His new role was so chilling, Reece Shearsmith says he almost walked away from it.
Reece plays Malcolm Webster, the cold-blooded killer of his first wife, Claire, in ITV’s three-part drama The Widower.
Webster also plotted to kill his second wife, Felicity, and was jailed for 30 years at Edinburgh High Court in 2011.
“The prospect of playing him was quite scary,” Reece told The Sunday Post.
“There was a big responsibility of taking on that part and going to a very dark area of the mind.
“There was a question mark over whether I wanted to do it. But however evil and despicable he was, it was such a good part, I couldn’t shy away from it.”
Once on board Reece’s commitment was total, so much so that he shaved his head for the role.
Cruel Webster tried to dupe his latest love Simone Banarjee by pretending to have cancer and having chemotherapy.
“We had a conversation about the hair shaving scene and they asked if I’d be happy to do that,” reveals Reece.
“It’s one thing to have the camera cut away and then see me with a bald wig on.
“But when you see me do it then it’s a very different experience. I think it’s a very powerful bit.
“I do think that Webster is properly evil. To shave your head and eyebrows and sit in the foyer of a hospital waiting for a woman to collect you because she thinks you’ve had chemotherapy is appalling.
“It’s so calculating and shows unfathomable depths of cruelty.”
There’s a chilling normality to the portrayal of Webster and that’s just how those closest saw him.
Second wife Felicity, Simone, Peter, the brother of Claire, and Charlie Henry, the cop who nailed him, were all involved behind the scenes.
“That was so important,” admits Reece, previously best known for comedy such as The League of Gentlemen.
“They were consulted about the scripts and I got to know them all on set. I hope it shows how utterly plausible Webster was and that these women weren’t stupid.
“It does them a disservice to think they were silly to be duped. They’re all very strong women and I think it’s cathartic for them to let people see what really happened.”
Reece says he was ultimately glad of the change of pace and tone.
“I am known for comedy and you can get pigeonholed, so it’s nice to turn my attention to something that’s purely dramatic.”
The role of wife-killer Malcolm Webster was quite frightening for Reece, who is more accustomed to comedy roles.
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