Beloved British actor Daniel Mays has disclosed that he required professional counselling to cope with the psychological impact of portraying serial sex offender John Worboys in the forthcoming gritty television drama Believe Me. The four-part ITV series, created by acclaimed writer Jeff Pope, explores the harrowing crimes of Worboys and the subsequent fight for justice after police failures allowed his atrocities to continue undetected.
The Disturbing Role of John Worboys
John Worboys, infamously known as the 'Black Cab Rapist', was convicted in 2009 for sexually assaulting twelve women in the back of his taxi. His modus operandi involved deceiving victims with fabricated stories of lottery or casino wins before administering spiked drinks to render them unconscious. Mays, aged 48, was tasked with reenacting these horrific attacks for the drama, a process he described as profoundly challenging.
Psychological Toll and On-Set Support
Following the filming of these intense scenes, Mays engaged in a half-hour session with an on-set therapist, which he deemed "invaluable" and "definitely needed". He elaborated on the emotional burden, stating, "It was a difficult thing and an unsettling thing to portray. And very isolating by its very nature." The actor acknowledged underestimating the difficulty of humanising such an evil individual, despite his 26 years of professional experience.
Intimacy Coordination and Safety Protocols
For the first time in his career, Mays worked with an intimacy coordinator, Sita Thomas, to ensure a safe environment during the filming of sensitive scenes. He shared scenes with actresses Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Aasiya Shah, and Miriam Petch, who portray victims Sarah, Laila, and Carrie—the latter being the wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Mays emphasised the importance of trust and safety, noting, "It was all about trust. We had to get to a point where it was trusting between me and the actresses and they were offered a safe space to really risk and go for it."
Filming Challenges and Creative Process
The scenes filmed inside the taxi were described by Mays as "claustrophobic" and intense, capturing the terrifying reality of the attacks. He praised the production for achieving a balance between graphic realism and safety, stating, "It was a balancing act of getting it as graphic as you needed it to be, without shying away from that, whilst keeping it in the boundaries of safety at all times."
Trust in the Project and Writer
Mays expressed complete faith in the project due to his prior collaborations with writer Jeff Pope on Mrs Biggs and the Disney+ series Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. He highlighted Pope's meticulous storytelling and journalistic background, which reassured him of the drama's integrity. "You know if Jeff is going to come at you with a script it's going to be heartfelt, it's going to be engaging, it's going to be thoroughly researched," Mays affirmed.
Broader Implications and Release
Believe Me is set to air on ITV1 and ITVX later this year, promising a raw and unflinching look at one of Britain's most notorious criminal cases. The drama not only delves into Worboys' crimes but also critiques systemic failures in law enforcement that allowed his spree to persist. Mays' candid revelations underscore the significant emotional demands placed on actors when tackling such dark and complex roles, highlighting the industry's growing emphasis on mental health support and safety protocols.
