Where do you think the show’s appeal lies?

There seems to be a real renaissance of fantasy and intelligent programming which is why people watch Grimm and Game Of Thrones. I don’t know if that corresponds with the economy falling apart and people wanting more escapism. One thing that’s been very sweet and very surprising is how many families watch this. I get tremendous amounts of response from kids, mothers and fathers. It’s surprising because I don’t think it’s suitable for all ages.

Do you think children still read those old fairytales?

I like to think so. Kids seem to be much savvier now and their sense of humour is much dryer, more sarcastic. They’re also a lot less affected by violence so it seems. But there is an element of the show, a fun imaginative side, that I think they can relate to.

Did you read fairytales while growing up?

I have a recollection of my grandfather reading those tales which would just captivate my brother and me. He had a real capacity for storytelling and was very inspiring. The tales appealed because I really did liked to daydream, which got me in a lot of trouble.

Your character has a certain ambiguity...

Yes, and there’s been great feedback from viewers who want to know if my character’s good or bad. Those characters are a lot of fun to play. Renard’s motivations have been a very slow burn, a very slow reveal. It’s very difficult in the first season because you don’t know if you’re going to be able to bring those out. We’ll get a bit more freedom in the second season I hope. It’s definitely heading to an interesting place.

GRIMM Season 1 is out on DVD/Blu-ray from October 22.