Matty (Harry Lloyd) tries to contain Richie (Per Mullan) in Channel 4’s The Fear.

THE FEAR written by Richard Cotton, directed by Michael Samuels (Channel 4 2012)

I’d hate to be on the receiving end of one of Peter Mullan’s stares. When he fixes his unflinching gaze on someone you know it’s only a matter of time before he decks them.

He’s one of those actors for whom the red mist of rage seems to come as second nature. He was so convincing as an alcoholic in films like My Name Is Joe and Tyrannosaurus that you just know that he is drawing on personal experience rather than simply method acting.

There’s always a risk that he gets typecast as a drunken Scot which is why I think that it was a mistake in this four-part drama to show him guzzling a bottle of whiskey prior to going on a bender. For this is not the story of a heavy drinker but of a tough guy being brought down by a serious mental illness. Continue reading →