BBC Strike star brands JK Rowling series role ‘precious’ as they make stance clear on social media backlash
BBC Strike star Tom Burke has shared his admiration the “precious” series as he and co-star Holliday Grainger, reflected on how the show has been perceived.
The pair, who have been filming together since 2017, lead the series adapted from JK Rowling’s long running anthology – penned under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
Burke, 43, stars as the titular detective, Cormoran Strike, alongside Holliday, 36, who plays Robin Ellacott.
They are returning for the adaptation The Ink Black Heart, which Rowling released in 2022.
The pair’s natural chemistry has become a hallmark of the series, with both actors now considering their roles in the adaptations of Rowling’s novels as deeply ingrained parts of their lives.
“It’s a really precious job for me,” Burke explained to RadioTimes.
“It’s woven itself into my life in a very particular way,” Burke revealed, highlighting the special nature of his role as the one-legged war veteran turned private detective.
A key theme of Strike is the central pair’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, which continues to captivate audiences.
Speculation on the character’s relationship is rife online, where fans debate if Strike and Ellacott will or should finally ger together.
“People always ask with a certain squirming relish,” Burke said of fans inquiring about the potential relationship.
Burke concluded, grinning: “They seem to enjoy the agony of it. I don’t think they really want to know.”
The debate online has little effect on either Burke or Grainger as they both have chosen to avoid social media.
“We do so much of our communication non-verbally and that’s not possible with words on a screen, so I’m very suspicious of it,” Burke said.
The 43-year-old explained that face-to-face conversations are more valuable as people can read each others eyes for “something deeper” than whatever they were initially arguing about.
Grainger agreed, admitting she “doesn’t read anything on social media.”
The 36-year-old revealed the only reason she set up an Instagram was to follow a roving kebab truck. Grainger laughed as she admitted the truck now has a permanent location, so she no longer needs Instagram at all.
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As well as the new series in Decemeber, Strike fans can expect a later series based on Rowling’s seventh book The Running Grave.
The author has previously said she plans to write 10 books in the series.