Ashes To Ashes
Dean Andrews plays DS Ray Carling
aka "The Bear"
Background: Manchester CID
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What is Ray like now?
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He is bullish, misogynistic, physical, loyal and as "hard as
nails".
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What is his role in the CID unit?
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He's the Sarg, the muscle, the bloke you come to when someone
needs sorting out. Oh, and he's "the glamour", of course!
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Gene is both his Guv and his role model. Is he Gene's No.Ìý1 side
kick?
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Ray will always be the Guv's right-hand man for all the "bloke's
stuff" – the fighting, gambling, shooting and the ladies, of
course.
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How does he respond to Alex?
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I think he has settled into his role in life and realised he is
not DI material. So, he accepts Alex easier than he did Tyler,
but he still wants to rock the system somehow.
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What was it like being transported back to the Eighties?
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It was great fun – new clothes, new music and new cars. Oh, and,
of course, a new hairdo.
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How has Ray developed since 1973? Is he less sexist and more
compassionate these days?
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No, and anyone that says he is will be in for it!
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In the opening episode, you, Phil and Marshall ride down the River
Thames on a speedboat. What was that scene like to film?
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It was one of the coolest days spent on any set. We had a fab week
that week doing all kinds of action stuff, topped off by being on
a speedboat, going a fair lick, down the Thames.
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What were your favourite scenes this series?
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My favourite scenes are, as always, the action scenes – the
fights, car chases and explosions. But I really enjoyed the scene
in episode four where Ray is looking after a prostitute called
Nina, who has been raped. We see a different side to Ray, and it
was quite touching.
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What are your memories of the Eighties?
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I'd just started to sing professionally and work in holiday camps.
So, my memories are of basically music and gals.
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What were you up to in 1981?
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I bought my first car in 1981 – a Triumph Toledo. I thought I was
the coolest dude in town but I was sadly mistaken!
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