic West, amongst others. Created by the Peaky Blinders boss, SAS Rogue Heroes follows the origins of the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II, with season 2 zeroing in on a mission in mainland Europe in the spring of 1943.
Speaking with Radio Times, O'Connell spoke candidly about criticism that the show glamourises violence.
Related: SAS Rogue Heroes' true story is even wilder than the show
"I don't know if I've got a counter-argument for that," he responded.
"My stance is: this is an important period in history. The actions of these fellas are responsible for the liberty we have. That rise up against fascism is amazing to me. And if it glamorises violence in doing so, then... I don't know."
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It's not the first time the Lady Chatterley's Lover star has found himself defending a project he's in.
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Earlier this year, O'Connell reflected on the negative reception of Sam Taylor-Johnson's Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, in which he stars as the late singer's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
"What is the acceptable timescale of that?" he said in response to the film being branded "tasteless" for being made so soon after Winehouse's death (via The Times).
"Put it like this: if we were trying to portray her in any form of negative light, then that might be a valid point and I can understand one or two people pre-empting that. But if you talk to Sam, we're not even calling this a biopic, it's a celebration. I can get with that."
SAS Rogue Heroes season 2 will air at 9pm on New Year's Day on BBC One and will stream on BBC iPlayer. Season 1 is available on the same platform now.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
