Alfonso Espina | the TV addict

For Canadian Eyes Only: Warren Brown Takes on the Nazis in X COMPANY

February 25, 2015 By Alfonso Espina Leave a Comment

If you’re a British television fanatic, you may recognize Warrington-born actor Warren Brown as DS Justin Ripley on LUTHER, as Andy Holt on HOLLYOAKS or as Donny Maguire on SHAMELESS. But with CBC’s new World War II-set spy series X COMPANY (created by FLASHPOINT’s Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern) now airing, Canadian audiences will be introduced to Brown as Neil Mackay.

As a former Thai boxer, Brown gets to bring his own trained physicality to his role as Mackay, a working-class English cop who worked in Shanghai, where he earned a black belt and kept the peace among rioting gangs. However, when the war breaks out, Mackay’s family is killed in the Blitz — a period between 1940 to 1941 when the Germans invaded London — leaving him with only one thing on his mind: revenge.

Mackay gets that opportunity when he is recruited by Duncan Sinclair (Hugh Dillon), a Canadian military man who runs Camp X, which is based on the real-life top-secret training camp of the same name that was located near Lake Ontario and run by the Allies to train British, American and Canadian spies.

Among his fellow recruits are ordinary civilians — Aurora Luft (Evelyne Brochu), Alfred Graves (Jack Laskey), Tom Cummings (Dustin Milligan), and Harry James (Connor Price) — who each may not have his authoritative experience to call upon but have special skills that prove to be invaluable to the cause.

As seen on the Wednesday Feb. 18 pilot episode, Mackay’s motivation was put to the ultimate test when he found himself in a precarious situation where lives, which potentially included his own, were at the fate of a decision he had to make. He either had to risk losing his own life to save another or stay faithful to the mission at the cost of innocent lives. He chose the former.

If the pilot episode was any indication, Mackay’s chilling move will be far from his last. I had the opportunity to interview Brown last month to talk about his role on the new series. Check it out below!

First of all, I wanted to say congrats on the show. I found it really interesting.
WARREN: Thank you very much.

I had no idea about the British, American and Canadian involvement [in the secret agent world of World War II]. Were you aware of that prior to the show, or was that what attracted you to it?
WARREN: Admittedly, no. It was something I knew nothing of, if I’m honest, until I read this. But again, I found it really interesting that there was this kind of facility in Canada that played a massive, integral part to winning the World War. I suppose, in a good way, the fact that it was an ultra-secret facility and not a lot of people knew about it, that’s kind of the plan. Cause if everyone knew about Camp X and it wasn’t so secret… But yeah, it played a huge part. That coming together of British, American — that whole place, and this was the centre for it that started off the birth of espionage as we know it today.

Since it was so secretive, I’m assuming you didn’t get any actual cases you could study about it.
WARREN: No. We did a lot of research. There’s kind of a lot of books, and some of the things that may have inspired it, but obviously ours is kind of made up events. But to an extent, these things did happen. These men and women, they risked their lives, and did go behind enemy lines for the greater good to help us win the war. So, you know, huge, huge risk. Not a lot of people knew about them. But also had they not done this particular job, the world could be a very different place than it is today.

More than any other war, I think this war between 1939 and 1945 is really popular in films and television shows. Why do you think it resonates so much, even to 2015 audiences?
WARREN: Obviously it was a huge thing. Millions of millions of people died. Both world wars are kind of, as you say, very heavily documented. We kind of know of it and seen it in very different incarnations both on television and film. I think we’ve got an original take. Although it is period, although it is set in that time, it does have a real modern edge to it. That clash of period and the now of it is still relevant. It really works.

Your character [Neil Mackay] is described by [Duncan] Sinclair in the episode as hating Germans — he’s this “ex-copper.” Is that an ex-cop?
WARREN: Policeman, yeah.

