David Harewood on Landing First Lead in 40-Year Career in ‘Pierre’ – and Finally Being No. 1 on the Call Sheet: ‘Exciting Place to Be’ (EXCLUSIVE)
'Pierre' will be part of a Sphere Abacus showcase at the London TV Screenings on Tuesday, Feb. 24
Veteran actor David Harewood, known for “Homeland,” “Sherwood” and “Supergirl,” is finally leading a show with “Pierre.”
“It’s my first lead character in a 40-year career, which is quite extraordinary, and the first time I’ve been number one on the call sheet. It’s an exciting place to be.”
“I’m very lucky to have worked with fabulous ‘number ones’ like Claire Danes and Melissa Benoist on ‘Supergirl,’ who really set the tone on set. If they’re not moaning, nobody can moan. I was looking forward to setting that tone myself.”
He “loved being in the position of leading,” he admits. “I wanted to make sure I was open and accessible. It was a difficult shoot and I texted one of my ‘number one’ pals, saying: ‘Oh, so that’s what it’s like.’ You are there all day, every day, in every scene. But it was wonderful.”
Harewood, who accepted an OBE for his service to drama and charity, recently reprised the role of “Othello” in the West End. “I’m pretty exhausted and I find myself eating all sorts of terrible food. I keep telling myself I deserve it,” he laughs.
In “Pierre,” he plays a West London duty solicitor shaken up by the suspicious death of his young black client, Michael.
“I think this young lad sparks something in Pierre. He sparks a memory of someone he used to be. Now, Pierre is prepared to walk through fire in order to do the right thing. It comes at a cost, because he runs into something he wasn’t expecting to find.”
Pierre” is produced by The Lighthouse for Channel 4. International distribution of the series is handled by Sphere Abacus.
Sarmad Masud is the lead director, Jo Johnson produces and Roy Williams and John Donnelly are the co-writers. Jason Flemyng, Michele Austin, Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikkita Chadha, Christopher Fairbank, Sara Powell, Cherrelle Skeete, Dylan Ennis and Ezrae Maye also star.
Playing Pierre allowed Harewood to showcase his skills.
“For the first time, I’ve been able to show my full range: the funny, the serious, the clever and the witty. The husband, the dedicated father, the public servant. It was such a wonderful experience to reflect all these things in one character.”
Pierre’s occupation was a big draw. “We’re drowning in superheroes now, but there are real-life superheroes: nurses and doctors, and people who go above and beyond every day to fulfill their public service. Duty solicitors get a bad rap, yet they will show up at three or four in the morning to ensure people are protected by the law. That’s really honorable,” he says. He reached out to a few of them, too.
was on a morning show once and there was this fairly high-powered solicitor. I mentioned I was playing a duty solicitor and he immediately went: ‘They’re not very good.’ That’s the arrogance of people. They’re not doing it for the money – they’re doing it because they feel that people in vulnerable positions need help. Some have already contacted me, saying: ‘Thank God someone’s telling our side of the story’.”
Despite his foibles, “wonderfully human” Pierre is a bit of a throwback to the characters we used to see, notes Harewood.
Veteran actor David Harewood, known for “Homeland,” “Sherwood” and “Supergirl,” is finally leading a show with “Pierre.”
“It’s my first lead character in a 40-year career, which is quite extraordinary, and the first time I’ve been number one on the call sheet. It’s an exciting place to be.”
“I’m very lucky to have worked with fabulous ‘number ones’ like Claire Danes and Melissa Benoist on ‘Supergirl,’ who really set the tone on set. If they’re not moaning, nobody can moan. I was looking forward to setting that tone myself.”
