Synopsis:
Steve Coogan said of playing Samuel Pepys - “He suits me because I don’t like playing likeable people. That’s not very interesting. I want to be compelling but morally ambiguous. Pepys is driven by animalistic urges but is also anally retentive. He’s a clerically minded introvert who takes work very seriously. But he also has serious commitment problems when it comes to the ladies.” The story of Samuel Pepys, who was a widely respected Admiralty officer whilst being a cheat, a wife beater and a sex addict, is a fascinating one and a story that is well overdue for a visit. Oliver Parker commented that he had a far harder time keeping the sex out of his adaptation than he did putting it in. He added that “I think it is Steve’s talent to make him feel totally modern, to remind us that, 300 years on, relationships are about the same things.”