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Remember when James Norton blew us all away with his performance as the unnerving Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley? We knew it would take something special to even get close to its brilliance – but, finally, we’ve found his best role since. Nowhere Special is the heartbreaking film that tells the story of a terminally ill single father (played by Norton) with one last duty to take care of: finding a new family to adopt his four-year-old son. And thanks to the BBC, it’s available to watch tonight.

Norton’s character, John, is 35-year-old window cleaner with terminal brain cancer and only weeks left to live – and the story makes for a drama as gut-punching as you might imagine. James told The Guardian how reading the script “broke his heart”, explaining: “It was such a powerful read. I don’t think I’ve ever read a script like it, the simplicity of it. I kept on trying to explain the story to people. It was simply just a young man preparing his son for death.”

What is Nowhere Special about?

2g8dtj6 nowhere special is a 2020 internationally co produced drama film written, directed, and produced by uberto pasolini. it stars james norton and daniel lamont. this photograph is for editorial use only and is the copyright of the film company and/or the photographer assigned by the film or production company and can only be reproduced by publications in conjunction with the promotion of the above film. a mandatory credit to the film company is required. the photographer should also be credited when known.

The 2021 film stars James Norton as terminally ill window cleaner, John, who only has a few months left to live. John is a single dad and almost entirely alone, apart from his four-year-old son, Michael (Daniel Lamont), and we follow him on his heartbreaking journey to find a replacement family to take care of Michael when he dies.

Needless to say, it’s a deeply emotional drama that most viewers will be in tears by the end of. James himself has shared how tough he found the filming process, telling the BBC that reading the script alone made him cry. “Being forced to contemplate one’s death in a very simple way is something I think we run away from most of the time, rather than sit down and meditate on what’s going to happen when you die. It was really cathartic for me to share a little bit of John’s journey,” he explained.

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closeup of a mans neck with a tattoo of a bird

Speaking about the process of building a relationship with his young co-star Daniel, he added: “The most important piece of preparation was finding the relationship with Daniel, and making sure there was a true affection, so weirdly it was a lot of just playing and having fun, and gaining trust from him.

“We got on really well. It was just making sure he really wanted to come to work, and that the love we wanted to capture on film was real.”

Who’s in the cast of Nowhere Special?

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The cast of Nowhere Special includes:

James Norton (Grantchester, Playing Nice) as John
Daniel Lamont as Michael
Carol Moore (Three Keenings) as Deirdre
Valene Kane (Summerwater) as Celia
Eileen O’Higgins (Brooklyn) as Shona
Valerie O’Connor (Red Rock) as Ella
Keith McErlean (Redemption) as Phillip
Siobhán McSweeney (Amandaland) as Pam
Chris Corrigan (The Return) as Gerry
Niamh McGrady (Hope Street) as Lorraine
Caolan Byrne (Bloodlands) as Trevor

Is there a trailer for Nowhere Special?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Nowhere Special and get a taste of James’ powerful performance below.

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

NOWHERE SPECIAL | Official UK Trailer [HD] – In Cinemas 16 July

NOWHERE SPECIAL | Official UK Trailer [HD] - In Cinemas 16 July thumnail
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Is Nowhere Special any good?

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Yes – it’s one of those rare films that has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers calling it “warm and tender”, “a measured, emotional ripper” and “a beautiful, encouraging story”. Following its release in 2021, Norton was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor and, while he missed out on the accolade, we think he fully deserved it – and more!

How can I watch Nowhere Special?

Nowhere Special is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

What other James Norton dramas can I watch now?

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For anyone wanting a taste of one of James’s greatest, yet seemingly forgotten, roles, we’d highly recommend Life in Squares. The series sees James step into the shoes of a member of the renowned Bloomsbury group who were united by a desire for freedom in the early 20th century. All three episodes of Life in Squares are available to watch now on Prime Video. We’d also recommend James’s drama, The Nevers. Set in Victorian London, the series follows a group of women known as the Touched, who have “unusual” abilities, and James is the morally ambiguous aristocrat who wants to exploit them for a profit. You can watch The Nevers on ITVX. To see more of Jame’s best performances, check out our pick of his greatest drama