Career Strike Back

John Porter - Strike Back

[John] Porter believes that three of his mates were gunned down because of something he chose to do on the mission. In truth, though, the reasons for the hostage botch are far more complicated … (“Chris Ryan’s Strike Back”, TV & Satellite Week, April 27th, 2010)

On the eve of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Porter (Richard Armitage) leads a Special Forces unit on a daring hostage rescue mission into the heart of Basra, culminating in a disastrous turn of events for him and [Hugh] Collinson (Andrew Lincoln). Porter bears the burden of guilt, with the repercussions haunting him for years, until an opportunity presents itself to return to Iraq and redeem himself. After several years apart, Porter and Collinson's lives are about to collide once again…

In three stand-alone narratives based in Iraq, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Pakistan, dramatised over six episodes, the stories interweave the dramatic politics of war, with the personal demons of two very driven men: Collinson and Porter. ("About the show - the Story", SKY, 2010 )

"Strike Back" is based on a novel by former SAS operative Chris Ryan (Ultimate Force) and produced by Left Bank Pictures (Wallander).

Production details

Cast
Richard Armitage - John Porter
Hugh Collinson - Andrew Lincoln
Layla Thompson- Jodhi May
Shelley Conn - Danni Prendiville
Laura Greenwood - Alexandra Porter

Nicola Stephenson - Diane Porter (Epis 1-3)
Colin Salmon - James Middleton (Epis 1-4)
Orla Brady - Katie Dartmough (Epis 1-2)
Dhaffer L'Abidine - Hakim Al Neseri
(Epis 1-2)
David Harewood - Tshuma (Epis 3-4)
(Brother Tuck - Robin Hood Series 8)
Shaun Parkes - Felix Masuku (Epis 3-4)
Ewen Bremner - Gerald Baxter (Epis 5-6)
Alexander Siddig - Zahir Sharq (Epis 5-6)
Toby Stephens - Frank Arlington (Epis 5-6)
(Prince John - Robin Hood Series 8)

Writers
Jed Mercurio - Epis 1-4
Alan Whiting - Epis 2-3
Robert Murphy - Epis 5-6

Directors
Daniel Percival
Edward Hall (Spooks - 7/5 & 7/6, 8/6 & 8/7)

Producers
Andrew Benson

The dvd for the series may be purchased at:

Amazon.co.uk (Region 4)

... that became the challenge, to reinvent this idea of a war hero. I had to find something else in an action hero that rings different bells. ...
When you look at the man as opposed to what he does as his job, it becomes a bit more wide reaching … A soldier is just what he does … it becomes more of a moral journey for him. How does he survive as a man and a soldier, as a husband and a father and a soldier at the same time? (BBC 5Live interview with Richard Bacon, May 4th, 2010)

I worked with a trainer in the UK for about 10 weeks and when I got to South Africa I worked with a South African trainer. ... What I was trying to do was to try and create a physique that looked like it happened through working in the SAS rather than working out in a gym. And I also I tried to find the stamina to try and get me through the series - I like to do my own stunts and fights if I can. And I needed to strengthen my body and get my stamina going so I didn't injure myself in every fight we did. That was quite tricky. (“Richard Armitage Talks Strike Back”, www.screenrush.co.uk, April 28th, 2010)

They gave me a baton that was the same weight as a gun and got me running in different directions until I felt like vomiting … I thought I was really fit, but I’d never done anything like it before. I had to push myself to the point where mylegs just wouldn’t go on ... (“Chris Ryan’s Strike Back”, TV & Satellite Week, April 27th, 2010)

I don’t need to run a marathon with a backpack on my back, but I needed to look like I could. (“Spooks star returns with UK answer to 24”, Notebook-Shortlist, April 29th, 2010)

… [t]hey’d say well this is what the book says you do, but, however, look at the shape of this door, look at this corridor. … there’s no way you can do that so we’re going to bend it around for this location … Step-by-step … they were kind of saying, no, you can’t do that, You can’t leap across the room like that. You, you know there’s a door here, you can’t do that, you can’t, three men won’t do that and this is what you would do … (Sunday Express interview with David Stephenson, Twitter, May 2nd, 2010)

I kind of wanted him to be better than I was. I wanted him to be the kind of bloke that I’d like to be even with all the flaws, and I kind of admired the flaws in him, and I admired the tenacity to standing up and saying “no, I made a mistake, I’m gonna take the consequences but I'm gonna search out the reasons why it was a mistake. I’m gonna question this … and I can’t rest until I do”, and kind of admired that in the character.
(Sunday Express interview with David Stephenson, Twitter, May 2nd, 2010)

When you first pull off some rounds, you can't help but grin. And when you see a guest artist come in they're the same. ... And it's really embarrassing because you're smiling when you're pretending to kill. But it isn't the killing you're smiling at; it's the feeling of this machine in your hand that has this capability. It's power. (Sky1 HD, “Richard Armitage on John Porter”.)

SERIES 2

In July 2010, Sky announced a second, 10 episode, series of Strike Back with Richard Armitage reprising the role of John Porter. It was to be shot in South Africa, South America, the USA and Europe. However, within a few months came the news that, due to his other commitments (notably, his role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's movie of Tolkien's The Hobbit) he would be written out of the series. Two new actors were cast as leads, Australian actor, Sullivan Stapleton and British actor, Philip Winchester. However, John Porter did appear for a few minutes at the beginning of episode 1 and flashbacks to that scene were included in the final episode (vale John Porter). Although much of the publicity for the series mentions Richard, he took no part in publicising it (so we have no quotes for this bit).

The second series was co-produced with Sky and HBO in the US and aired on Cinemax in the US from 12th August 2011 and in the UK from 21st August. Unlike the first series, officially titled, Chris Ryan's Strike Back, the second series was called, Stike Back: Project Dawn.

Production Details

Cast
Richard Armitage - John Porter
Sullivan Stapleton - Sgt Damien Scott
Philip Winchester - Sgt Michael Stonebridge
Amanda Mealing - Col Eleanor Grant
Rhashan Stone - Maj Oliver Sinclair
Michelle Lukes - Sgt Julia Richmond

Writers
Chris Ryan
Frank Spotniz
Simon Burke
Richard Zajdlic

Directors
Bill Eagles
Alex Holmes
Paul Wilmshurst