Gangs of London star Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù has said that "he'd met his match" when filming season three fight sequence with new cast member Andrew Koji.
During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, the Elliot actor said: "Going up against Andrew Koji was an experience.
"He's a very talented martial artist and he's an excellent actor. I really felt that Elliot had met his match in the series in the same way that I had met my match in the performance."
Koji plays the mysterious assassin Zeek in the third instalment of the Sky gangster drama, alongside other newcomers including T'Nia Miller as mayor of London Simone and Richard Dormer as gangster Cornelius.
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Dìrísù elaborated further on his character's key scene with Koji's Zeek, saying that the fight sequence is "different to what [Elliot's] been through before.
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"I would say he takes a lot more damage than he has in the series before," the actor added.
The new series also stretched Dìrísù's character in other ways as it explored his backstory in more depth than ever before.
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"In season three, we find out a lot more about what actually happened to [his family]... the story that he told Shannon in series one might not have been the whole truth, but part of it was the truth to the best of his knowledge."
As the real facts unfold, Dìrísù said his character found himself feeling a "sort of reticence" to let go of a history that he once understood for "one that you don't", adding: "Jumping into the unknown can be very scary and that's what he has to do in this series to find out."
Speaking on the trajectory of his character's arc this season, Dirisu told Digital Spy: "I get constantly surprised by where he ends up.
"I always get surprised by the depths that he can go to as well and that allows me to discover him anew every year, peel back the layers and then share that with our audience."
All 8 episodes of Gangs of London season 3 will launch as a box set on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service NOW from March 20.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
