Russell Tovey Is Starring in a Spooky, Sexy Murder Thriller

This is going to be one sexy mystery. Looking alum and regulation gay hottie Russell Tovey is set to star in a new thriller from Luther creator Neil Cross. According to the entertainment website Deadline, the four-episode ITV series is called Because the Night and is a dark and spooky tale about ghosts and murder in London. We love a Halloween surprise!

Tovey will reportedly star as Nathan, a "well-meaning but directionless" man trying to move on from his dark past. The character has a terrible secret he's trying to keep hidden by starting a new, domestic life. What a coincidence -- I was in the same exact situation before I came out!

But after almost a decade of hiding, a figure from his past, Bob -- played by Bertie Carvel of Doctor Foster -- shows up on his doorstep. Could Bob be an ex? A former partner in crime? A literal ghost? All of the above? Whatever the answer is, he and Nathan apparently make "a series of catastrophic decisions" that lead to a "tense and compelling narrative of psychological suspense, dread, love, and possible redemption." Scandalous.

The show also stars Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones), Nina Toussaint-White (GameFace) and Paul Bazely (Benidorm).

Tovey said the show is a big step in his career, allowing him to explore new, darker sides of himself. "Because the Night is going to challenge me as an actor more than I've ever been challenged before," he told Deadline. "As a web of lies, that he thought was dead and buried, comes back to haunt Nathan, he sinks deeper and deeper into the horror of the event that happened 10 years ago."

"I cannot wait to start filming and join this amazing team and cast," he added.

Creator Neil Cross based the series on his own novel, Burial, and has brought on Niall MacCormick (The Victim) to direct all four episodes. Tovey is probably best known for playing Kevin Matheson on Looking, which aired two seasons on HBO before wrapping up with a standalone film, and more recently, for playing Daniel Lyons in Queer As Folk creator Russell T. Davies' BBC drama Years and Years.

Because the Night will air on ITV in 2020.

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