Daniel Mays has said he had to “embrace the madness” of his raunchy new TV series.
The Line Of Duty actor stars in the Netflix drama White Lines, which follows the mystery of the murder of a Manchester DJ, whose body is found 20 years after his disappearance from Ibiza.
His sister Zoe, played by Laura Haddock, returns to the Spanish island to investigate what has happened to him.
The series includes scenes of drug abuse, wild partying and sex parties, and Mays said he was excited to explore some of the wilder themes.
He told the PA news agency: “I think it was just a case of embracing the madness. It is completely out there, White Lines, there is no question about that.
“But, within it, it seems to be grounded in a truth and a real reality and that really comes through in the storyline with Laura Haddock’s character Zoe, and this deep-rooted love and bond that she had for her older brother, the superstar DJ that has gone missing.
“Without that element to the show, it wouldn’t be the show it is and you can have extremes in this but the fact that it’s grounded in emotion and truth sets it apart, I think.”
The series was filmed in Spain and the Balearic Islands last summer and Mays said: “It feels like an absolute lifetime ago, that is the weird thing about it.
“The actors’ WhatsApp group is still going strong and the lovely Juan Diego (Botto) sent a lovely voice message and was saying he was obviously finding it very tough but, god, didn’t we have so much fun this time last year.
“I wish this show was probably coming out when we weren’t in lockdown and quarantine; it’s difficult for everyone, but if there was ever a show which was pure escapism, it’s White Lines.
“It’s sun, sea, sand, sex, drugs, alcohol – it’s all those, it’s that hedonistic extravaganza really, so it is going to give a lot of people something in these very difficult times and it’s a proper binge-watch, there is no doubt about that. This is your Ibiza fix right here.”
– White Lines is on Netflix on May 15.