TOM BATEMAN
THE HOT NEW STAR OF ‘BEECHAM HOUSE’ IS CLEARLY DESTINED FOR STARDOM!
From starring in TV series like Da Vinci’s Demons, Jekyll & Hyde and Vanity Fair to big-screen appearances in Murder on the Orient Express and Snatched, actor Tom Bateman has built quite an impressive résumé. The 31-year-old has starred alongside the likes of Johnny Depp and Dame Judi Dench, and is rumoured to be engaged to former co-star Daisy Ridley – all the makings of a Hollywood star!
In Beecham House, Bateman plays ex-soldier John Beecham, an independent trader who arrives in Delhi in 1795 determined to leave his past behind him and become the new master of an estate. Here, Bateman shares why he was drawn to the role and why he keeps going back to period dramas …
What attracted you to the role?
For me it always comes down to script and characters. I was sent the first three scripts and I really wanted to know what happened next. I got very invested in all the characters. There’s a great line that John says which is, “I’m not here to build walls” and I thought the idea of working with two very different cultures would be very interesting.
Why is John so appealing to play? I’ve never played a character with so
much weight to him. My characters are normally quite energetic, but John is very strong, quite hard and you don’t really know who he is at first. He internalises, he’s a man of mystery. He’s got a baby but there’s no mother and he doesn’t tell anybody anything about that, which instantly makes you think something’s going on.
Why another period drama?
They look beautiful, they’re very rich in composition. You’re instantly in another world. And horses! You don’t get to see horses that often. But for me, the reason I love filming period dramas is that they instantly make you act differently. People don’t talk about their feelings as much. They don’t say, “Oh, I really fancy you”. And you don’t touch each other. So you have to add another way of expressing those feelings, which is really fun.
What was filming like?
I can’t even put into words how hard India was. I lost so much weight … it was just a really hard time. You’re pinching yourself, going, “This is amazing. There are thousands of other actors who would have killed for this part. You’re so lucky”. That doesn’t make it not hard.
(Premieres Sat., Jul. 11, 8.30pm on 10)