Jack O’Connell returns as Paddy Mayne in season two (Image: Dino Sertovic/BBC/Banijay)
You might know him from the musical documentary film Back to Black, but fans will remember him from the hit series . Good news – Jack O’Connell is back in series two which airs in the New Year.
Speaking exclusively to Express Online and other media publications, the English actor opened up about what is was like returning to the show after such an explosive first season.
The programme documents the story of the original SAS, with Jack playing Major Paddy Mayne and Connor Swindells returning as Lt Col David Stirling. In a nutshell – it’s all guns, death and lots of punch-ups.
When asked if he enjoyed being back and shooting the historical drama, Jack joked: “Not much to be honest, I’m not spring chicken anymore. So I have to book the physio in advance.”
But despite the heat and the long hours, Jack admitted that it was good to be reunited with the gang. “It’s a real good bunch,” he shared.
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“Now, I just think they deserve a hand, so this show really does punch above its weight enormously. If it’s not for the genius of everyone involved, right away for a while, you know, it wouldn’t be half as good.”
The show’s creator, Peaky Blinders’ writer Steven Knight, also shared that he would be delighted to create further seasons in the future if he was given the opportunity.
Season One was set during the North Africa campaign, which was filmed during lockdown, and it’s safe to say that the cast and crew are grateful not to be in the Moroccan desert.
Connor exclaimed: “I mean, the desert was unbelievable. It was like it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. But yeah, getting out of the desert in the first season was a relief.”
Season One of SAS Rogue Heroes was filmed in North Africa (Image: Rory Mulvey/BBC/Kudos)
The cast faced extreme weather conditions during the first series, with sandstorms being a constant hazard and temperatures soaring up to 53 degrees celcius.
On top of this, there were also snakes and scorpions which had to be caught by crew to ensure safety. Season Two is filmed in Croatia, which Jack hoped would be a little different.
“I was hoping it would feel like a holiday compared to Morocco,” he quipped. “We were in the part of Croatia that used to be Italy. So we’re using a lot of towns that were Venetian built. The occasional country comes with the sun, not the scorpions though.”
SAS Rogue Heroes series two is on iPlayer from 6am on New Year’s Day, and airs on One from 9pm that night.