Why did Daniel Mays need counselling?

Daniel Mays says playing John Worboys took a mental toll

Daniel Mays, the actor behind a dark upcoming TV drama about serial sex offender John Worboys, says he needed counselling to cope with the role.

Mays is set to portray Worboys in the drama “Believe Me.” He has described the experience as taking “definitely took its toll,” and said counselling was required as part of getting through the mental and emotional burden of depicting a figure responsible for serious violence.

The story matters because it highlights the psychological cost actors can face when portraying real-world offenders—especially where the subject matter involves sexual violence and exploitation. Even when performances are fictionalized and researched with care, embodying an abuser’s persona can leave lasting stress.

It also points to a broader shift in how productions approach “heavy” roles. The need for professional support suggests the mental-health side of acting is increasingly treated as integral—not optional—when material is traumatic.

From a viewer perspective, this may shape expectations about the show’s intensity: actors themselves are signaling that the process isn’t routine and that the production likely handled the material with emotional seriousness.

No additional details were provided about the type of counselling, how long it lasted, or whether it was provided by the production or arranged privately. But the central, factual takeaway remains: Mays says portraying Worboys required counselling, underscoring that the role carried a significant personal impact.