His family was killed in the Blitz. Also, in the episode, we seem him risking his life for this little girl named Annie. Based on what is said about him and what he does in the episode, I get the impression that he has nothing left, and he is willing to risk his life. Would you consider his motivations as more of a revenge on the Germans or a sense of moral duty?
WARREN: I think having lost his family, he does take it very personally. He’s stated that he hates the Germans. But yeah, he has a strong moral compass. I think they’re all there — some of the things they have to do is quite vicious but ultimately for the greater good. These things had to be done in order to win that war. Saving this girl, he kinda sees things as black and white. If that means risking their lives, I think they’re all prepared to do that. They know that going into this job, they’re picked from very different backgrounds. They all bring different skills and qualities to the team, but ultimately they all want to be there and to serve.

What I like about the show is that every character is not black or white. They’re faced in situations where they have to go against their morals. For instance, your characters had to either destroy that bridge, even if your colleagues were in it, or risk losing the mission altogether. Are we gonna see more of these situations where they face dilemmas that don’t really have a right answer?
Definitely. It’s not quite as simple as what’s right, what’s wrong, we’re the good guys, the Germans are the bad guys… Another thing that I particularly like about this is that even the Germans are not painted as out-and-out evil. You do get to see their humanity. During these wars, men and women from both sides had no option but to fight, whether they believed in the cause or not. National service told you [that] you had to do it. I’ve stumbled off the question. (laughs)

(laughs) For a last question, what do you want audiences to take away from this [show]? What I see it personally as is a tribute to these unsung heroes that we’ve never really heard about.
They were these fictional characters. But there were men and women that risked their lives to win this war. So, yeah, a bit of a tribute to them and the millions of people who died during both of these world wars. But it’s also storytelling, and it’s escapism, and it’s hopefully done in an exciting, action-packed adventure, which I think it is.

Well, thank you so much. It was nice meeting you.
Thanks. Cheers. You too!

Exclusive Interview: Connor Price Goes to War in X COMPANY

February 24, 2015 By Alfonso Espina Leave a Comment

Imagine you’re a teenage boy. Life is confusing enough as it is. It doesn’t help that your parents still assign you to a curfew. The world is this giant, revolving planet. But you have no idea where you belong in it and what your role is. All you know is that you’ve got a knack for playing with technology — a deadly one at that.

Hold up! Let’s raise the pressure to its maximum limit. You’re now in the midst of the deadliest war in human history; a military man recruits you to be a spy; and you find yourself using your secret science experiments but on a more grand international scale. I know what you’re thinking: What did I get myself into? This is exactly the overwhelming scenario that Connor Price’s Harry James finds himself facing on CBC’s new series X COMPANY. [Read more…]

Exclusive Interview: Jack Laskey Finds His Inner Hero on X COMPANY

February 23, 2015 By Alfonso Espina Leave a Comment

When you think of secret agents or action heroes, an endless montage of American or British figures are likely to appear in your mind: James Bond, Captain America, Sydney Bristol, Natasha Romanoff, etc. The list goes on and on.

But what if I told you that a synesthete, a journalist, a student, a policeman, and a salesman were among the ordinary citizens who were handpicked by the Allies to become some of the world’s first secret agents? That’s the concept behind Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern’s (FLASHPOINT) new CBC spy series X COMPANY, which is led by a rising English export from the British stage — Jack Laskey.

Set against the back drop of World War II, X COMPANY introduces viewers to Canada’s biggest secret: Camp X. The real-life facility, which was located on the shores of Lake Ontario before it closed in 1969, was where British, American and Canadian men and women trained to become secret agents before going on dangerous covert missions abroad.

As Alfred Graves, Laskey — whose on-screen credits include roles on the TV series ENDEAVOUR and the upcoming feature GIRL’S NIGHT OUT — plays a quiet, unassuming man with synesthesia, a unique neurological condition that enables the individual to experience two or more senses simultaneously. In Graves’ case, he has fivefold synesthesia, which means all five of his senses are fused, giving him a perfect memory.

