Shaun Evans playing John Sweeney in Until I Kill You and Sweeney inset
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Until I Kill You actor Shaun Evans on ‘really good money’ he got for playing John Sweeney

The real-life story is currently the focus of an ITV drama

Shaun Evans recently admitted his “hesitation” over playing Until I Kill You serial killer John Sweeney.

The series, currently on ITV1, dramatises the haunting true story of Sweeney’s killing spree, based on the recollections of one of his girlfriends, Delia Balmer.

John, currently serving life without parole, murdered two women before decapitating them and dumping their bodies in canals. He also held Delia hostage, tied to a bed, for four days and later attacked her with a hammer and axe. She survived, and was involved in the making of the ITV1 series.

Shaun Evans playing John Sweeney in Until I Kill You
Shaun Evans plays John Sweeney in ITV’s Until I Kill You (Credit: ITV)

Until I Kill You actor Shaun Evans on ‘hesitation’ over role

Speaking to The Times, Shaun was asked if he worried ahead of accepting the role if the dramatisation “could join the long list of dramas that cynically play on female fears”.

I got paid really good money for it, as actors can do. Who cares how hard it was?

The paper noted that he nodded and said: “I completely agree. And that was a lot of my hesitation going into it too, and why I was on the fence for a while.”

When he did decide to take on the role, Shaun said he had to tap into his dark side to play the serial killer. He revealed that photocopies of Sweeney’s drawings – which depicted the murders – helped him to “see exactly what was going on in his mind” at the time of the killings.

Shaun Evans playing John Sweeney in Until I Kill You
The actor said he did ‘hesitate’ before signing up for the role (Credit: ITV)

‘Pretty dark material’

Speaking about the gruesome artwork that he kept in his trailer, he said: “I didn’t look at them every time. But I had them as a sort of presence to see exactly what was going on in his mind, and also how that was going to be represented. Pretty dark material.”

However, he did add: “I got paid really good money for it, as actors can do. Who cares how hard it was?”

Until I Kill You is on ITV, November 3-6, at 9pm. The companion documentary, Until I Kill You: The Real Story, is on November 7 at 9pm.

Read more: John Sweeney’s son on ‘haunting’ final meeting with his serial killer dad

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor