As BBC’s new factual drama The Bombing of Pan Am 103 prepares to premiere, star Connor Swindells has opened up about the emotional weight of portraying real-life police officer Edward McCusker, and the responsibility he felt in telling the story of the worst terror attack on British soil.
The six-part series, airing on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday, May 18, revisits the tragic events of December 21, 1988, when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.
The drama focuses on the transatlantic investigation and the emotional toll it took on those involved.
Swindells, known for his roles in Sex Education and SAS Rogue Heroes, plays McCusker, a key figure in the investigation.
Speaking ahead of the series launch, the actor revealed the immense care that went into the project. “The series is about the police force who investigated the case. It follows all the key figures involved in trying to get justice for this terrible attack that happened in 1988 over a small town in Scotland called Lockerbie,” he explained.
The actor admitted he was not fully aware of the details of the Lockerbie bombing before signing on.
“People should watch this because I myself didn’t know much about this terrible event before taking on this role. The whole filming process was really informative for me, and I think this is a moment in history that people who aren’t familiar with should be.”
He added, “It’s so important to memorialise the people who lost their lives, both those on the flight and those on the ground. And I think it is also important for people to understand the toll that was taken on those who tried to help – the police force and the surrounding community.”
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Swindells said he was drawn to the script’s careful and sensitive approach to telling such a devastating story.
“The main draw for me was the way this script delicately tells a story which was so awful and horrific. The script handles such a hard subject with extreme sensitivity.”
Describing the emotional challenge of playing McCusker, he reflected: “It was hard playing someone who was on the frontlines of a case such as this. Emotionally, it definitely takes a toll, and I didn’t realise that before we started filming, perhaps naively.”
“There certainly is a tax that comes with even just a ‘smidge’ of putting myself into this world, though of course it is just a very small fraction of what the real-life investigators we’re depicting experienced.”
Swindells also paid tribute to the man he portrays.
“Meeting Ed was great. He’s an incredibly warm, friendly man who was so generous with his time. He had me around to lunch at his house,” he recalled.
“He was so generous with trying to recount as much as possible the events that occurred, lifting me up with as much support as he could. He’s been a great resource, not just to me but to everyone on this production, and I’m very grateful.”
Portraying a real-life figure altered his acting process. “Being part of a drama that’s based on a real story like this affects every little decision you make. There is definitely a pressure, a want and a need to do justice to the people involved and to the events. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked, I’d say.”
Reflecting on the shoot, Swindells said every day was “a lesson in trying to do justice to the truth,” adding, “There were always new things I was learning about what actually happened.”
Filming in Scotland held special meaning for the actor. “It’s been a dream, the people have been so brilliant and welcoming to me,” he said, adding that his partner is from there.