His synesthesia soon proves to be a crucial asset for his team — Aurora Luft (ORPHAN BLACK’s Evelyne Brochu), Neil Mackay (LUTHER’s Warren Brown), Tom Cummings (90210’s Dustin Milligan), and Harry James (BEING HUMAN’s Connor Price) — after he is recruited by Camp X leader Duncan Sinclair (FLASHPOINT’s Hugh Dillon). However, Graves doesn’t view his special ability as a gift or a weapon. He sees it as a curse.

I had the fortune of doing a one-on-one interview with Laskey last month at a press event to talk about his role on the new series. You can check it out below.

First of all, I wanted to say congrats on the show. I’ve actually never heard of Camp X or this whole espionage world in World War II. Were you aware of that prior to the show?
JACK: I think it’s a big thing that loads of people don’t know about. I mean, the majority of Canadians who worked for the show didn’t know about Canada’s extraordinary role in the Allied victory in World War II. It’s an important thing to put on the map, right? Anybody who helped in that crazy world that resisted then deserves to be recognized for it. It’s great that CBC has given this voice to this role that Canada played.

What I like about it is that they’re these normal people but placed in extraordinary situations. Do you think this is saying that you don’t really need to have those physical attributes that you normally associate with agents, or fighters, that you can just use your normal talents to rise up to occasions like these?
JACK: Yeah, there’s an aspirational thing in there about that. This show is about a group of people improvising, and modern-day spy craft hasn’t been coined yet. It hasn’t been invented yet. So loads of people try to work out the best solution in the circumstance. Everyone’s using their natural attributes to the best of their abilities. And, yeah, so there’s something aspirational in there. There’s also something historically interesting about it. These are the foundations of what became the CIA, and what we understand from James Bond and all those stuff. But it’s not sort of as polished at this time as it has now become. Spycraft is a much more polished art now. And there’s something which this show does, which I really love, which is kind of the messiness of it all, and people trying to get it right, and sometimes getting it wrong.

Each of these characters have their own talents that they bring to the table. Yours has synesthesia, where basically one of your senses will automatically trigger another one.
JACK: My character’s got fivefold synesthesia, so the response can be in all five of the senses. You can taste it; see a sound; you can see a colour; you could smell it; you can feel it in your right hand — a tingling sensation.

Did you meet with any people with that [synesthesia] to prepare for the role?
JACK: Yeah, I talked to people with synesthesia, one of who is on our crew, and is one of the co-creators on our show, one of the writers, one of the executive producers — Stephanie Morgenstern. She has synesthesia. She doesn’t have fivefold synesthesia, but she was an amazing asset to chat to. Apparently, I mean, stats vary, but one in 2,000 people have some form of synesthesia, so it’s actually very common. Loads of amazing, famous figures had synesthesia. Lots of artists. It’s a very creative way to see the world.

Is it more of a challenge to maintain an accent or play a character that’s really sensitive to everything?
JACK: I love both of those challenges. I love, as an actor, transforming through each role to having a different accent.

So the more obstacles, the better it is? (laughs)
JACK: Yeah, yeah. Pretty much. I just love climbing the mountain in every part and trying to make it more accurate. It’s a great privilege to play someone with a very different perception to your own. Everyone has a different perception of the world, but something as extreme as synesthesia that leads you to all sorts of different understandings of what it means to be human.

Speaking of your character’s view of the world, he’s very timid when we’re introduced to him. He even admits to [Duncan] Sinclair that just going to do his groceries at the supermarket is a challenge for him. Will we continue to see him be tested in his confidence but in the battlefield instead of a desk job?
JACK: Yeah, absolutely. He’s very quickly thrust behind enemy lines in occupied France. He has a fascinating conversation with his confidence over the first season. He’s lived this reclusive lifestyle because he always saw his synesthesia as an obstacle. He was encouraged by his father to hide his difference and not let people understand him. For the first time in his life, he is able to have some friends and have some conversations. The sort of experts at Camp X help him to find coping strategies.

