Interview by Madeleine Ringer
Making his child acting debut in Brookside back in 2002, Jack McMullen has since become a recognisable face amongst fans of crime and drama, starring in TV and film ventures like Little Boy Blue, Time, and Hijack.
This year, the Liverpudlian actor walked his childhood streets under a new perspective - under the crime leader Jamie Phelan, in BBC One’s This City is Ours. Taking on themes of drug crime, family, and love, McMullen explores what lengths a man will go to to protect what’s his.
This City is Ours is a crime drama set in Liverpool - your home city. What was it like to film as your character, Jamie Phelan, down streets so familiar to you?
It’s always nice to work so close to home; people love to see the place they’re from on screen, and what I loved about this show is how cinematic the city looks. The film and tv industry is thriving here at the moment and I’m grateful we were able to contribute to that.
Throughout the season, Michael Kavanagh, played by James Nelson-Joyce, and your character, Jamie Phelan, have a tense rivalry for leadership, which ultimately comes to a head in the finale. Outside of crime, who is Jamie Phelan to you?
I think he’s under pressure from the beginning; he’s the father of a young baby and fears he’s being pushed out of his family business, which brings pressure to step into shoes he’s probably not quite ready to fill. Then, as the story develops, it becomes about survival, and he feels the whole world is against him. He’s dealing with trauma, grief, and paranoia all at the same time. You might not always agree with his choices, but you can see why he makes them. It could be argued that his ambition, drive, and risk-taking tolerance might be deemed constructive in another line of work.
In This City is Ours and your previous work, we see you alongside stars like Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. What have you learnt from such seasoned actors?
They work hard, bring a lot of their own ideas and are generous in the way they go about their work. I try to take those things forward as best I can.
