Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie has revealed that she found it “exhilarating to be such a horrible character” in the new series of Channel 4’s Utopia.

Series 2 of Utopia opens with a flashback episode set in the 1970s. Best known as Ygritte in Game of Thrones and as housemaid Gwen Dawson in Downton Abbey, the Scottish actress plays a young version of Geraldine James’s character Milner in the episode.

Discussing the flashback episode, Leslie teased: “As a really big fan of the first season, I thought it was a brilliant idea. It basically takes us back to the 1970s and shows us where it all began. We get to see Milner as a young woman, and we get to see why she turns into this ruthless killer. And we see what happens to Carvell as well, and how Jessica and Arby come to be. I was completely hooked by the concept. It’s really a stand-alone episode, and a real treat for the fans.”

On playing Milner, she commented: “Oh it is so much more entertaining playing an evil person than playing a sweet, charming young lady. Before I even went in for the audition, reading some of the scenes and the stuff she does, it was breathtaking. I loved it. As an actor, it was an absolutely thrilling role to play. It was so exhilarating to be such a horrible character.”

The actress commented on the twisted morality at the heart what Milner and the Network are trying to do: “…what’s terrifying is, playing her for a full month, you can see the reasoning, you can see where she’s coming from. They’re doing it for the greater good. They’re doing it for the longevity of our species, giving it the chance to thrive. You can totally get swept up in that. But then you see the lines start to blur, you see what she has to do to make things happen.”

She explained: “They can’t afford to have friends, they can’t trust anyone, they have to commit the most terrible acts. That makes you step back and think. But that’s the beauty of Dennis Kelly – he writes it in such a beautiful way, you’re able to see both sides of the argument.”

Series 2 launches 10pm on Monday 14 July on Channel 4.

Watch the Series 2 trailer…

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