At the beginning, there’s a scene that flashes back to you and Aurora [Luft]. And then at the end, we see what stimulated that scene. Is that saying that they knew each other prior to meeting at the camp, or am I asking for spoilers right now? (laughs)
JACK: Well, it soon becomes clear… But, no, Alfred didn’t know Aurora before.

Okay, I kind of overanalyzed it, assuming that one of them was a mole, playing both sides, cause it was odd that they showed that scene [at the beginning].
JACK: Well, it could be, right?

Or maybe I’m just inventing storylines. (laughs)
JACK: It is great. Invent away.

What do you hope people will take away from this show? Personally, how I see it is that since these characters were based on people that didn’t really have identities, they’re kind of a tribute to these people that served on Camp X.
JACK: I think it’s a very hopeful story about human endeavour, and human resourcefulness, and the coming together of a team, and what a team can do, whereas individuals we could be very isolated. But when we’re together as a team, we can manage to do much more than the sum of our parts. In a relationship, you create something in between you that is another kind of entity almost. The five of these people all bring out amazing qualities in each other and challenge each other. We come back to these war stories over and over again because we need to learn from our past. We don’t want to repeat history. There’s always a danger, which is actually quite close to the surface, that we could go back to a similar situation. There’s always war going on, and we could end up very quickly with someone in power who commits atrocities like Hitler did. And we come back to these stories about World War II because of the warnings it gives to humanity and to understand man’s inhumanity to humanity. Also, it’s an important part of Canada’s history. I hope this show goes around the world, and people know more about that now as a result of the show.

Finally, why do you think it’s this specific war that continues to resonate with audiences? I have my opinion on it, but I’m curious to know yours.
JACK: What’s your opinion?

I think that this period between 1939 and 1945, even if you weren’t directly involved in the war, you were affected in some way. So my grandparents’ generation, and their children…
JACK: Absolutely. We’re all trying to make sense of that still, of how people can do that to other people. As you say, it’s very close in our bloodline, very close in everyone’s bloodline. Everyone has stories from World War II. Lots of people are still alive, who fought in World War II, so there’s an urgency to be telling these stories now. Because quite soon there won’t be people from that generation, and we need to learn from our past experiences.

Move Over Agent Carter: ORPHAN BLACK’s Evelyne Brochu Talks About Leading a Team of Spies on CBC’s X COMPANY

February 18, 2015 By Alfonso Espina Leave a Comment

When I say “‘40s female secret agents in pop culture,” the first names that will likely come to your mind are Peggy Carter and Bridget von Hammersmark. But with CBC’s new World War II-set spy series, X COMPANY, the name Aurora Luft may become equally as synonymous in this league of characters inspired by the true stories of women who boldly defied traditional gender norms of their time.

Played by ORPHAN BLACK star Evelyne Brochu, Luft is a half German-Jewish, half French-Canadian journalist who is recruited to join the Allies’ top-secret espionage organization based at Camp X, a real-life training camp — located between Whitby and Oshawa on the shores of Lake Ontario — that trained British, American and Canadian spies.

A sergeant to four fellow recruits — Alfred Graves (Jack Laskey), Tom Cummings (Dustin Milligan), Harry James (Connor Price), and Neil Mackay (Warren Brown) — Luft lends not only her experience as a reporter working abroad but also her remarkable ability to speak three languages fluently: English, German and French.

When we’re first introduced to Luft in the pilot, she puts her talents to the test in a life-threatening undercover mission to help the Resistance defeat vicious Nazi leader Sturmbanfüher Richter (Philip Bulcock), who has declared no mercy on a small French village. But since the show is set in 1942, long before modern espionage was nurtured into what we perceive it as today, Luft and her colleagues are thrust into a mission with no precedent to guide them, presenting audiences with a unique angle in this popular genre.

