Line of SUCCESSION

JACK DAVENPORT and STEPHEN MOYER on how their long-term friendship helps them portray bickering brothers

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THE FORSYTES MONDAY, 9PM, 5 DRAMA

Stephen Moyer and Jack Davenport may play squabbling siblings in 5's period saga The Forsytes, but, in real life, the actors have been good mates for decades.

'We worked together on C4's 1998 drama Ultraviolet and we both moved to LA and then New York. So we're close,' smiles True Blood star Stephen, 56, who can also currently be seen in contemporary whodunnit Art Detectives on U&Drama. 'Shooting The Forsytes was great as we played golf and watched films together!'

'And we've relished sticking verbal knives into each other during scenes,' chuckles Jack, 52, whose CV includes drama This Life and the Pirates of the Caribbean films, 'because that's our characters' dynamic.'

As the six-part series continues this week it sees the rivalry escalating between sensible Jolyon Forsyte Senior (Stephen) and scheming brother James Forsyte (Jack). James is determined to prevent Jolyon's son, Jolyon 'Jo' Jnr (Danny Griffin), from becoming chair of their stockbroking firm Forsyte & Co, as he wants his own son, Soames (Joshua Orpin), to take the position. But will fresh secrets and scandals cause further turmoil?

Here, Stephen and Jack tell TV Times why they are relishing their roles...

Why did starring in The Forsytes appeal to you?

STEPHEN I've not done period drama for a while. It’s also the first time I've been the elder statesman. In the books, my character is called ‘Old Jolyon’, and Jack loved that I'd be referred to as ‘old’! He still calls me OJ!