Former Hampstead pupil Serena Manteghi steps into the shoes of a diplomat for a new Barcelona-set TV crime drama.
The Diplomat sees Manteghi and Peaky Blinders star Sophie Rundle as consulate colleagues dealing with everything from lost passports to British nationals in distress.
The latest from Line of Duty makers World Productions, it streams with NOW TV from February 28. The opening episode stars Hackney-born actor Danny Sapani as a grieving father questioning the accidental death of his son on a luxury yacht.
As the six parter unfolds, a more sinister tale of organised crime and international intrique emerges. Part lawyer, part cop, part counsellor, Rundle's Laura Simmonds and Manteghi's Alba Ortiz liaise with Isak Ferris' Inspector Castells "a noble Prince Charming in a police badge," to get justice for the dead boy's family.
"You have Embassies in capital cities and consulates in other major cities," explains Manteghi, who admits to Googling the difference when she landed the job.
"The business of a consulate is lost passports, missing persons, but the breadth of human drama is vast, from the epic of a parent who has lost a child, to James Bond level mystery. When you have lost your phone and passport abroad, you feel untethered. They are dealing with people at their most vulnerable, and after doing this job, I have the utmost respect for anyone who works in a consulate."
The Diplomat's storylines "explore the icky grey areas" of international diplomacy, with Manteghi praising scripts that "flip your expectations and you can't predict what's going to happpen."
Of British Iranian heritage, Manteghi plays dual heritage Catalan and Spanish speaker Ortiz - her secondary school languages standing her in good stead during the four month shoot.
"I had a dreamy time," she says of living in Barcelona.
"It's a European hub of culture and tourism with such a diverse mix from rich money and yachts, to relaxed young travellers sitting around in squares debating politics."
As events ramp up for Alba, her status "in this middle place of belonging to two very different cultures," becomes challenging with cultural and class and perceptions in play.
"Despite not being Spanish there is a kinship with her belonging to two different cultures, and a lot of things that personally resonate. You always feel you can play anyone, but sometimes you read a part and think 'I know exactly who this person is.'"
"Born and bred in Cricklewood" Manteghi attended New End primary in Hampstead, and Hampstead School in Westbere Road, West Hampstead where an inspirational drama teacher encouraged her to perform.
Now living near Gladstone Park she says: "I'm a Brent gal. In this weird itinerant life of an actor, my work has taken me to the most incredible places, but I found my way back here."
Manteghi's first foray into acting was in Oliver! during Year 6 at New End.
"I didn't grow up with any theatre parents or come from an artsy background, I never had any notion of being an actor or idea how I would even go about that, but I had a great drama teacher at school and a really active student drama society at university - I ended up doing three plays a term."
Her career has ranged from playing Ophelia in Hamlet to One Woman shows, but she says "It's so mercurial, you can't try to wrangle your career, that way madness lies. One minute you can be doing some terrible play you hate in the middle of nowhere, the next your dream job."
It seems working with Rundle was exactly that, including the "reassuring guiding presence" of a seasoned screen actor whose career includes Gentleman Jack, The Bletchley Circle, Jamestown and playing Ada Shelby.
"I absoloutely adore and look up to Sophie, she's the loveliest most incredible actor. We were both drawn to the fact that you don't see female friendships on screen very often where they get on, that don't involve bitchy or competitive backstabbling. We not only played that on screen but that was the feeling between us and our whole relationship n set."
The Diplomat streams with Alibi on NOW TV from February 28. https://alibi.uktv.co.uk/shows/the-diplomat/
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