The series also starsRichard Jenkins,Michelle Forbes,Leland OrserandTamlyn Tomita.
RICHARD ARMITAGE: Oh, thank you!
It was just such a beautiful show, as scary as that sounds.
ARMITAGE: I agree with you.
I think Bryan Fuller is a genius.
How didBerlin Stationcome your way?
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ARMITAGE: I finished onThe Hobbitand I was hunting for a really good television show.
So, I read pilots and all kinds of things.
And then, it kind of disappeared and I thought, Ill never see it again.
Image via EPIX
And then, it re-emerged onto my radar and I was like, Yes, thats what I want.
If you had been looking at the role of Hector, what ultimately led you to play Daniel?
ARMITAGE: It sort of wasnt my choice.
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They didnt say, Which character do you want to play?
The nature of this man is that he was essentially raised with a European childhood.
Thats not dissimilar to my own journey.
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Me, as Richard, Ive started to feel a real sense of patriotism to America.
As a non-voter, Im not allowed to speak about it, and its really frustrating.
I just thought, Thats an interesting thing that I can bring to this character.
Its scary how close this story comes to whats going on, in the U.S. and Europe.
ARMITAGE: Its really terrifying.
The fact that were potentially undermining our security services is like a Pandoras box.
Now, everyone has access to it and is probably more capable.
It means that these people have to operate in a different way.
If the job is done properly, you dont even know theyre there.
Did it feel that way for you?
ARMITAGE: Its a tricky genre because its been very, very well visited.
The thing that attracted me to this particular script was the currency and the immediacy of now.
Its happening in front of us.
How many scripts did you get, before you started shooting?
Did you know where this story would ultimately end up?
We went to Berlin with two scripts.
Actually, I think I went with one script and got Episode 2 when I landed in Berlin.
At the same time, it makes the plot very difficult.
Did you have to do a lot of research and learn any new skills, in preparation for this?
ARMITAGE: Figuring out what his skill set was, was interesting.
I wanted him to be a normal person.
My line of research started with his childhood in Berlin.
I researched West Berlin and the CIA, and finding a truthful account of the CIA is impossible.
And then, I went into Olen Steinhauers fictional novels and looked at the way he saw character.
Then, when I got to Berlin, I realized that everything that I needed was there.
The city feeds you with so many things.
Really, to me, his greatest asset is his ability to observe and interpret, and his instincts.
Its something I always question, in myself.
Thats what happens in this show.
I should have listened to that instinct.
Why is Daniel the right guy for this mission?
I dont think he wants the job, necessarily, in the beginning.
But then, he finds the leak and hes dragged into that situation.
He can sense the temperature of a situation.
Will that become more and more difficult to navigate?
Ultimately, we spy on our enemies, but we also spy on our friends.
Its that thing of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer.
But, I dont really use the word enemy.
I use the word opponent because I feel like theres a sparring match going on.
Were not in a Cold War situation, despite what the media would have us thing.
Sometimes when theres nothing happening, theyll be stimulating something to happen.
The one weak point that he has, especially early on, is his family thats based in Berlin.
Well play that out throughout the series.
Hes unable to switch that side of him off.
What can you say about the evolving dynamic between Daniel and Hector (Rhys Ifans)?
ARMITAGE: I would say theyre bound by an event that happened.
It becomes like a love affair between them.
Daniel really needs the life blood of Hector, for survive.
The predator becomes the prey, is really the only thing that I can tell you.
Berlin Stationairs on Sunday nights on EPIX.
