2. Rory Kinnear
Whilst reading the last section you were probably thinking, "what about Rory Kinnear?" well he deserves his own section. Kinnear, as a stage veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. He is acclaimed in his portrayal of Bill Tanner in the James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Skyfall and has also won the Laurence Olivier Award (The Man of Mode) and a British Independent Film Award (for Broken). Kinnear portrays the character of David Whitehead in Southcliffe, a boy born to the town who left in his youth following an unexplained incident and has since become a successful BBC journalist in London. David is sent back to report on the events of the shooting, despite his unhappiness at such. David has a bitter angst inside him, he hates the town and resents his childhood being there. Kinnear's pinnacle as David comes inside the local pub where he finally snaps and places the blame of Stephen Morton's massacre on the townsfolk and their ideologies, and the fact the town knew what was going on with David an yet did nothing. That act, coming across as an excruciating awkwardness, is made evermore daunting when it is revealed that his derogatory speech has been recorded and posted on YouTube, ruining his career and family life, and haunting him. Kinnear is a tour-de-force as his character tries in vain to figure out the reasons behind the murders and who was to blame, even considering himself and his childhood companions as the ones who affected Stephen. Kinnear provides the audience a view into the town, he displays an amalgamation of emotions throughout the series, from his brash confidence before being sent to Southcliffe, to his resignation, his anger; his psyche once confronted with his past.