The Long Firm

Phil Daniels is Jimmy

Perhaps best known for his role as the enigmatic, drugged-up Jimmy in the 1979 cult film Quadrophenia, Phil Daniels jumped at the chance of playing his Long Firm namesake when offered the role.

 

The Long Firm's Jimmy is a drug-dealing, small-time crook, who befriended Harry Starks when they did time together, and Phil admits that the role took him right back.

 

"That's one of the reasons I did it," he says.

 

"I thought I could extend the life of the Jimmy in Quadrophenia and make him an older version."

 

Both The Long Firm and Quadrophenia are set in the Sixties, with a throbbing soundtrack from the era, but the two Jimmys are worlds apart.

 

In The Long Firm, Jimmy becomes caught up in Harry Starks' world and treads a hasty path to self-destruction.

 

"Jimmy's a small-time villain, he deals in drugs, he sells pills," says Phil, who also has starred in Scum, Breaking Glass and Still Crazy.

 

Phil has appeared in numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and had a flirtation with the music business both with his own band, Phil Daniels And The Cross, and as the cheeky chappie narrator on Blur's number one hit, Parklife.

 

"Everything was new in the Sixties and it was when people first became individuals, instead of a mob. The music was new and people were wearing suits, so I think that's why the Sixties are revered."

 

In the novel, Jimmy's character is Jack the Hat, one of the Krays' infamous sidekicks.

 

Phil admits he was shocked when researching his character: "I looked up Jack the Hat and I already knew a few stories about him."

 

Jimmy's own personal soundtrack could be the Tom Jones classic, You Can Keep Your Hat On as, like Jack, he keeps his trilby hat on throughout – even when bedding women in the drama.

 

"I wear a brown hat and a brown suit, which is just a little bit shabby. It's slightly Fifties, rather than Sixties. It wasn't really my taste though.

 

"I've still got gear in my house from Quadrophenia – not that any of it fits me any more!" he laughs.

 

In The Long Firm, Jimmy is haunted by the death of his wife, Madge, who died when Jimmy pushed her out of the door of his Zodiac car.

 

He can no longer deal with day-to-day life and is a desperate man.

 

"He is wracked with guilt and can't really deal with things any more," explains Phil.

 

"Jimmy's looking for the main chance," he continues.

 

"He'll do scams, he's a thief, he'll do anything to keep his head above water. He's one of those guys who's never going to make the big time."

 

Jimmy is inextricably linked with the drama's protagonist, Harry Starks, as are other main characters (Lord Thursby, Tommy, Ruby and Lenny).

 

Since meeting in prison years ago, the two have remained friends and Jimmy sees Harry's club, The Stardust, as a way to make money.

 

"I think they met in prison and maybe Jimmy did a bit of gofering for Harry and looked after him, and they've kept up the relationship ever since. Harry is a chance of work for Jimmy."

 

But the pair's relationship turns sour when Harry becomes intent on finding out the truth behind the murder of a young rent boy.

 

Jimmy soon becomes embroiled in one of the drama's most intense scenes, when Harry takes a white-hot poker to The Cutter, who is implicated in the murder.

 

"It was really horrible," says Phil. "The poker was so hot it had sparks coming off it. They gave the poker to me and taught me what to do with it – I did it as Debbie McGee, really, just passing things along to Harry," he laughs.

 

As Jimmy goes deeper into despair following this horrific event, Phil remains philosophical about his character.

 

"It just gets worse and worse for Jimmy – it goes downhill as the episode goes on. I don't think he gets what he deserves, but that's life."

 

Phil thoroughly enjoyed playing Jimmy but admits he does have one small regret.

 

As the drama's other leading characters prepared to jet off to South Africa to shoot the final episode, Phil - who has also just filmed two episodes of Waking The Dead, in which he plays a detective superintendent alongside Trevor Eve - remained at his London home.

 

"Hoxton was about as exotic as I got," he laughs, "so don't ever mention South Africa in my jealous presence!"

THE LONG FIRM