Richard knows something about đđ»đđČđżđ»đźđđ¶đŒđ»đźđč đđźđ đ¶đ» đŠđđœđœđŒđżđ đŒđł đ©đ¶đ°đđ¶đșđ đŒđł đ§đŒđżđđđżđČ. He famously endured the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding as Lucas North in Spooks. In s7e3, rainwater falling on Lucas' face triggers his flashback to being waterboarded in a Russian prison (top).
Rich's fear of water should have given him pause, but he justified his decision this way: "I wanted my reaction to be real on camera. I didn't want to have to 'act' it." He needn't have worried. "It was terrifying. It was panic inducing. It was like drowning," he said (middle).
Experiencing waterboarding firsthand allowed Rich to give a more authentic performance and feel empathy for those who have endured it in real life. "I realized that it really is a form of torture that shouldn't be used," Rich told the Daily Telegraph. "I only lasted five to 10 seconds, and the sound of my crying out to stop isn't me acting. The psychological damage of doing that to someone for even a minute would be indescribable."
Two years later, when a waterboarding scene appeared in Strike Back, Rich was able to remember his physical and mental reactions without subjecting himself to that torture again (bottom).
