James Norton Rocks Gory Makeup While Sharing Behind-The-Scenes Snaps From The Happy Valley Finale

James Norton took to Instagram on Wednesday to share some behind-the-scenes snaps and clips from Happy Valley season three.

The 37-year-old actor, who played Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC crime drama, sported bloody make-up as he posed with crew members while filming the final episode.

In other sneak peeks, he showed a terrified expression as he posed in front of a giant LED screen, which was used to film a fascinating car scene.

Set against Jake Bugg’s Trouble Town, James was joined by actors who played criminal gang members and hitmen, as well as actor Greg Kolpakchi, who plays Zeljko Knezevic.

In his caption, the McMafia star wrote: ‘BTS from Series 3 [kiss emoji] #Happy Valley.’

Happy Valley used a Hollywood stuntman to set Tommy on fire in the latest confrontation with Sergeant Catherine Cawood.

7.5 million viewers tuned in Sunday night as the murderous villain doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire after coming face to face with the police officer for the last time.

Determined to make the kitchen fire as real as possible, the producers enlisted British stuntman Leo Woodruff to enact the nail-biting scenes.

Leo, who has performed stunts in the Bond films No Time to Die, Batman and Marvel, had to set himself on fire twice so BBC show bosses could capture the perfect sequence.

A television insider said: “The producers of Happy Valley wanted to deliver as sensational and realistic a final scene as possible and while the first moments where Tommy lights up are done using CGI, the rest of it was real.

“The moment he is seen standing up and writhing in agony as the flames engulf him is where Leo really caught himself on fire,” the source added. Sun.

“He was wearing specialist protective clothing and gel on any exposed skin areas, then fell to the ground, as planned, and was immediately extinguished by his fellow stunt coordinators.”

It comes as James gave his take on the fiery ending of his character Tommy.

Hilarious: In other sneak peeks, he flashed a terrified expression as he posed against a giant LED screen, which was used to film a fascinating car scene.

Melody: Overlaid the montage against Jake Bugg’s troubled town.

The emotional villain became aware of the life his 16-year-old son Ryan had led, a childhood far removed from his troubled upbringing, after going through photo albums of the teen and his late ex Becky.

By the time Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) got home, Tommy had already drunk whiskey and popped pills before pulling off the dramatic stunt when he declared he didn’t want to go back to prison, only to be extinguished by Sergeant throwing a crocheted blanket. about him.

At the end of the show, at Catherine’s daughter Becky’s grave, she receives a text that Tommy has died at the hospital.

speaking to G.Q.James praised writer Sally Wainwright for giving the ending a very “human” feel.

Gang: James is joined by actors who have played members of criminal gangs and hitmen, as well as actor Greg Kolpakchi, who plays Zeljko Knezevic.

Gruesome: The actor, 37, who played Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC crime drama, sported gory makeup as he posed with crew members while filming the final episode

Sneak peek: In his caption, the McMafia star wrote: ‘BTS from Series 3 [kiss emoji] #Happy Valley’

He said: “The ending was kind of perfect, in a Sally Wainwright kind of way. It was fireworks, but it wasn’t fireworks. I was sitting on a kitchen table and that’s where ‘Happy Valley’ really thrived.

That is the heart of the whole show. Tea cups on kitchen tables in Yorkshire kitchens. It’s not a great gimmick set on wires and cliff jumping, guns and fireworks. He is gentle, he is domestic, he is human.

James also spoke about the ‘constant question’ of whether Tommy is a ‘psychopath’, saying he has done bad things but there is ‘humanity’ in the character.

He said: ‘I’ve talked about this with the people in the production and Sally and Sarah. The clues were almost given in the first series, in episode five, when he has just been stabbed and is faced with his own mortality, his own death.

And he’s sitting on that tall building and he starts crying. He thinks, “Shit, I’ve wasted my life and if I’d had a different childhood, maybe it could have been something in me.”

“And if you think back then, that’s where Sally was already planning and forging this ending, I think, because there’s humanity there.”

Critics and fans agreed with James, with many viewers praising the episode as “a masterpiece” and “one of the best TV endings ever”.

Co-stars: James recently reflected on the explosive ending with Sarah Lancashire: ‘The ending was perfect, in a Sally Wainwright kind of way. It was fireworks but it wasn’t fireworks’