Robert Carlyle stars as detective Dave Cook in ITV's seven-part drama The Hack, a tightly drawn look at the 1990s phone-hacking scandal that prompted a wholesale overhaul of British journalism standards. In interviews ahead of the series, Carlyle says he believes newspapers listened to his phone messages during his peak fame in the mid-to-late 1990s, though he acknowledges there was no way to know for certain at the time. He told The Saturday Show on BBC Radio Scotland that private investigators who hacked into devices were not widely understood to be selling details to newspapers, and that only years later did the scope of the practices become clear.
The Hack interweaves two real-life stories: the investigation by Dave Cook into the murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, and the work of Guardian journalist Nick Davies, played by David Tennant, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking within a major tabloid. Morgan, a 37-year-old father of two, was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, southeast London, in 1987. His family has long alleged that the News of the World shadowed Cook during inquiries into the case. A string of inquiries over the decades have raised questions about corruption and led to criticisms that the Metropolitan Police placed its reputation above pursuing the truth. The series frames these threads as interconnected, suggesting the two events share undercurrents of power, secrecy and pursuit of justice.
Carlyle says he is approaching the role with care, aware that many of the people involved in the drama are still alive. "Dave Cook, the guy I play, did wrong things—there’s no doubt about it. But his drive was to find justice for Daniel Morgan’s family. That was his motive through it all. He bent a few rules, perhaps, but the end goal was important to him," the actor explains. He emphasizes that accuracy and a fair portrayal were essential to him, given the sensitivity of the subject matter and the fact that some participants remain living.
The project pairs Carlyle with David Tennant, who plays investigative reporter Nick Davies. The two actors had never met before working on The Hack, something Carlyle notes as a pleasant surprise. "You’d think David and I would have done something together before, but we hadn’t. It was an absolute pleasure working with him," Carlyle says, praising Tennant for his professionalism and focus—describing him as one of the most meticulous actors he has collaborated with and noting how he stayed present in every scene.
Carlyle’s own career has spanned television and film across continents. A Glasgow native, he has lived largely in Canada for about 15 years, moving to Vancouver for the lead role in the U.S. fantasy series Once Upon a Time. He maintains a Glasgow home and says his ties to the city remain strong, continuing to support Partick Thistle and to return for family visits during Christmas and New Year. He describes the enduring pull of his homeland and its role in shaping his life and career, insisting the connection will never diminish.
Next year will mark 30 years since the release of Trainspotting, in which Carlyle’s portrayal of the notorious Begbie became iconic. He says he remains grateful for a career landmark that continues to resonate with audiences. Looking ahead, Carlyle says he is developing a new outing featuring further adventures of Begbie, inspired by Irvine Welsh’s novella The Blade Artist. He indicates there is a six-hour script in development that could be staged as a TV event in the next couple of years, though no firm production timetable has been announced.
While The Hack is a fictionalized, multi-stranded drama, its creation comes in the wake of a broader reckoning with the phone-hacking era. The series reflects on the scandal that contributed to the closure of News of the World and triggered reforms in press ethics and policing practices. The timing coincides with ongoing discussions about integrity in journalism and the ongoing visibility of the individuals who shaped that pivotal period in media history.
The full interview with Carlyle can be heard on The Saturday Show, which airs on BBC Radio Scotland from 09:00 to 12:00 on weekends and is also available on BBC Sounds.
The Hack is a production that seeks to balance dramatic storytelling with the real-world consequences of investigative journalism, including the cases that have left a lasting impact on the institutions involved and the families touched by the events of the 1990s and early 2000s. Carlyle stresses his commitment to presenting a credible portrayal while acknowledging the complexities of the era and the people who lived through it.