Will Luft join the ranks of renowned fictional spies? Or, better yet, will she inspire viewers to learn about the real women — such as Agnès Humbert, Nancy Wake and Noor Inayat Khan — who served as spies for the Allies?

We’ll soon find out when X COMPANY, which is brought to you by FLASHPOINT co-creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. on CBC. Until then, check out my interview below with the Québécois actress for more insight into her role as well as some scoop on the third season of Space’s ORPHAN BLACK.

First of all, I just wanted to say congrats on the new show. I thought it was really interesting.
Evelyne: Thank you so much.

The first time I watched it, I didn’t know it was based on true events, that Camp X actually existed, so that part was really fascinating. Were you aware that this camp existed before the show?
Evelyne: I had no clue. I think people that worked at the camp, that created the camp, did such a good job at keeping it a secret that it’s kind of remained a secret. I know at the time the Prime Minister didn’t know it existed. I was glad to get to learn about it. They call it “Canada’s coolest secret.“ (laughs)

Since Canada isn’t really involved in those kinds of espionage dramas, it makes it look cooler. (laughs)
Evelyne: Yeah, exactly. I think the six following directors of the CIA were all trained there. There’s something kinda special about it when you think of that.

Based on the first impressions we get on the premiere episode, we’re introduced to Aurora as a strong-willed, intelligent character who isn’t afraid to put her life in jeopardy. But we see her in these moments throughout the episode where she’s more vulnerable. Was there any particular aspect that drew you to this character?
Evelyne: I think that you’re exactly pinpointing what really attracted me to her.

(laughs) Did I just answer my question?
Evelyne: No, you’re right. She’s relatable. They’re heroes because they’re courageous, and they turn their beliefs into action. But they’re not superheroes; they do have feelings. They’re not always right. They make hard decisions sometimes. They make mistakes. Aurora is exactly like that. Plus she has a very passionate side. So not only is she passionate about a cause in what she’s doing, and a sense of justice, but she’s passionate about her lover. As you’ll see, it’s going to be hard for her to deal with the aftermath of what happens at the end of episode one. Then she’s going to be faced with a new challenge — she’s going to become sergeant of these four boys. This is 1942, two years after women started voting in Quebec. So you can imagine being in a position of authority in those days was quite difficult. What fascinates me about Aurora is to see how she navigates all that.

In a past interview, you also mentioned that in preparing for the role you read about Agnès Humbert. Could you tell us about how she inspired you to play the role?
Evelyne: There’s a flame inside that woman of truth and justice. Even though she got tortured, even though her body was weak, even though mentally it must have been hell on earth — there’s something inside her that knew that she was right and that what was going on was wrong. To me, when you think about a show about World War II, you’re like, “Oh, we’re gonna learn about how barbaric humans can be.” And it is true. Those historical events remind us of that, but I think the unsung heroes of that era also remind us of the capacity the human being has to know what’s right and what’s good.

I’m surprised they haven’t made a film about her. I actually never heard about her until I read your past interviews for the show. So now I’m more interested in hearing about her. I’m probably reading that book [Resistance].
Evelyne: Oh, you’re going to love that book. It’s like Anne Frank’s journal, so there’s something very day to day — the details, the day to day, the actual truth cause it’s autobiographical. So there’s something in there that’s extremely relatable. She’s an incredible woman. You’re going to be very, very moved by that book.

Since the show is set before the inception of the CIA, these characters aren’t the archetypes of the traditional freedom fighters that we’re used to seeing. Instead, they’re these ordinary people. But they each have this skill. Your character is trilingual, so she can speak English, French and German. Do you think it’s just as important to have intellectual capabilities as physical to be a good spy?
Evelyne: I think so, especially in this specific team. I think they built outside-the-box fighters, if you wanna call it that, so it’s not necessarily the sort of physical army talents that you think people have. Being intellectually fit for special missions — for example, Harry’s character is the total brain. He’s a genius. I don’t think that if he were in BAND OF BROTHERS, he would’ve been the hero, but in our team he’s a major hero. I do think these outside-the-box talents do make us unlikely but very efficient team members. (laughs)

