Press Archive

Teletext.co.uk
26 November 2002
By Jonathan Donald

Soames role gives Damian bad rep’

Heart-throb Damian Lewis’s tortured role in The Forsyte Saga has forced him to abandon being a good samaritan.

Lewis, 31, who plays Soames in the costume drama, was stunned by the response when he tried to rescue a drunken damsel in distress.

“It was 3am in Trafalgar Square and she looked too well presented to be in such a terrible state,” he said.

“She was lying on the pavement and I thought I’ve got to get her a cab.

“I tried to get an address from her but she was so far gone she couldn’t remember where she lived.

“I was staggering with her towards the taxi rank when she suddenly started screaming, ‘you’re that horrible Soames man’.

“I thought the cops were going to come so I just ran.”

Lewis has been delighted by the diversity of responses generated by his Soames role.

His fiendish deeds in the ITV1 drama, which returns next year, have included raping his wife.

Lewis said: “Reactions range from screaming to feeling sorry for him.

“It’s what I wanted – I didn’t want him to be a stereotypical villain. I wanted ambiguity and that has been vindicated by people’s reactions.”