Daniel’s latest gig had him film some hairy scenes

Line of Duty star Daniel Mays, 43, opens up on filming Code 404, working with Stephen Graham and how it felt returning to set amid the Covid pandemic.

We last spoke during the first lockdown. Your wife had just broken her calf bone, and you were home schooling. How’s life now?

God, that feels like a lifetime ago. I’ve been blessed that I’ve been busy throughout this difficult time. So many contemporaries and friends of mine have really struggled particularly in the theatre sector and for all the technicians behind the scenes it’s been such treacherous times. In actual fact Code 404 was one of the first productions to start up again.

Were people a bit giddy coming back to work on Code 404 or more worried you might get shut down again?

It was a strange mood. I remember getting a call from Stephen Graham. I hadn’t worked for seven months and I think he was even a little bit longer. Both Stephen and I always seem to be busy but that was the longest I’d been without a job. It almost felt like our first ever gig. Then all of a sudden you’re on set, on your mark and having to remember how to do it.

For anyone who hasn’t seen Code 404 how would you describe the show?

Robocop-meets-Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em. This super brilliant cop, John Major, gets gunned down and comes back part AI but the wiring has gone wrong. There’s this love triangle with his best friend and partner Roy Carver, Stephen Graham’s character, who’s had an affair with John’s wife, played by Anna Maxwell Martin.