JAMIE BAMBER: Yeah.
I have to be honest, I havent seen too many of the previous seasons.
BAMBER: No, not really.
And I thought that was a pretty good hook to entice any actor into playing a role.
Hes been boots on the ground.
Hes Special Forces trained, and now hes in more of a commanding role.
Image via Cinemax
Hes hit the bottle and hes taken a back seat, and this is his chance at redemption.
He views them as a challenge, but they represent his salvation, too.
That was all I knew, at the beginning, but it was enough to get me interested.
Image via Cinemax
What makesStrike Backdifferent from anything youve done before?
It wasnt pure action, but when they did action, they did itSaving Private Ryanstyle.
And not just every episode, but three times an episode.
Image via CInemax
So, that level of commitment to the action and the ambition is what separates it.
Thats really what makes it special.
Whats it been like to shoot in Malaysia?
Image via Cinemax
What do you like about working there, and what are the challenges specific to shooting somewhere like that?
BAMBER: Theres the heat and the humidity.
With someone like me, I sweat in the subway in London in June.
Image via Syfy
So, its logistically and physically hard.
You cant shoot that anywhere else than in the topics.
You cant get that feel.
We got to shoot in these amazing locations, and it was great.
Being in that part of the world poses some issues and problems, on a personal level.
Im married with three kids, and I was away from them for a very long time.
But, its a beautiful part of the world.
We took my family to Vietnam and to Borneo.
They all learned to scuba dive, and saw orangutans and proboscis monkeys, which is amazing.
That bit was necessary to see, but I cant say that I enjoyed it.
What was that like, as an actor?
BAMBER: Of course, always, yeah.
Its like youre a new signing on a soccer team.
But as far as the actors were concerned, I couldnt have been welcomed with more excitement and grace.
Alin [Sumarwata] is ridiculous with guns.
She can strip them and put them back together whilst having a conversation.
Theyve really done the groundwork to inhabit those characters, and were coming late to the party.
Ive played a few soldiers, in my time.
They dont stand for fools Dan, Warren and Alin.
They need people to take it as seriously as they do, and I respected them for that.
Theyd only been there one more season, but thats everything, in terms of this particular journey.
Its his shot at redemption from previous mishaps and disasters that hes had in the past.
Will we feel like we know this guy, by the end of the season?
BAMBER: Yeah, you really dont.Strike Backdoesnt feed you character history and backstories very often.
Theres no time for that.
They really cut any air out of the show.
Its relentless, with the pace and energy.
Its literally high-octane, testosterone-fueled storytelling, so there isnt room for many stories being told about the past.
By the end, you do get a fairly good idea of who this character is.
I enjoy that kind of work.
When I didLaw & Order, it was like that.
Nobody knows anything about the characters inLaw & Order.
This is very much the same.
By the end, you will get to know the guy, but itll take awhile.
BAMBER: I think its big.
Its James Bond big, in terms of the scope and the reach of the stories.
The stakes couldnt be higher.
Hes a Colonel in the British Army.
Hes been in Afghanistan.
Hes been in the Balkans.
Hes been in Sudan.
Hes been in all sorts of different areas of conflict around the world, and hes used to it.
Its a tremendously pressurized position to be in because this unit doesnt exist.
Section 20 is covert as it gets.
Were not even aware of them, in the broader political and social world.
We joke about that, all the time, on the set.
How the heck has this not become front page news, all over the place?
But the romance ofStrike Backis that theyre able to keep their faces out of the papers.
You have to remind yourself to actually breathe when youre watching episodes ofStrike Back.
BAMBER: Yeah, youre absolutely right.
I couldnt be prouder to be involved with the show.
I love the people that make it.
I can understand why people fall in love with it.
The subject matter can be violent, but its nothing, if not exhilarating.
Essentially, all it is, is a wonderful buddy movie.
Its a film about people willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team around them.
Once you attach yourself to the characters, its a really fun caper.
Its the team television version of James Bond.
Its fun, and I think it should be fun.
BAMBER: Im extremely proud, and Im proud of everyone that collaborated on it.
Theyre all my dearest friends, and we will always have that shared story.
You put your finger on it.
We went from ridicule, mistrust and disdain to gradual, slightly resentful appreciation, and then to adulation.
Weve seen it all.
We know we blazed the trail for others to definitely do that.
Its really heartwarming and fantastic to see that.
Its been a bit retroactive.
Not as bad as Vincent van Gogh had to deal with, but theres an element of that.
The other thing is just realizing how hard it is to make a piece of television like that.
It seems like one of those projects that will always hold a special place in your heart.
BAMBER: It does, and it will.
Were all still extremely close, as a cast.
That continues to exist, to this day.
We were just the ones that were procreating, at the time, and having babies.
Strike Backreturns for Season 6 on Cinemax on January 25th.
