Toby Stephens corners market in dastardly rogues

Toby Stephens promises his new Robin Hood villain will be a million miles away from the fearsome baddie he played in the James Bond film Die Another Day.

The 40-year-old actor, whose last major TV role was playing the brooding Rochester in the BBC’s 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre, joins the hit BBC One series this Saturday as the evil Prince John. And Toby tells TV Times he’s more of a pantomime character than his Bond role, which saw him battling Pierce Brosnan’s 007.

"I hope John’s totally different from that," laughs Toby. "In Bond you have to view it with some sense of realism and menace, otherwise there’s no point. Whereas in this, I don’t want viewers thinking, 'God, Prince John would rip your head off!'

"I didn’t want to make him serious, I just want him to look ridiculous really! I come into the show and cause chaos in Nottingham by setting the sheriff and Gisborne against each other."

Toby goes on to say his inspiration was Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, rather than Kevin Costner’s more recent effort.

"I’m pretty old school, I didn’t really like the Kevin Costner film," he says. "I love it when it’s slightly tongue-in-cheek and done with a sense of humour."

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