Exclusive Interview: 'TORCHWOOD' STAR GARETH DAVID-LLOYD GETS INTO THE ACTION IN 'CHILDREN OF EARTH'
The actor gives us a look at the 'third season' of the dark series and some of what to expect
By PETER BROWN, Managing Editor
Published 7/21/2009
Thank the gods. TORCHWOOD is back. While not nearly in the same form as it has been in the past, where it was given a 13-episode “full” season. It is now in the form of a miniseries, a five-hour arc entitled TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH.
At the end of season two of the show, Toshiko and Owen – after finally coming together as lovers – ended up sacrificing themselves to save Earth and the rest of the TORCHWOOD team. Since that time, we have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the next season. Well it begins on July 6 in the U.K. and then airs all this week on BBC America in the U.S.
To give us a bit of at the “third season” of the series, Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones on the TORCHWOOD, sat down and talked with iF Magazine about the five-part, five-hour event.
iF Magazine: It’s been more than a year since the last TORCHWOOD episode aired, was it hard to get back into the character of Ianto or was it just like riding a bike?
GARETH DAVID-LLOYD: It was brilliant. Obviously we three are filling the void of the other characters, but it was just awesome to be on the set again and seeing the rest of the crew.
iF: What can we expect to see from CHILDREN OF EARTH? Can you give us a bit of a little preview?
DAVID-LLOYD: Obviously at the heart of the show is science fiction but this time there is political drama and domestic drama. It is more soap-like. There is one major threat and it uses children as its vehicle to try and conquer the world. Along the way we get to see more the developing story between the characters, we get to meet Jack’s daughter and the team is on the run for most of the miniseries.
iF: So is the main villain an alien then or something more home-grown?
DAVID-LLOYD: The main culprit is an alien race. The “456” [what the series calls the race by classification]. But the government has a special interest in this alien race and because of that Torchwood becomes a target.
iF: Are there any new members of TORCHWOOD to replace the ones we lost in season two?
DAVID-LLOYD: They are definitely in the recruiting process when things get kicked off to fill the void left by Toshiko and Owen. But things sort of go wrong and the team is hit when it is weak.
iF: So, CHILDREN OF EARTH coming out on the BBC in a few weeks and in the U.S. later this month. Does your role expand at all in CHILDREN OF EARTH?
DAVID-LLOYD: Yes. Very much so. I am more involved because there are only three of us and I get to participate in some of the action and some of the fast paced sequences.
iF: Can you talk about that a bit? What types of action are you getting involved in?
DAVID-LLOYD: I get to crawl through fire and rubble. I get to teeter on a steep rock face. We have some really good pyrotechnics. They were really hot. This was the first time I was able to do anything like this for the show or any other show for that matter. It was fun.
iF: Do most of the characters make it through the miniseries unscathed?
DAVID-LLOYD: They will definitely get scathed. Will they get permanently scathed? I can’t say that, you will just have to watch.
iF: Obviously, Jack and your character have had a number of special moments, especially in the second season, do we see this relationship continue to unfold?
DAVID-LLOYD: Absolutely. We find them in a situation where they are dealing with them being a couple and they have to deal with the fact that Jack is immortal. When Ianto dies of old age and Jack lives on, how will Jack continue? They are dealing with a lot of domestic issues and the extraordinary.
iF: Is there relationship doomed from the start given Jack’s inability to die and his seemingly love ‘em and leave ‘em personality?
DAVID-LLOYD: Jack has learned a lot from Ianto. It is a thing of innocence really and it is a magnanimous relationship. This is a new thing for Jack so we get to see that as well.
iF: Are you disappointed that TORCHWOOD wasn’t given a full season three?
DAVID-LLOYD: I was at first and I was expected to go into a third full season right up until we heard that it wasn’t going to be. Quite literally we were ready to begin filming when we heard it was cut back. It was a bad day. But after doing CHILDREN OF EARTH and seeing the results I haven’t got anything bad to say about it. It is really good. One organic storyline with one director. It works. And maybe this will allow us to do more of these five-hour, five-part miniseries.
iF: Does TORCHWOOD lend itself better to this type of format?
DAVID-LLOYD: After seeing CHILDREN OF EARTH, I would say it lends itself to this format. At least from my perspective.
iF: Do you know if they have plans to do a fourth season?
DAVID-LLOYD: From what I gather the fourth season is ready to go. If this is successful and I believe it will be because people will be hooked from the very beginning. I am very optimistic.
iF: Can we expect any extras on the CHILDREN OF EARTH DVD?
DAVID-LLOYD: What I personally missed in the second season was the lack audio commentaries and really enjoyed doing it in the first season. I believe the DVD will have the usual outtakes and visual tours but no audio commentaries or anything.
iF: Are you going to Comic Con this year?
DAVID-LLOYD: No. I had a great time last year but I haven’t been invited this year. The BBC have lots of other events that I have gone to this year so I can’t really complain that much.
Elaine from Houston, Texas sez.... We want to see more of captain Jack. we want a full season of torchwood, not just five episodes.
We want more of Jack scantily dressed and snogfging and making love.
9/3/2009 1:14:59 PM
lainie from USA sez.... Great interview with Gareth. Hope to see more from him very soon. He did so much to make people care about what was really just written as a background character. I suspect he was upstaging the two leads too much.
7/30/2009 11:06:08 PM
Paul from St. Louis Mo sez.... Please get your facts straight. Tosh and Owen were never lovers.
7/25/2009 5:53:37 AM
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Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto in TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH
