Tony Curran said he and Martin Compston feeling a “kinship and bromance” was important while they filmed their Scottish friendship drama Mayflies.
The friends, who have worked together before on psychological drama Red Road and share a love of football club Celtic, star in the new BBC drama adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s acclaimed novel.
The two-part drama explores a friendship that starts in the summer of 1986 when Jimmy, played by Compston, and Tully, played by Curran, bond over music, films and the rebel spirit.
When asked about working with the Line Of Duty star, Curran, 53, said: “I was so happy when I found out Martin was going to be playing Jimmy.
“As Tully and Jimmy mainly drive our story and they are extremely close friends, they’ve known each other since they were kids, almost like brothers. It was important that we had to feel that kinship between them, a history, kind of bromance if you will.
“It’s always a joy working with Martin, he’s always so present and giving as an actor and of course he’s also a mad Celtic fan like myself.”
Fellow Scot Compston, 38, said he found out he had won the role while at an Arctic Monkeys gig in a field in Hungary.
He added: “It was 1am and I thought I was tripping!
“Tony Curran, who plays Tully, has been one of my best pals for years so seeing his name already attached was exciting because I love working with pals.”
Compston also said it has been the “most emotionally” present he has been on a job and he put everything he usually thinks about behind him.
He added: “With this, it was just the subject matter, the script, and doing it with your pal, like, in that sense, it felt very real, you know, like, at times, you would just look at what Tony was doing.”
The friends also spoke about their love of filming in and around Glasgow and Ayrshire during the autumn.
Compston, who lives in Las Vegas, said “it’s always a joy to be at home”, recalling one scene filmed on an Ayrshire beach: “The sun was breaking through the clouds, there were castle ruins in the background and we were looking out to sea.
“Scotland really is the most beautiful stage. In a setting like that, you get this feeling of ‘I need to do this scene and this setting justice’.”
Curran, 53, who also lives in the US and has had roles in 24, Ray Donovan and The Flash, said he takes every opportunity to come home to Scotland.
He added: “It’s been quite a few years and obviously with the lockdown and so on I didn’t see my daughter and I didn’t see my family for like three years which is kind of absurd and sad and unfortunate.
“I do miss the cholesterol, but also I just missed the craic, you know, I missed the laughs.”
Agatha Raisin and After Life star Ashley Jensen plays Tully’s wife, while The Originals actress Tracy Ifeachor plays Jimmy’s wife.
The “nostalgic, poignant and moving” story examines what happens to the friendship when it is put to the test after unexpected news 30 years later.
Mayflies will air on December 27 and 28 on BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer and on December 28 and 29 on BBC One.
