‘It's Just Thrilling!'

Multitalented Lin-Manuel Miranda on why his role in His Dark Materials is so special…

- Caren Clark

Hollywood movie star Lin-Manuel Miranda, leading man of last year’s blockbuster Mary Poppins Returns and the award-winning creator of acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton, has a special reason to be a fan of Philip Pullman’s bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy of fantasy novels.

When he first started dating his lawyer wife, Vanessa, in 2005, the couple bonded over the books.

‘It was the beginning of our courtship,’ beams Lin-Manuel, 39, as TV Times chats with him in a London restaurant. ‘They’re great books to fall in love to!’

Nearly 15 years after His Dark Materials helped their romance blossom, the couple couldn’t believe it when Lin-Manuel was asked to star in BBC1’s epic adaptation.

‘My wife said, “That’s so cool!” It was a pretty easy yes. I feel very lucky,’ says the actor, who makes his debut this week as charming Texan aeronaut-for-hire Lee Scoresby.

Lee lands in the North in his hot-air balloon just as intrepid Lyra (played by Dafne Keen) arrives there to continue her plan to rescue kidnapped children from the sinister Magisterium. Will Lee prove beneficial to her mission?