In a way, is this the show’s way of saying that you don’t need to have all these qualities in one? But you can use your ordinary qualities to rise up to an occasion?
Evelyne: I think that’s exactly what the show reminds you of. Also, that you’re stronger as a team. Mark [Ellis] and Steph [Morgenstern] have this ability to tell stories based upon the strength of team members coming together. FLASHPOINT was all about that. So is our show. I think one of the main, specific traits that drives me to our show is the force of the team. It’s also what was the best about shooting it. We were such a tight-knit group of very talented and kind people. You met them last week; we did the promotion. We couldn’t get enough of each other. We went to Niagara Falls, we went on Lake Simcoe…We’re praying for a second season just so we can get back together. I think that chemistry reads on screen as well. And I think, personally, I enjoy stories about people who need to rely on each other to succeed because that’s what life is about. Often you get fiction that are about individuals, their quest and love. But a tight friendship between a group of people is not an easy story to tell. Mark and Steph do a beautiful job at it.

Another thing the show does that I think is commendable is that it really doesn’t paint the war or the people involved with just black and white brushes. Your character Aurora encounters this Nazi soldier who shows a more sympathetic and human side towards this girl named Annie. How important is it to show a more nuanced depiction of a Nazi soldier but also not trying to ignore the horrors of their crimes?

Evelyne: One of the beauties of Mark and Steph’s writing is exactly what you’re talking about — it’s the very nuanced, non-black and white. They’re so well researched and so sensitive that I don’t think they’re trying depict the bad guy as a good guy necessarily. Even when you’re on the wrong side, you think you’re on the right side. So it’s interesting what that could mean for everyone.

The same can also be said for our heroes in the story throughout the episode. We saw their morals being challenged in precarious situations, and the most climatic obviously being the bridge sequence. How is it like to perform in that kind of scene where those heightened, life-threatening scenarios aren’t what you experience from day to day?

Evelyne: I have a newfound respect for people who do adventure dramas and action movies. I used to think all you gotta do is step on the gas and let these big, huge emotions come out. But they have to be truthful. And because they’re so loud, they have to be even more truthful. (laughs) There’s no place for making mistakes; it’s so in your face that it has to be right. I think the physicality of the actual filming helped me get into a sort of adrenaline mode. I’m not saying at all that what I experienced is comparable to war. Of course not — it’s movie-making. But you’ve gotta use what you have, right? I think what’s really appealing about our show is, what would I do in these situations? These ethical dilemmas we often have about the decisions we have a split second to make are what make it, yes, exciting but also kind of interesting that those are the things that will linger after the show is over.

In a way, I think it’s kind of how we mentioned earlier — how these are just ordinary people, they weren’t in wars before, so they’re reacting how normal people would in those situations.

Evelyne: I think it’s super important to resonate because it’s not a comic book. It’s not about seeing how cool they are. Often spies are depicted as cool, and they have all these magical gadgets. You kinda know that it’s life and death, but it’s not. They have so much swag, right? But that’s totally not the angle of our show. These characters were not inspired by one real person, but were inspired by very well-researched, real stories. They needed to be vulnerable, and they needed to be at risk because this is a true story we’re telling.

Will we see more scenarios where the characters are placed in these morally conflicting situations where the right answer isn’t really one decision?

Evelyne: Oh, yeah. And there’s gonna be mistakes made. I think all the characters on the team have these great, really rich emotional arcs. Their beliefs will be flipped around; sometimes their hearts are gonna be broken. There are gonna be consequences to some events, so I think every episode is gonna be a sort of a building block for each character. I think that’s also what makes it interesting — it’s serial. So, yes, there’s a mission, and a couple of missions even through episode, but there’s also something that you follow. You wanna know what’s going to happen, and what consequences events have on these characters.

