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Tell us about your character
Jamie is a corporal in the British Army and he’s on active duty in Afghanistan when he’s injured. He’s medevacked out of there, brought back to the UK and after a period he’s moved up to Glasgow - which is his last listed address - to continue his rehabilitation. His dad was Scottish and he moved there when he was a young man. It’s a place that he is familiar with but it’s not home.

So Jamie's just been pulled out of a war zone, he’s dealing with his injury, he’s been paralysed and he’s a paraplegic with a partial severance in the spinal cord. He doesn’t know how long it will take for him to recover, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to get back to his life in the army. Many of his unit were shot and killed, so when we meet him at the beginning of the series he is dealing with a lot.

Why did the role appeal to you?
You’re reading the first script and think, oh boy this is going to be a challenge! That kind of injury, on that magnitude, is a huge challenge for anyone, even more so for someone as physical as Jamie. He’s now also an accidental detective where he’s put in a position where he has to work out what’s going on, so he has to adjust. He also had a very difficult past, suffered from domestic abuse - his father was an alcoholic. There’s a lot that he has to confront when he’s out of the army. The story is so gripping, a real thriller.

What challenges did you face during the shoot?
A lot of the challenges were physical. Jamie is a paraplegic and over the course of the series goes through rehabilitation. Respecting the limitations of that at the beginning, but also marking the development he goes through, that was very tricky.

Something I also found very hard, because Jamie is T6, is that he can’t engage his lower core. Reminding yourself not to use your legs is one thing, but not being able to action your lower core is very difficult.

It’s not an easy role to play. Did you have any reservations about taking it on?
The challenges involved were the things that really appealed me. I thought about whether it was appropriate for an able-bodied character to play the part, but as Jamie’s story is one that starts with him before his injury when he’s in Afghanistan on patrol, that answered my concerns.

Is there a memorable scene or moment that stands out?
Yes, there were lots - having such an amazing crew around us made it! The swimming pool scenes were very demanding, they were a very hard couple of days, but I don’t want to say too much as it may give something away. I didn’t realise the part would be so physical.

There are serious themes within this drama, including the struggle to recover from injury and the effect of PTSD - how did you research for the role?
I always do a lot of research, and I read and watched a lot of material. I also had the chance to talk to ex-serviceman who had been injured in combat and who spoke to me about their injuries, how they occurred, and the physical and mental process of recovering. It’s a huge sacrifice going to war and you put yourself through so much mentally so I was very mindful of that, and I wanted to be as respectful as I could be. I did the research and was committed to it - you want to do justice to, and respect what people go through.

It’s a real privilege to discover things outside of your immediate experience. I was very humbled that the people who spoke to me were willing to do so, I was very grateful for their time and knowledge.

What can people expect from this series and why should people tune in?
Trust Me is a gripping psychological thriller that gets inside of the heads of its characters. That’s a huge draw. I read the script and thought there’s something really tense about the story and the psychology; the focus on what the individual is going through and how it affects them. We look for those human connections in stories.

What was it like being on set and working with the cast?
It was an absolute joy to work on. John, the director, is the loveliest man and creates the best working environment for people, not just the actors, but the camera team and other departments. He’s a good leader. It was such an amazing experience. He creates space for people to come with their concerns and doubts, he gives them time and works with everyone to resolve them. You also want a team of committed people who are willing and talented, and that’s what we had. Some great work was done and from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot to be excited about.

What did you get up to in your spare time when in Scotland?
I’m quite boring when I’m working as I spend a lot of time with the scripts and prepping, but I loved Glasgow! I’d never been before and really enjoyed it. It was an amazing place to be, and the Indian food was incredible.

Character breakdowns

Corporal Jamie McCain, played by Alfred Enoch
Corporal Jamie McCain is both tough and intelligent. His world is one of physical capability, getting on and doing, not talking about it. The kind of person you would describe as a man of action. As the story begins, the man of action finds himself unable to walk. Frozen both physically and emotionally, and suspected of suffering from PTSD, it looks like Jamie might never recover. But when patients on the unit die unexpectedly he becomes obsessed, determined to uncover the truth - and although he doesn’t know it, this is the first step in his rehabilitation. But are patients really being murdered? Or is that just the paranoid conclusion of a man with an unstable mind?

Dr. Archie Watson (clinical lead), payed by John Hannah
Dr Archie Watson is the unit’s clinical lead, whose bad jokes and awkward persona hide a seedier and much more sinister side. Archie is basically hiding in Neuro Rehab, devoting most of his time to minimizing his workload and avoiding trouble. Archie may appear indifferent, but he’s also manipulative and will stop at nothing to save his own skin. Despite his marriage, Archie often oversteps the mark with his female colleagues. His ‘technique’ works very well with a certain type of woman.

Debbie Dorrell (head physio), played by Ashley Jensen
Head physiotherapist Debbie can be sharp-tongued, and often gets on the wrong side of people without meaning to. Debbie is a fantastic physiotherapist, she’s a professional who’s fiercely committed to her patients. Sometimes she pushes a little too hard, but she always gets there in the end.

Dr. Zoe Wade, played by Katie Clarkson-Hill
Zoe has always been smart, but even qualifying as a doctor hasn’t quite pushed down her feelings of insecurity and imposter syndrome. Everyone around her seems so confident that she’s sure she’ll be found out any minute. Up until now, Zoe’s solution has been to try and embrace the conventional. Even in her relationships - she is currently engaged to Alex - she’s played it safe. And the safe option is working, sort of. So why isn’t she happy? Alex has been there for Zoe through dark times, but she’s much better now - or so she’d like him to think.

Dr. Alex Kiernan, played by Richard Rankin
A career neurologist, Alex is training to become a consultant. On the surface he is a fun, attractive and dedicated doctor. But all of this belies his steely ambition, and we sense an undercurrent of threat beneath his professional exterior. Alex’s desire to protect Zoe means that he doesn’t always recognise her boundaries, but if this is a problem for Zoe, then Alex is unaware.

Dr. Laila Karimi (clinical psychologist), played by Amiera Darwish
An exceptionally intelligent and intuitive woman, Laila loves being a psychologist. Sometimes she can come off a bit more like a scientist than a human being - which suggests she’s probably not as ‘stable’ as she’d like to think she is. Her friendship with Zoe is real - an opposites attract dynamic - but does Zoe know the real Laila, or is she hiding behind her clinical persona?

Parveen Shankar (pathologist), played by Manjinder Virk
Parveen is a studious and efficient pathologist and a stickler for the rules. But she is also strong and capable of standing up for herself when she’s faced with difficult situations. Others may assume that they can walk all over her - but it’s often the quiet ones you have to watch out for...

Danny Adams (patient), played by Elliot Cooper
Danny is a handful. His mind fizzes at a hundred miles a minute with technology stats, conspiracy theories and an obsessive love of Doctor Who. When Jamie arrives on the unit Danny self-appoints himself as his best mate, and soon takes Jamie into his confidence. Is Danny just a conspiracy nut, or could he actually be on to something?

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two