Our series of Being Human cast interviews continues now with a couple of new recruits! Robson Green and Michael Socha join the show this series as McNair and Tom, a father-and-son werewolf team with a grudge against vampires and a secret agenda! During our set visit earlier this year, we rounded up the pair for a quick chat about series three!

How aware were you of the show prior to being cast?
Robson: "I knew about it because a very close friend of mine directed the pilot and a few other directors I knew worked on the first series. I watched it initially because of that, but in the end, I watched it because of [head writer] Toby [Whitehouse]'s creation and the writing. The writing's lovely and the relationships between the characters are so unique and offbeat. It's just new and vibrant."
Michael: "I'd not seen it at all. I'd never watched an episode, but I'd heard really good things about it. When I went for a meeting, everyone was telling me 'Make sure you definitely do it'. I've only been watching it while I've been here [filming] but I've been really impressed by what I've seen. It's bloody amazing."

How would you describe your characters?
Robson: "We have this father-son relationship. My character was abducted by vampires fifteen years ago, thrown into a cage and made to fight to the death with a werewolf. I win, but I come out with a scratch which turns me into the creature. Michael and I have this relationship and alongside that is Sinead's character Nina. There's this common ground we can talk about. But throughout the series, there's a twist. It's just a really enjoyable programme to be part of. The actors are talented, the timing's wonderful. There's comedy and there's sadness. It's got all the ingredients for really good viewing. It's a joy to say Toby's words."

How does it feel to be playing such unusual roles?
Michael: "It's the first time that I've played anything other than a human. I normally play chavvy humans as well! In this, I'm a wood-dweller and that's always something different. I'm glad they gave me the chance. It's good to scream, as well! I've never had a job where you have to scream and something's really painful. I get to do that here with the transformation, and it's like therapy!"
Robson: "When I got the call from my agent and he told me I'd be playing a werewolf, I said 'You bugger!'. I'm no stranger to the sweet trolley and I'm not in the shape I used to be! I've taken on a personal trainer full-time. That's for lots of different reasons, but one of the reasons is that this is such a physically demanding job. But as Michael said, the transformation is quite liberating. You can't really bottle out of it. You can't be embarrassed about anything or hold back on it. It's cathartic and wonderful to do."

How are your characters introduced to the show?
Robson: "I'm kidnapped again by vampires because they know I'm a fighter. This cage-fighting was banned in the vampire world but they brought it back. I'm brought before the wonderful Paul Kaye, who is just brilliant as this ringleader and master of ceremonies. My son comes to rescue me and through that we come across George, Nina and Mitchell."



Are McNair and Tom out to help or hurt the regular characters?
Michael: "It's a bit of both, really. We hate vampires and don't believe there's a single good one, so straight away we've got a little bit of confrontation with Mitchell. We're arch-enemies because of what we are."
Robson: "My character carries a necklace which holds the teeth of all of his vampire victims. He sets out on this journey to rid the world of vampires, because of what they've made me and what they're doing to the world. But there is one in particular that I'm in pursuit of who turned me into the creature - Herrick. There's a beautifully written scene where I remind him of all the things he said to me in the cage."
Michael: "George and Nina know what vampires are capable of but they've got Mitchell and they see a bit of good in him. He's just a vampire to us and he's not our mate."
Robson: "But that's the beauty of this. You have a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf living together so you've got this amazing conflict. It's a lovely thing to play because we want to kill Mitchell but we care for Nina and George. It's a nice balance of relationships."




Robson, how does it feel to act in a project that you had no other involvement in?
Robson: "It's freeing and it's something I'm going to continue to do. I've done ten years of getting a company off of the ground, selling programmes around the world, pitching and getting the finance. There are other people who are going to do that now and I'm just enjoying acting. My son is loving me being a werewolf! He's ten and he loves all this stuff. Playing a clinical psychologist, putting villains behind bars and saving people from imminent death - that's rubbish! But this is fab!"

Have you had to undergo training for the show's stunt sequences?
Robson: "Yeah, it's been fantastic."
Michael: "You do spend a lot of time with the stunt co-ordinator. He comes down and goes through everything so that you know exactly what you're doing. They are quite heavily choreographed fights but with a bit of rehearsal, you can do it."
Robson: "I've got my full-time trainer, but they've put some big demands on a middle-aged bloke! If you're supposed to be an iconic figure, a legend for the werewolves, you've got to come up to speed! I've loved wiping out vampires. Stabbing people with stakes and leaping about - it's marvellous!"


Being Human returns for a new series on January 23 on BBC Three.

Are you looking forward to seeing McNair and Tom in action? Share your thoughts on the new werewolves below!