Jack Rowan

How did you get involved with the Noughts and Crosses project?

The British musician will play newspaper editor Kolawale, a new role created for the six-part series.

Adapted for screen by Toby Whithouse (Being Human), Noughts + Crosses is set in an alternate reality where society is segregated by race, with a white underclass called ‘Noughts’ and a black ruling class called ‘Crosses.’

The six-part series will follow the love story between two teenage protagonists Sephy Hadley (Baduza) and Callum McGregor (Rowan) who are divided by the colour of their skin in a dystopian world. 

Childhood friends Sephy, a member of the black ruling class the 'Crosses' and the daughter of the Home Secretary, and Callum, a member of the white underclass the 'Noughts', must overcome violent forces trying to tear them apart as their relationship becomes more complex and romantic as they grow up. 

Yet playing a villain in his first leading role was perfect for the 21-year-old newcomer. “I love it because it’s so far removed from who you really are,” he tells the RTS.

His chilling portrayal of teenage psychopath Sam Woodford secured Rowan a nomination for an acting award at this year's RTS Programme Awards alongside “two kings” Stephen Graham and Sean Bean.

“Even to be in the same sentence [as them] is beyond me, I’m just kind of pinching myself.”