Luke Evans has ‘survived’ the entertainment industry by ‘watching and listening’

Actor Luke Evans said he has “managed to survive” in the entertainment industry by “watching and listening”.

The Nine Perfect Strangers star, 47, made the observation while discussing his similarities and “emotional connection” to his character in new TV drama The Party, which is based on a novel by Elizabeth Day.

He stars in the five-part series as Martin Gilmour, a journalist shaped by his lifelong friendship with the wealthy and charismatic politician Ben Fitzmaurice, who is played by Downton Abbey actor Tom Cullen.

Luke Evans admitted ‘there was a lot that I resonated with’ when discussing his character in The Party (Yui Mok/PA)

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Evans previously described the programme as a “gripping exploration of loyalty, class and the truths we hide”, and it follows the events after Ben’s lavish but disastrous birthday party and the subsequent police investigation.

Speaking during a Q&A following a press screening of the show, Evans discussed how his working-class character has spent his life trying to assimilate into the upper class thanks to his unbreakable bond with Ben.

“He’s a very complex, deep, fascinating and tragic character. Every time I looked at him on the page, I discovered something more,” Evans said.

“He’s not somebody that broadcasts his feelings. He’s suppressed them for such a long time.

“I thought that’s a really interesting feeling – to have such profound life choices affect the way you live for such a long time, and take a journey that doesn’t make him completely unhappy, but clearly he could be much much happier.”

Author Elizabeth Day and Luke Evans (Yui Mok/PA)

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Evans added: “I understood him, and I felt for this character. It was not an easy journey to live in Martin’s skin, but it was a journey that I understood.

“I felt like I could bring an authenticity to him and I knew he’d be someone interesting to follow on screen.”

Evans, who is also an executive producer on the show, reflected on drawing on his own experiences to play the character, and said: “I think that’s probably why I resonated with the story when I read the book.

“Watching and listening is how I’ve managed to survive this industry.

“If I’m on a film set, I’m always watching other actors or older actors that I’ve been admiring for years.

“When I’m finally in a scene with them, I listen and watch and stay quiet and see what I can glean from them and take as tools.

“Martin very much has lived his life like that.”

Evans added: “There were moments where I was emotionally connected on a very deep level with Martin, and it wasn’t hard for me to tap into that.

“It’s not always possible when you play a role that you can pull on your own personal life or experiences.

“In this role I definitely could – even when Martin chooses completely different life choices to ones I would make in his position.

“I was so in his psyche that I felt it.

“I felt the pain and I felt the confusion and the complexity of the life he’d created in this very fragile house of cards.”

Sarah Solemani, Luke Evans, Lydia Leonard and Elizabeth Day at The Party press screening (Yui Mok/PA)

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The Party moves between the shocking events of the party and the police investigation that follows, with flashbacks to Martin’s and Ben’s lives at school, university and during their London party days.

It was written and created for ITV by award-winning showrunner Sarah Solemani, who also stars as Martin’s pregnant wife, Lucy.

Other members of the star-studded cast include Olivier award-winning actress Lindsay Duncan, Tony award-winner Douglas Hodge, Riot Women star Joanna Scanlan, and A Woman Of Substance actress Lydia Leonard.

The Party will air on ITV1, STV and ITVX later this year with its official release date yet to be announced.