Gregory Piper reveals Line Of Duty bosses had different plans for villain Ryan Pilkington: ‘I didn’t fully fit the brief’

Line of Duty villain Gregory Piper, 23, on his proud mum, his killer stare, why working with Kelly Macdonald blows his mind, and how he scored the role at such a young age despite bosses wanting ‘someone older’.

Your Line Of Duty cop killer and police infiltrator PC Ryan Pilkington is the most terrifying character on TV. How does that feel?

[Laughs] It feels good. It’s kind of reassuring when people are saying, ‘You’re scary’ because I think, OK, I’ve done an alright job.

Have you always been able to do that brilliant burning stare that Ryan has?

Um, my mum would say yes!

Your girlfriend Rebecca Fuller posted a video sitting next to you on the sofa saying she’d be sleeping with one eye open…

I’ve promised her I’m not really Ryan!

Are Sunday nights the first time you see the episode like the rest of us?

Yeah, we’re watching it as everyone else does. My phone goes mad when it starts. It’s never done anything like that before. The battery is draining and I have to put it face down to try and focus on the episode then I can look at it after.

Is it correct that you were just 13 and at a local drama workshop when Line Of Duty first came into your life?

Yeah, it was a drama workshop in Stourbridge. The casting came through and Esther Stanford, who was my workshop leader, thought I’d be good for the role. I didn’t fit the brief fully because I think they wanted someone older but Esther really pushed me towards it. It was the first audition I ever did. I had a scene and then did some improvisation, which was Ryan tormenting someone.

Don’t you and Rebecca now run that workshop?

Yeah, Esther handed it to us at the start of the pandemic. We wanted it to keep going because of the effect it had on both of us when we were younger. We really wanted it to be available to kids.

In LoD series one, Ryan memorably tries to cut Steve Arnott’s fingers off with a pair of bolt cutters. What was it like filming that with Martin Compston and Lennie James?

They were absolutely lovely. Their energy rubbed off on me. Those bolt cutters were really massive. It was hard to hold on to them. I threw them at one point. I didn’t realise they were completely fake and they kind of broke.

You won a Royal Television Society award as best newcomer for series one…

That was completely unexpected. This quite big glass ornament showed up in the post at my mum’s. She loves having the award in the living room.

When Ryan reappeared in series five he was involved with one of the biggest shocks, the killing of John Corbett. Was that exciting to film with Stephen Graham and Rochenda Sandall?

You could really feel the tension as everyone was going through the scene. It was like a master-class to watch Stephen and Rochenda was absolutely fantastic. When the stunt actually happens, you’ve got people off-camera with tubes going up your leg for all the blood. It was very real and very not real at the same time.

You’ve already had some great scenes in this series with Kelly Macdonald as DCI Jo Davidson who Ryan is keeping a very close eye on…

It blew my mind to know that I was acting with a Disney princess [Macdonald was the voice of Merida in Brave]. Kelly’s been super-super lovely, which really helped to relax me because she was so nice.

Creator Jed Mercurio praised you for your devotion to duty over three hard nights’ filming in a freezing reservoir. What was that stunt like to do?

It was shot in mid-November so it was very, very cold. I’d been preparing by having freezing cold showers. As soon as you came out of the water people met you with hot water bottles.

Ryan treats Terry Boyle, who has Down’s syndrome, terribly. Are you good mates off-screen with actor Tommy Jessop?

Yeah, definitely. He’s so nice. We chat about football. I’ve supported Manchester United sinceI was a kid because I liked Wayne Rooney.

What’s your favourite way to relax?

I’m a big gamer. I like shooting games. I also love photography and play guitar.

Do you have a favourite Ryan line?

Just because so many people have said it back to me, the ‘bent bastard’ line.

No spoilers but what would you like to happen to Ryan?

He would be king of the police force, pulling strings left, right and centre.

■ Line Of Duty continues Sunday BBC One, 9pm and BBC iPlayer