Andrew Scott Stars as D-Day Meteorologist in 'Pressure'

Andrew Scott says he loved the challenge of playing Group Captain James Stagg in the new World War Two film 'Pressure'. The movie focuses on the meteorologist whose forecasts were key to the success of the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.

Scott describes Stagg to the BBC as an "extraordinarily interesting cinematic character, as well as an unsung hero from history". The actor was drawn to a man who was "very chilly", "forthright, direct, obsessed with weather - and not afraid to speak truth to power". Scott relished that Stagg was not a traditional swashbuckling hero. "I really enjoyed the way that Stagg was not interested in ingratiating himself with anybody," he said, calling him "a real fish out of water".

The Immense Stakes of the Forecast

The film is set almost entirely in the planning rooms in the days leading up to D-Day. US General Dwight D Eisenhower needed specific conditions: a full moon, low tide, minimal cloud or wind, and calm seas. Scott emphasizes the unimaginable pressure. "They were all locked down, and they couldn't leave the place." he explains. The actor notes the film is about "the humility of leadership, and about the difference between power and expertise".

Building Authenticity with Experts

Director Anthony Maras employed real weather experts to ensure accuracy. This included Martin Young, a former deputy chief of the UK's Met Office who served as its chief forecaster for over a decade. Young's forty-year career provided first-hand knowledge of the processes and equipment Stagg would have used. The film depicts Stagg working with a team of meteorologists who publicly and robustly disagree, adding to the dramatic tension.

Scott's Personal Connections

The actor found several personal connections to the material. Scott, who is Irish, was pleased the film also references Maureen Sweeney, an Irish lighthouse keeper in County Mayo who first confirmed a break in the weather. "A big part of my family are from around those parts. So that was wonderful," Scott adds. He also drew on his experience as a 19-year-old extra in the opening sequence of Steven Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan', which depicted the Normandy landings.

Scott concludes by reflecting on the quiet impact of expertise. "He quietly went back to his life and it's wonderful that we can pay tribute to him in this way all these years later," the actor says of Stagg. 'Pressure', based on a 2014 stage play by David Haig, is in UK and Irish cinemas from 9 September.