Americans might not recognize James Norton without his vicars collar.
Norton says he drew upon Michael Corleone and that epic series for inspiration throughout filming.
It wasnt an active choice.
Credit: Nick Wall/BBC/Cuba Pictures/AMC
Weve kind of nailed the medium.
What was it specifically aboutMcMafiathat drew you in?The world of the mafia is really compelling.
Were all into it and series likeThe SopranosandThe Godfatherand things.
Todd Antony/BBC/AMC
Theres a certain romance attached to the mafia in the past.
Ive never felt like a show has been so much on the zeitgeist.
So, that was a huge draw.
You never quite know where he stands.
I dont think he quite knows where he stands.
Its true to life.
We never ever lost interest in his journey and his motivation.
We definitely had our main resources.
The John Williams book,Augustus, was also a resource which we talked about.
What is it thats driving Michaels demise into the underworld of corruption?
Theres no one else who does that journey better I dont think.
It really felt like it mattered.
If you dont have legislation in place to control those corporations,McMafiahappens.
Yet, you want to, because you know how important it is.
What weve hopefully done is made a drama which is accessible.
A show like this, it couldnt be more timely.
It feels great to be part of the conversation.
Did you learn Russian for the role?I didnt learn Russian, per se.
Lots of walking around London streets mumbling to myself.
It was a wonderful part of the preparation to be able to express yourself in Russian and other languages.
It really tapped into something important in Alex.
His relationship with Russia is two-fold and very polarized.
We decided he reads Dostoyevsky and hes always compelled by his Russianness.
Is it that which makes him more disposed to being a gangster in the first place?
Is it in his Russian genes?
So to tap into that was really exciting, and the language was definitely one way in.
He basically knows every gangster under the sun he wrote the original piece of nonfiction, the bookMcMafia.
But I didnt ask them any questions because my general gangster acumen was pretty shallow.
Im definitely still the actor, not the gangster.
The series is so international, from its exotic locales to its diverse cast.
Then you had the Israelis and the Brits.
It was magic in that effect.
A couple of times I was able to join them.
Its rare that you get such extraordinary locations to be able to jump in the water.
It was so glamorous because we had yachts and beautiful villas.
McMafiapremieres tonight at 10 p.m.
