Martin Clunes has played everyone from Portwenn's grumpiest GP in Doc Martin to a dirty old miser in Vanity Fair, but the actor has now described his latest role in ITV's Manhunt as a "huge departure" for him.
The drama focuses on the real-life murders committed by serial killer Levi Bellfield, with Clunes taking on the role of lead investigator DCI Colin Sutton.
Bellfield was convicted of murdering three young women, including 13-year-old Milly Dowler, and it was Sutton who, when assigned to the case of 22-year-old French student Amélie Delagrange's death, ended up making the connection between that crime and the murder of Marsha McDonnell and the abduction and murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler.
At a recent screening of the drama, Clunes was asked about the role and the fact that he's said it left a "lasting impression" on him, and the actor explained to Digital Spy and other media that playing DCI Sutton marked a big change for him.
"It was a huge departure for me to do something like this," he said. "It's massive, and with it comes that responsibility."
Clunes was also asked about how he dealt with the sense of responsibility portraying a real person, and he jokingly replied: "Responsibly, really."
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"I've really done it once before, and that part was a responsibility to the victims, really, as much the people you were portraying," he added.
Elsewhere, Clunes reflected on why he thought it was a story worth telling, explaining that it opened his eyes to a world of police investigations that he's not seen on TV before.
The actor also revealed how he copes with filming such sensitive topics, and added that being able to go home and enjoy an open space really helps him.
"[The] perfect antidote to my working experience is having that space in front of me, instead of a camera, so yeah that's what I do," he added.
Manhunt will air on ITV.
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