Star of BBC's prison drama Time reacts to devastating episode one moment: "I actually felt scared"

Time star Chukwubuikem Molokwu has opened up about his character's brutal fate in the prison drama. The BBC show returned for its third season this month, this time following the lives of those at a young offender institution.

Among the inmates was Molokwu's Ushindi, also known as Christopher, whose reasons for being incarcerated remain unknown.

Ushindi was killed during the season after heartbreakingly reconnecting with his mother Amara, who had given him away as a baby in the hope of a better life.

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He was stabbed by fellow inmate Patsy during a reconciliation meeting that ended in tragedy, forcing prison officer Bobby Bailey, played by David Tennant, into an investigation and choosing between advancing his career and absolving his guilt by telling the truth about the meeting.

Before receiving the script, Molokwu wasn't aware that his character was going to die, and he described his fate as a "surprise".

"I was heartbroken, especially after seeing his birth mother for the first time, after finding out about his heritage and where he's from – after these good moments in his life, I want to say for once, and then that happens," he told Radio Times. "It's just, it's heartbreaking. It is."

Molokwu also praised Patsy actor Louis Shelton, admitting that he "actually felt scared" while filming his final scenes.

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"He does this amazing thing where he can create these really intense, dark eyes," he said. "Sat across from him, he's looking at me like he wants to kill me. It helped so much because I actually felt scared. I felt like I didn't have to do too much there.

"And then it was just thinking about the mechanics of what it would feel like to get attacked like that. There's going to be blood rushing, and failing to get to the brain. So that was an experience, to say the least."

Time season three is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn