An Interview with Jack Lowden from ‘Slow Horses’

Jack Lowden as River Cartwright in "Slow Horses," now streaming on Apple TV+.

Jack Lowden is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in a bevy of films and shows in reecnt years. Currently, he stars as River Cartwright on the Apple TV+ series, Slow Horses, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Jack to discuss his role on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know what it means to be part of such a beloved and respected franchise?
 
Jack Lowden: It's… it's nice, man. It's really nice. I'm not gonna lie. It's, you know, I don't want to get complacent. The whole team doesn't want to get complacent. So we are, you know, we're still working hard on number four, you know, to make sure that our team did better than three. So, but we're very grateful that the show is sort of blowing up in many ways and that people are loving it and are sticking with it. Oh, it's a nice feeling.
 
John Betancourt: You just mentioned something that actually I've been curious about too. This is just pretty much an actor's clinic every single week, you and your cast mates put in amazing performances week in week out. What have you enjoyed the most as an actor about being able to work on this show?
 
Jack Lowden: The feeling of, because it's a recurring character, and I've never done it before, the feeling of getting better. I mean, that's why I feel anyway, as an actor, is all I want to do is get better at what I do. Really, you know, I want to do the best work and I want to work with the best people, but I love the feeling that I'm getting better. You know, and sometimes you take a couple of steps back or whatever, but I feel like I've gotten better than the kid that started 10 years ago or whatever, you know, I hope I'm a better actor than I was then. Otherwise, I have no interest in this. (Laughs) I don't think it's to do with acting, whatever I ended up doing. I think the great pleasure of it is getting better and getting more comfortable. And this is this has definitely been that moment where you know, I get to fit that because we get to come back and play the same game.
 
John Betancourt: Something else that I've noticed about this show that I've really enjoyed is that we can all relate to the characters on a fundamental level, what is it that you think allow for River to resonate with audiences?
 
Jack Lowden: I think because he's a tryer. He really trying. I think he thinks a lot of himself and certainly did in the first season. And I think that's probably been slowly chipped away. He, I think at first, he found it difficult to admit a mistake. I think he's doing that more now. He's doing that more. And I think, you know, look, I mean, he's definitely the character that's supposed to fit the sort of mold of the leading man, kind of knows exactly what to do. And we've worked very hard, and I don't have to work that hard to do that. But to make him not the complete sort of package, and I think that is definitely why people seem to be responding to him, that on the face of it, he should be the complete thing. But he really, ain’t.
 
John Betancourt: Now, without spoiling anything… what are you most excited for audiences to experience in the final episodes of this season?
 
Jack Lowden: I'm really excited for them to see the conclusion. I know that sounds like a fairly obvious answer. But I think where we are at the moment in the sort of third episode, to see how it concludes is quite cool. It's quite scary, and it's definitely a lot more, even more high-octane action wise than the other two have been. So, it comes to some kind of conclusion. I can say that and how it gets there is… kind of nuts. (Laughs)
 
John Betancourt:  Last question that I have for you today. What are you most proud of when it comes to your time on the show?
 
Jack Lowden: That I think I've gotten better. Definitely. Definitely. That is why, and that I get asked back. (Laughs)
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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