Anthony Head

Merlin: a new 13-part drama series on BBC One

Anthony Head plays Uther Pendragon

As a young boy Anthony Head admits he was captivated by knights in shining armour and the great castles in which their legends were born.

"We used to travel to France on camping holidays and my big thing was collecting these beautifully crafted toy knights. My parents also built me a big castle which I’ve still got," he explains during a break from filming.

"My favourite programmes on television were things like Robin Hood and William Tell. I loved all that."

So when he found himself dressed in full medieval regalia and walking the corridors of the spectacular Chateau de Pierrefonds outside Paris, he couldn’t disguise his joy.

"Swanning around in chain mail and armour, getting to dress up in really cool clothes because I’m a king. Has it been fun? Hell yes. It’s as if I’ve come home," he grins.

There were, of course, more mature, professional reasons why he was attracted to playing Arthur’s father, King Uther Pendragon, ruler of Camelot.

The star of the internationally successful Buffy The Vampire Slayer series, Head was immediately drawn to the potential of Merlin as a mass appeal, family show.

He also saw the opportunity to do for the story of Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere and Morgana what Smallville did for Clark Kent, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and company.

"When you get pitched an idea like that you think ’well, it could either be really naff or it could be really good’. It depends how they tackle it. And as soon as we were into the first read through it felt very strong. I thought ’no, this works’," he says.

Part of the challenge, he says, was bringing such a large cast of characters to life.

"I know when we did Buffy, which had a lot of principal characters, as a storyteller you have that problem ’how do you get everybody’s story in there from the start so that we can track them?’. But they did it."

Head is excited by the new twist on the familiar Arthurian legend that Merlin presents.

"I like the fact that Camelot exists before Arthur comes to power and that it’s part of his life. I like the licence they have taken with the story to create this pre-history," he says.

"It’s fun. It gets in and messes around with things. They introduce characters who will play a part in Arthur’s later life."

He admits his own character is one of the drama’s darker characters. "He’s a complete bastard!" he laughs.

"According to history, legend or whatever, Uther was a drunkard. He was not rumoured to have been a very good king. But I like the fact that they’ve given him this big bee in his bonnet. He is completely against magic. He has banned magic from his kingdom for, as far as he is concerned, very good reasons."

Head has made Uther a ruthless, brutal leader willing to live – and if necessary, die – by the sword.

"I very much wanted him to be a warrior King. There were a lot of embattled warlords that were vying for power. Uther has snatched this by dint of the fact that he is extremely powerful."

The power he wields within Camelot does not extend into his own family, however. Uther has a difficult relationship with both his son, Arthur, and his adopted daughter, the spirited and scheming Morgana.

"Arthur is his son and heir. He cares deeply about him and cares deeply that he learns the right lessons," he says.

"I stood side by side with Morgana’s father in many battles and I promised him that if anything should happen to him I would take care of her. And sure enough something happened to him. So I end up with this feisty, angry, late teenager, who doesn’t like anything that I do," he explains.

"He doesn’t understand why Morgana is so rebellious and fights all the time," he says.

Off camera, however, the young actors have all been keen to get advice from a man who knows more than most about working on a hit television programme.

With Merlin due to be shown on NBC in America too, many have been asking advice on how to survive and thrive on the other side of the Atlantic.

"When they go out to do publicity I’ve advised them to get American publicity agents. I’ve said capitalise on it when you can. It’s about using the opportunity and opening up the marketplace," he says.

Head has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity that has come his way. Since working on Buffy in the US his career has been going through a golden period. Roles have ranged from the prime minister in Little Britain to a co-starring role with Warren Clarke in The Invisibles.

"I’m getting a fantastic range. It’s been really pleasant for the last year-and-a-half. It’s really taken off. I’m suddenly being asked to do all sorts of things which I’m enjoying enormously," he says.

If Merlin proves a hit, however, he is keen on the idea of continuing in the role of Uther.

"He is a very interesting character and he is pivotal because he is opposed to everything that’s going on," he says.

"I’m not optioned for a full series just because I didn’t want to get tied up. But if they ask me I’ll certainly be around."