Interview: Jack Lowden

Tell us about your character

I play Michael. He’s a young man who joins up because he thinks it’s his duty and because his dad fought. He is similar to Thomas; he’s a young man, he’s having a lot of fun and he’s got a girlfriend who he’s pretty serious about. He wants to marry her, he wants to do everything, he wants to take over the family farm and then this massive thing happens and he doesn’t think about it twice, because it’s his duty and he looks forward to it.

At first, they’re excited about the war, but how does the change over the years?

If you speak to any solider, even now, they say they are fighting for their friends. It always ends up that they’re fighting for the man next to them. Obviously back then there was a bit more of a sense of fighting for King and country but it does develop on both sides of the story – they both start fighting for their mates and their home, rather than any kind of bigger picture.

How is Michael affected by leaving his family and Katie behind at home?

For Michael, the whole war becomes about Katie. The further and further on the war goes and the more years we go through, the reason he’s fighting the war becomes more and more about Katie.

How did you feel playing a German character?

It was interesting but it doesn’t make any difference. At the end of the day, it came back to the same things that the British were going through. It doesn’t matter if you were in a ‘soup bowl’ helmet or whatever. In Tony’s script the things they talk about are very, very similar.

What attracted you to the project and to take up the role?

It was mainly that both sides were shown. You didn’t just get a glimpse of the German side every now and again throughout the episode. Both sides were written just as heavily as the other, which is unique.