Sex Education actor James Purefoy had a surprising former career before making the switch to acting.
After performances in films like Fisherman’s Friends and Rome, it’s difficult to see the 58-year-old star as anything other than an actor.
However, the Camelot actor, who portrayed Asa Butterfield’s father in the Netflix hit, previously worked as a mortuary assistant and found it ‘fascinating.’
It’s why, despite some gruesome surgical sequences, James didn’t break a sweat when filming his newest part as Dr. Leo Harris in ITV’s medical thriller Malpractice.
‘I worked in a mortuary so nothing worries me too much now,’ the Marie Antoinette actor revealed about the five-part series gore ahead of its April premiere.
‘I also worked in an operating theatre so I know what to expect.’
When asked how he got a work at a mortuary, he said, ‘Fascinating. I was 17 at the time and thought it was fantastic since I was a bit of a goth at the time.’
‘The only reason I was taken on as a mortuary assistant was because the mortician said I was the only person who came in saw [a dead body] and not fainted.’ the A Knight’s Tale star said.
Dr. Lucinda Edwards’ (Niamh Algar) life falls apart when an investigation into her activities on the night an opioid overdose victim dies under her watch is begun.
Dr. Norma Callahan (Helen Behan) and Lucinda’s old colleague, Dr. George Adjei (Jordan Kouamé), are in charge of the medical inquiry.
While George believes this was an unavoidable tragedy, Norma is sceptical of Lucinda’s actions and judgements leading up to the patient’s death.
As the probe heats up, Lucinda’s marriage to husband Tom (Lorne MacFadyen) begins to fray, and her confident professional demeanour begins to crumble.
Malpractice will air weekly from Sunday April, 23 on ITV1 on ITVX.