Rob James-Collier, known in Britain for his role as Liam in the long-running soap Coronation Street, happened on his acting career quite by accident. Joining a film shoot when an actor failed to show up, he was bitten by the acting bug and started taking drama classes, and roles soon followed.

Three seasons into Downton Abbey, James-Collier describes the sort of reception his "baddy" character receives from the public. He says, "You get recognized and you have that kind of 'boo hiss' banter with the public. If they come up to you and they're not nice that's not the greatest – but there's always someone, isn't there? But 99% of the time it's from a great place and it's part and parcel of it. The reason I'm an actor and am trying to make my way in drama is to move people, to affect people, to gain a response – so these people who come up to you in the street are your audience. If you haven't got time for them and can't be genuinely pleased by the fact that they've bought in to the show, then you're doing it for the wrong reasons."