Character: Hans Maier
Actor: Jonathan Coy
Episode: Fifty Ships

Jonathan Coy had to film in the English sea in the middle of the night for his role as Hans Maier, a spy who sneaks into the country by boat.

"We filmed off the Isle of Purbeck on the south coast at a time when the weather was filthy. But we had one night when the sea was like a millpond so that was lucky. We had to film the landing a few times and there was a champion stand-in rower, but I am going to take all the credit for it.

"Maier's story is based on a real life event and the costume designer had a photograph of a spy who was arrested. I rowed to shore in the same suit that I walked around town in - a sand brown suit with a lifejacket on top."

Maier is arrested and questioned by Foyle (Michael Kitchen).

"When he gets caught, he has a fairly flimsy story about being a Dutchman. I gave him a Dutch accent to begin with, but when he knows the game is up, he reverts to his own German accent. It was good fun to do, but I had to play down the Dutch accent so as not to give it a comedic touch.

"He is a decent soldier on an espionage mission for his country. He's courageous and Foyle treats him with respect. The recognise the decency in each other."

Jonathan is currently appearing in Michael Frayn's Democracy at the Royal National Theatre, and his forthcoming TV roles include Paradise Heights and Born and Bred. Down to Earth, Hornblower, Nicholas Nickleby, Longitude, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Shipman are among his other credits.

October 2003; Publicity Release