Oi, Love/Hate fans! Were you listening to the wireless yesterday? If you weren't, it's a pity, because Tom Vaughan Lawlor was talking about the Nidge Weasel with Miriam O'Callaghan on RTE Radio 1, and revealing what he really thinks about his character.
So, does Tom love Nidge as must of the rest of us? Well, in his own words, that's a very good question. "He's undeniably charismatic, but it's hard to judge as an actor," Vaughan Lawlor said. "The minute you start making that kind of an analysis of a character, I think you're kind of lost. I think all you can do is identify his wants and his desires and his needs and play those as truly and as honestly as you can. But if you start stepping outside and making judgements, I think you're dead. So, yes and no is the short answer" the actor revealed.
And he's all too aware of the media obsession with the Nidge Weasel y'know. In fact, he thinks we're a wee bit obsessed with trying to put Nidge (ala Baby) in a tight corner, and define him in simple terms, when in fact, in Vaughan-Lawlor's eyes, he's actually quite the complex fella.
"He's seductive because he's always changing, and that's why he's a brilliant character to play, because the minute you think he's one thing he changes and does something else. The minute you think he's growing a conscience he undercuts it and negates it with something really chilling. Or, alternately, he can do something very cold and then also be very tender. And that's why he's an amazing character to play: you're playing all these tones, all these colours, all these different notes. And, y'know, he doesn't know who he is, and that's part of his journey, I think."
We don't know about you, but we think the IFTA winning actor pretty much hit the nail on the head there, and we can't wait to see himself and the lads back in action when the new series of Love/Hate hits TV screens later this year.
Until then, we'll continue to hold out hope for Darren's resurrection, while sobbing quietly into our big blue hoodies...