Finally, for my last question, I have to ask this cause I’m a huge ORPHAN BLACK fan…Can you say anything about what happens to Delphine [Cormier] in season three, or is it really tight-lipped?

Evelyne: Sometimes I feel like if I talk too much, there’s gonna be a weird guy with a baseball bat that’s gonna run behind me and break my knees. (laughs) I’ve never been on a show that’s so secretive about story points and all that. But I can say that Delphine is gonna have more responsibilities. The stakes are even higher in terms of where she’s gonna be in the Dyad hierarchy. But because of those responsibilities, she’s also going to have to make really hard decisions. It’s a darker period for her.

Oh, interesting…

Evelyne: It might reveal a darker side to her. Maybe. (laughs)

Well, thank you so much for taking time for this, and congrats on the show again.

Evelyne: Thank you.

X COMPANY Interview: I Spy a Return to Television for Dustin Milligan

February 17, 2015 By Alfonso Espina Leave a Comment

90210 fans can look forward to seeing the return of Dustin Milligan this winter in the role of Tom Cummings on CBC’s new spy series X COMPANY.

Milligan, who also stars as Ted Mullens on CBC’s other freshman series SCHITT’S CREEK, has not had a regular role on the small screen since his departure from the Beverly Hills-set drama back in 2009. But if fans are expecting more teen angst and love triangles, then they’re not going to get that from this series by FLASHPOINT co-creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern.

Instead, they’ll be immersed into a fascinating story that will make them curious to know more about how their country’s past. Filmed on location last year in Budapest, Hungary, X COMPANY takes viewers back in time to 1942 in the midst of one of the most harrowing six years in history, World War II.

Behind all of the covert operations is the headquarters known as Camp X, a top-secret training camp for spies that you may be surprised to know actually existed, was located on the shores of Lake Ontario between Whitby and Oshawa, and played a major role in providing the foundations of what we now call the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Although our heroes on the series — which include Aurora Luft (Evelyne Brochu), Alfred Graves (Jack Laskey), Harry James (Connor Price), and Neil Mackay (Warren Brown)— are fictional, the men and women they play are inspired by the real-life stories of the countless British, American and Canadian men and women who served as spies for the Allies during World War II.

As for Milligan, his character, Cummings, is a Madison Avenue wunderkind who is loosely based on David Mackenzie Ogilvy, the “father of advertising,” who worked with the British Intelligence Service. I interviewed the Canadian actor last month to talk about the new series, which premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. on CBC, as well as how his Draper-esque character’s persuasive abilities benefit the team. Check it out below!

Congrats on the show. I found it really interesting.
Dustin: Nice. You saw the pilot?

Yeah, I watched it twice, actually. The first time I had no idea that Camp X existed, so I thought it was just a fictional take on espionage. Was that a factor for you wanting to join the show? Did you know about that as well?
Dustin: I just learned Camp X. I just started hearing about it cause I think a documentary had come out.

The History channel…
Dustin: Yeah, the History channel. And then a couple weeks [later], the script came across my desk — I don’t have a desk. My laptop. I took a look at it and was like, “Oh, yeah. This is pretty interesting.” What I loved about it is that, yeah, it was this dramatized version of this real place and these real people. I think it’s so cool that the show, as far as a TV show in general to tackle that, but not be so strictly adhering to the history part of it and allowing it to be creative. You know what I mean? Just allowing it to be its own story as well, but still basing everything, rooting everything in this real place and these real — I mean, that is always a great opportunity, a great honour to try to do that. So I was excited about that.

What I also like about the show is that they’re basically ordinary people but placed in extraordinary situations. Do you think the fact that they’re more relatable than someone who has skills for fighting is going to help?
Dustin: That was something we were dealing with all the time cause your instinct, especially I think as a male actor, your instinct is to try to be Mr. Cool…I shoot guns, I run and look like an action hero. But what I found really interesting about it — and this is what I kind of loved about my character Tom [Cummings] is that’s not his trade. He manipulates, he convinces people to do what he wants, and he slowly changes minds through dialogue, through subtlety versus just bang, bang, you’re dead kind of thing. That was something I really identified with. The idea, too, that you could go to war and that you’d be trying not to kill people. Not only are you trying to save lives, but you’re trying to not have anyone die in your effort to save lives. If I were to be put into a war scenario now, that would be what I would try to do as much as possible.

