SECRETS & SPIES

The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston joins screenwriter David Farr to discuss the return of the hit thriller after a decade. By LYNN RUSK

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WHEN The Night Manager first aired on the BBC in 2016, it instantly established itself as a modern spy-thriller classic.

Based on the 1993 novel by John le Carre and adapted by David Farr, the series follows hotel night manager Jonathan Pine, played by Tom Hiddleston, who is recruited by British intelligence officer Angela Burr, portrayed by Olivia Colman, to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie).

Tom, Olivia and Hugh each earned Golden Globe awards for their performances, and the series' explosive finale was watched by more than 10 million viewers in the UK alone.

Almost a decade later, the series returns for a second season, with Tom and Olivia reprising their roles as Pine and Burr.

Tom, 44, says he was delighted to return to the role as he is so inspired by the character.

"I love this character. I find his courage extraordinarily inspiring," says the Thor star.

"He has a kind of moral fire, a belief in what's right and what this country should stand for that won't be extinguished until the end of his lifetime, and I love playing him."

Tom says Pine is now operating under a new alias, which draws him into a mission in Colombia.

"He's still very much a night manager, just managing the night in a slightly different way; he's a nocturnal animal for sure," he explains.

"In the first series, he was the night manager of a luxury hotel in Egypt and Switzerland before being recruited by the security and intelligence services at MI6 as a field agent.