TV SHOW – Spy agencies rely on ‘sexy’ TV programmed to draw in applicants for vacancies, Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden has revealed.
Who is Jack Lowden?
The Scottish actor, 33, plays disgraced spy River Cartwright in the Apple+ drama, which also stars Gary Oldman.
One Secret of Spy Agencies
For the part, Jack said he was trained in spycraft by intelligence advisers – who disclosed some industry secrets to him.
‘My favourite thing that they revealed was their reliance on our industry for their recruitment,’ Jack told said.
In the series, Harry Potter star Gary, 65, is seen as part of an MI5 agency who are just trying to do their jobs despite all the obstacles that land in their way.
And after the third season dropped in September to rave reviews, Jack let slip some of British Intelligence’s lower stakes secrets.
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‘TV and film make spies sexy and that’s why people join,’ he said. ‘I’d love to speak to them now that Slow Horses is out there, making it look grubby and boring.’
Mick Herron’s novel of the same name spawned an eight-novel series (named after the dumping ground for agents) and after surpassing two million sales worldwide, they were adapted by Apple TV+ in April 2022.
The latest installment in the series, ‘The Secret Hours’, was released on 12 September.
Herron has been compared by some to legendary spy fiction author Le Carre – but unlike the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy author, he has no background in espionage.
Herron’s Work Experiences
In fact he worked as subeditor for a legal magazine before becoming a novelist and admits that due to his dislike of technology (he doesn’t have a smartphone) – he would not have been an asset to MI5.
Jack said he thinks it ‘bizarre’ that it took until the third season for Slow Horses to attract wide-range attention.
‘The reviews have been fantastic, but it’s always difficult when it’s not on “normal television”,’ he added. ‘Being on a streaming service gives a show a chance to grow.’
About Slow Horses
Slow Horses tells the story of an intelligence team banished to Slough House, an MI5 backwater, for generally being bad at their jobs.