Was it a challenge to play in such a heightened situation that’s not from your normal life, or is it fun to play pretend you’re in a war? (laughs)
Dustin: But that’s what’s interesting… It’s not from my normal life, but this was a real thing, so that’s kind of the trick. So how does one react as yourself or as this character, which is ultimately an extension of yourself. How do you react in something that’s not only an extraordinary situation but it’s also real? I think that’s a challenge, and I think an honour to portray not necessarily real, historical figures but to be able to portray these struggles that people all across Europe, all across the world, at that time were struggling with.

Another interesting aspect to the show is that none of the characters are black versus white. They’re always facing moral dilemmas. Was that also part of the appeal for you to the show?
Dustin: Yeah, I know. And I think that’s what’s great about Mark [Ellis] and Steph [Morgensern], the creators of the show, that they’ve done is that a lot of the missions are based on reality. There is the historical part of it, but again they’re weaving in character traits that are fiction and weaving in these arcs and struggles that, like you said, aren’t black and white. I think that’s what’s great is that, you know, especially World War II and just wars in the past as time goes on, things get idealized. And there’s so much imagery of this strong, American or Canadian soldier. Just this iconic idea and ideal of what those wars were. But the reality is very different, and it’s ugly, and it’s not this shiny, nice picture. I think that’s what the creators have done very well, is make sure that it’s not a comic book version of what the war was like. They’re actually trying to express, through these five brand new spies, express what the effects of war can be while you’re there in the moment.

Since Camp X was so secretive, you didn’t really have that much material or actual cases to look at. Did you find other resources?
DUSTIN. Yeah, there is actually quite a bit of literature out there [that] I didn’t really read… (laughs)

They told me that the guy who did JAMES BOND was inspired by it…
Dustin: Ian Fleming.

Yeah.
Dustin: You know, Ian Fleming was trained an Camp X. David [Mackenzie] Ogilvy, who my character is loosely based on, was an advertising guy who was also apparently trained and working for the Allies as a spy. Yeah, I think that’s what’s interesting about this show is that there’s so much you don’t realize was going on. Because of the nature of espionage, of course you won’t know what’s going on, which I think is relatable to war now, where we’re learning things five, ten years later of what’s gone on recently in the Middle East. Torture…And all that stuff. You never quite know at the time how bad things really are.

As you mentioned, your character is described as having specialities in propaganda and deception. But we never really got to see that in the first episode. Would you be able to say how he does that exactly?
Dustin: Actually, in the second episode, there’s a great example of him…He’s put into a situation, as a lot of the characters are, it’s kind of a kill or be killed situation…Tom is able to find an alternate option in a) Kill somebody b) be killed by somebody. He finds a c). He’s employing these skills he has. Then it pops up again throughout the series. But it’s not until episode two that you really get to see him do his thing.

What do you hope audiences will take from it [the show]? Personally, I find it to be kind of like a tribute to these unsung heroes that don’t really have names since nobody knows them. But they’re kind of doing it vicariously.
Dustin: What’s great is that it’s telling the story of war from a different kind of perspective. There is action, and there is explosions, and guns, and all that kind of stuff, which is inherent in war. But what we’re really doing is pulling the curtain back on, like you said, people who don’t really have names that are famous and written down in books for being spies. Just because of the nature of it, you can’t know these things. It is a nice tribute in a lot of ways, and I think, too, a tribute to Canada’s role in ultimately helping to develop modern espionage and modern spy craft.

Thank you so much. I look forward to the next episode.
Dustin: Thank you, man.

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