David Tennant says he’s glad serial killer Dennis Nilsen isn’t around to see ITV drama Des as it would make him smug
WITH his wiry frame, gaunt features and a mop of dark hair, David Tennant is a mirror image of serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
“I was 12 when he was arrested so it was a name that I was aware of — it had been in headlines. I knew he was a sort of bogeyman in the national consciousness.14Credit: PA:Press Association"It’s tricky to get the balance right — you don’t want to slip into sensationalism.” “There is some footage of Nilsen you can watch and there’s a lot that has been written about him. There are people who knew him quite well, and you take all that in.Nilsen lured young boys and men back to his home in Muswell Hill with the promise of booze, food or a place to spend the nightDaniel Mays, who plays investigating detective Peter Jay, said: “David delivers an utterly spellbinding turn.“It really is quite a spectacular performance It’s the level of detail that he goes into.
But David was comfortable taking on the role because the writers had avoided glorifying Nilsen, who was called Des by people who knew him. The 81-year-old author’s book was used as source material for the show and he was on set during filming.Daniel Mays, who plays investigating detective Peter Jay, says David's performance is 'spellbinding'The same year, Nilsen died of cancer aged 72 behind bars, which was a blessing for David.“I’m very relieved he’s not now, because I would hate for this to go out and for him to be in his cell imagining that we were in any way glorifying him.
The closest person he had to a father was his maternal grandfather who died of a heart attack while fishing in the North Sea. One suggestion is that Nilsen murdered the men because he could not bear the idea of them leaving the flat after spending time with him — hence the title of his biography Killing For Company.
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