Welsh star Taron Egerton has described his latest television project as both “fascinating” and “disturbing”, revealing he felt compelled to take on the central role despite initially knowing little about the real-life inspiration behind the story. In Apple TV+’s new limited series *Smoke*, Egerton steps into the shoes of a tenacious arson investigator drawn into the hunt for a serial arsonist who terrorised Southern California decades ago.
*Smoke*, which is set to make waves on the streaming platform, takes its cues from real events explored in the 2021 podcast *Firebug*, produced by Truth Media. The gripping true crime podcast unpacks a string of arson attacks on businesses and communities during the 1980s and 1990s, providing the unsettling foundation for the drama’s nine-episode arc. Egerton’s role as Dave, a determined investigator, sees him pair up with detective Michelle Calderone, played by Jurnee Smollett, as the duo attempts to uncover the arsonist’s identity and bring them to justice.
Despite the dark and intricate subject matter, Egerton admitted he was unfamiliar with the origins of the series before production began. Speaking to Radio Times, the Aberystwyth-born actor shared that he had not listened to *Firebug*, nor read about the perplexing true crime story before agreeing to take part in the drama, penned and showrun by acclaimed writer Dennis Lehane. This, however, did little to discourage his interest in the project.
Egerton explained that what truly enticed him was the complexity of the character and the strong creative collaboration with Lehane. Having previously worked together on the prison thriller *Blackbird*, Egerton felt a certain loyalty and creative excitement about embarking on another ambitious project together. “I was actually pretty sure I was going to do it before I read the script, because Dennis and I discussed it while we were still filming *Blackbird*,” he recalled, adding, “It’s been a long time coming and when I finally received the first scripts, I couldn’t wait to dive in.”
Delving into Dave’s persona proved to be a challenge unlike any Egerton had previously faced. The actor described the role as “unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and honestly, unlike anything I’ve seen on television”. What struck him most was the character’s unique psychology. Dave embodies a tangled sense of purpose and a form of compartmentalisation that Egerton found both intriguing and unsettling. “He isn’t suffering from a split personality, but he’s separated aspects of himself in a way that is rather odd,” Egerton observed. “Getting a glimpse of what’s happening behind closed doors becomes genuinely disturbing.”
As the series unfolds, the audience is led through a maze of motivations, doubts, and flawed heroism. Egerton noted that Dave sees himself as a sort of heroic everyman, someone outwardly trying to do the right thing. However, the actor was quick to point out, “In real life, anyone who describes themselves as a hero is probably a bit strange, and Dave is definitely more than just a little bit odd.” This nuanced take on heroism offers viewers a layered and, at times, discomforting window into how a person’s intentions and actions can conflict.
Throughout his career, Egerton has gravitated towards complex roles that challenge expectations, and his work on *Smoke* appears to continue this trend. His performance promises to bring depth to a character wrestling with internal contradictions against a backdrop of real-life tragedy and suspense, blurring the lines between saviour and someone deeply troubled by their own nature.
Lehane’s deft storytelling ensures that *Smoke* does not offer easy answers, nor does it paint any of its protagonists or villains in black-and-white terms. This ambiguity, according to Egerton, made the project even more appealing creatively, as every character is shaded by history and their own moral ambiguities. The Welsh actor also hinted that audiences will be taken on a revealing journey of self-discovery alongside Dave, with unexpected twists and emotional reckonings.
*Smoke* is now available for streaming on Apple TV+, with Egerton and Smollett leading an ensemble cast through a tense narrative that explores the dark side of human motivation and obsession. With each episode, viewers can expect to be drawn deeper into a world where justice, identity, and morality are all up for debate.
The series arrives at a time when true crime stories continue to captivate audiences, and Egerton’s commitment to exploring the psychological reality behind the headlines suggests *Smoke* could become a key talking point among both critics and fans alike.