Magpie Murders Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan. emCredit Eleventh Hour Films/Nick Wall/PBS/em

British actor Tim McMullan (62), perhaps best known for playing Atticus Pünd in the BBC mystery dramas Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, has blepharophimosis syndrome, a rare genetic condition giving him distinctive-looking eyes.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, McMullan said he was drawn to the popular BBC production because of the Pünd character. "He's the main reason I wanted to do it; he's such a beguiling character. He's this mixture of super intelligence and a computer-like brain to decode and unravel mysteries that everyone else misses, but at the same time he's got this heart – he's very compassionate for why people do things. He doesn't judge people, he just tries to understand why they behave in the way they do.”

Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, McMullan is known for his extensive work on stage and screen. New Zealand viewers may also recognise him from big screen hits like Shadowlands, The Fifth Element, Shakespeare in Love and The Queen.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, blepharophimosis – short for blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) – is characterised by narrow eye openings, droopy eyelids and a skin fold extending from the lower eyelid to the upper eyelid near the inner corner of the eye. Caused by a mutation in the FOXL2 gene, BPES is a congenital genetic condition affecting an estimated 1 in 50,000 births across the world. It can be categorised into two types: type I is associated with premature ovarian failure in females, while type II involves only eyelid malformations.