Creator and Cast Members Discuss ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’ [Interview]

BBC’s newest series, SAS: Rogue Heroes, follows the true story of how the Special Air Service was created during World War 2. The series is adapted from Ben McIntyre’s novel of the same name and is the first televised telling of the story.

I recently spoke with the creator, Steven Knight, and the leading trio of SAS: Rogue Heroes, Connor Swindells, Alfie Allen, and Jack O’Connell.

Knight is best known for creating the well-renowned Peaky Blinders, amongst other highly viewed series. Allen can be recognized from his roles on Game of Thrones and Jojo Rabbit, Swindells from Sex Education, and O’Connell from Skins.

Swindells portrays David Stirling, the real founder of the SAS back in 1941. Allen portrays Jock Lewes, one of the SAS training officers known for thinking outside of the box and coming up with the idea for parachute units to be deployed in the desert. O’Connell portrays Paddy Mayne, a British officer and fellow founding member of the SAS.

The story’s premise is what urged Knight to pursue bringing Ben McIntyre’s novel to life. However, a bonus is the familial aspects at play for Knight.

“It’s an untold story and an important one. This is the story of a young man who turned the tide of the whole war. And they did it in such a remarkable, almost unbelievable way.”

“I’ve got a personal interest in that my dad was in the eighth army and served in the British army fighting in North Africa at this time. So, he was there when these events were taking place. But when I was a kid and asked him what it was like, he would never tell me. He won medals, but he would never tell me the stories of what it was like. And so I just thought, by embarking on this project, I could find perhaps a bit more about what my dad’s war experience was,” Knight continued.

What’s interesting about the story of the SAS, according to Knight, is it’s one of the most compelling stories about good versus evil and going against orders for the good of the bigger picture.

“I think that telling that story, first of all, as a writer gives you a lot of liberty. You know, they’re doing the right thing, you know, they’re doing something good. So, they get the freedom to do quite a few bad things as well,” Knight said.

“But to see people sacrificing their lives for a cause that they believe in is, it feels very not modern. You know, it’s very not cynical. And I think that maybe if we’re all looking around the corner, that’s going to be the next thing for us that maybe there’s going to be a change in the way things are, and things will improve. But, you know, the idealism of these young men is quite remarkable,” Knight continued.

For Swindells, the allure of this project was Knight’s expertise in particular and the ability to work with actors he’s revered, like Jack O’Connell and Dominic West. But the change of tone and pace from his former projects ultimately set his decision.

“As an actor, I always want to be doing something completely opposite to what I’ve just done. I think that’s the only way I’m going to be able to keep doing this for a long time. And to stop people getting bored of me so quickly.”

“And you know, who better than David Stirling, who’s so flawed and so interesting that, you know, there’s so much I would love to continue to explore about him. Because he is just full of great stories and things that he did are just absolutely bonkers,” Swindells continued.

He says that, thankfully, he managed to luck out on being forced into any immediate training/dieting regimes due to working back-to-back projects.

“There wasn’t a great deal I could do because I came straight off the back of doing something else. I mean, Sunday night, I was filming one thing and then finishing on that. And then, Monday morning, I was David Stirling. So whilst doing that other job, I was sort of prepping as best I could and leaning heavily on Tom Shankland, who’s our director. Without him, it wouldn’t have been possible,” Swindells said.

For Allen, being able to portray a prominent real-life individual who fought against fascism and helped turn the tide during World War 2, as well as working with Steven Knight, was a highlight. He also likes that the series depicts the lives of young soldiers.

“I think you see a lot of these shows that depict these men of war, and they aren’t young men. And a lot of these men were super, super young. You know, and I’m not really that young. So, God knows why they chose me,” Allen laughed.

“But I love that aspect of it. And just being able to play these men that maybe in times of peace, they would have been at odds with what to do with themselves. They would have been the men falling out of hope or the men in prisons, and then, as soon as the time came, they found their place in society and the military,” Allen continued.

O’Connell’s love for in-depth and historically detailed writing and his fondness for the original trio persuaded him to the role of Paddy. “The talent of these three, sort of very distinct characters between themselves, eventually created a very successful detachment during this particular war and then on.”

“So, I think the SAS is something that you, in one way or another, are aware of, but the origins of it probably not so. It was definitely appealing just on that basis alone,” O’Connell continued.

In the series SAS: Rogue Heroes, there’s death, destruction, turmoil, and drama interweaved throughout, but Paddy Mayne suffers just a tad bit more due to having to hide his sexuality during the war. It’s something that fueled his actions and played a part in his ferocity, according to O’Connell.

“I think that that is a very interesting dynamic. To think that this huge intrinsic, innate part of someone’s personality has to be kept secret and is literally illegal. Especially in hindsight, it just makes it quite a fascinating thing to have to comprehend. I do think it feeds into his turmoil, and I think it feeds into a lot of what makes him inherently quite violent. It was a fascinating thing to try and understand,” O’Connell said.

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SAS: Rogue Heroes is available on EPIX.

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