A simple round of golf in the stunning English countryside is interrupted when Bobby discovers the dying man at the bottom of a cliff, uttering the phrase ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’ which happens to also be the title of Agatha Christie’s mystery novel which has been adapted into a series.
It is the mystery and the question in which Will Poulter – who portrays Bobby Jones – must find the answer to.
(Image: BritBox)
Will most recently donned gold outfits for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy and was even thrown into the kitchen for The Bear, but this series sees the British actor jump back in time to the 1940s.
A small town in the English countryside and Wales was frozen in time with Chevy Bel Air cars, high waisted trousers, sweater vests and fedoras. For Will, it was a “special” opportunity to “connect and be embraced” by the Welsh people.
But for the visiting stranger who wanted to book a table, it was a strange sight.
“We had a bloke walk into the pub and he was very confused why he walked into the 1940s. He was wondering why he is booking for 3pm wasn’t on the books, we had to explain we’re a film crew,” Will laughs. “He was very confused.”
(Image: BritBox)
The three-part period drama was filmed back in 2021, originally airing on BritBox in 2023, but ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’ is newly coming to Australia. And Will is hoping we Australian’s will “love” the series as much as they did.
“As actors, it was a really challenging thing to shoot,” he tells TV Week. “We shot this pretty ambitious little three parter in a pretty small window of time. But we had an absolute blast in the process and just really, really loved our time on it.
“It’s a project that is pretty close to all of our hearts. I think particularly Hugh [Laurie].”
(Image: BritBox)
Making his directorial debut with ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’, this project was a “passion” piece for Hugh after reading the 1934 novel as a young man. Given Hugh’s reputation as an impeccable actor, Will admits he was a “little bit nervous about the prospect of acting with him.”
“He’s so down to earth,” he said. “He’s fiercely intelligent, and incredibly funny and passionate – he brought all of that to his work. And his handling as a director of actors was incredible, it’s as if he’s able to articulate what he wants in a language that only you understand. That’s a rare, rare gift.”
“I think [he] did an amazing job of adapting the book and really kind of preserving the best bits of it.”
Stream Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? on BritBox from $9.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
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