Checking in with WILL POULTER
Will Poulter had never worked with Lucy Boynton or Hugh Laurie prior to “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” But he would be more than happy to do so again.
In the Agatha Christie mystery, which currently streams on Britbox, Poulter (“Dopesick”) stars as Bobby Jones, the son of a local vicar who with his sharp-witted friend, socialite Frankie Derwent (Boynton, “Bohemian Rhapsody”), gets drawn into a crime-solving adventure when Bobby finds a man’s crumpled body at the bottom of a cliff, his dying words being the cryptic question of the title.
The investigation that ensues is heavy on banter, which relies as much on the script as the chemistry between the two leads. For his part, Poulter has high praise for his co-star.
“(Lucy is) just a genuinely lovely person and she’s such a collaborative creative,” the British actor says, “and it was so great to be able to turn to the person opposite you at any given moment and unload insecurities and things I was unsure about or questions I might have and have the kind of support she offered. She was brilliant and I was really glad that we got on as well as we did from the (beginning) because I think it really helped us in the performances as those two characters and their dynamic.”
As for Laurie, his thumbprint is all over this. He not only adapted the script from the novel but also executive produced and directed all three episodes. Poulter, a longtime Laurie fan, was impressed not only by the veteran actor’s knowledge of many topics but also his attention to detail.
“(He) has this granular appreciation of the details in the character and the world that they inhabit,” he says. “And that probably speaks to what a great actor Hugh is as well. I think he could speak to us in a language that we really understood and it just made being directed by him all the more pleasurable.”
Birth name: William Jack Poulter
Birth date: Jan. 28, 1993
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England
Family ties: Single, the son of a physician and a nurse
Television credits include: “Comedy Lab,” “Lead Balloon,” “School of Comedy,” “The Fades,” “The Underground Railroad,” “Dopesick”
Movie credits: “Son of Rambow” (2007), “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” (2010), “Wild Bill” (2011), “We’re the Millers” (2013), “The Maze Runner” (2014), “The Revenant” (2015), “Kids in Love” (2016), “Detroit” (2017), “Maze Runner: Death Cure” (2018), “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” (2018), “Midsommar” (2019), “The Score” (2021), “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (forthcoming)
Favorite book: “My favorite book is probably ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Anthony Bourdain, rest in peace. Just such a brilliant man. I really loved what he put out into the world and ‘Kitchen Confidential’ was so inspiring to me. I’ve said that if I wasn’t an actor, I’d love to be a chef . ... And a book I read recently that I also love is Kwame Onwuachi’s ‘Notes From a Young Black Chef,’ which has kind of been described as the literary heir to ‘Kitchen Confidential,’ and it’s just another amazing read.”
Favorite movie: “There’s a film called ‘Victoria’ that I love. It’s like the one-take film that’s really, really special. ‘Hook’ was one of my favorite films growing up, kind of my ultimate nostalgia film, and the performances of Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman were just really, really impactful. So I love that film.”
Favorite musical artist: “Kendrick Lamar is my favorite musical artist of all time. I think he’s, for me, possibly the greatest artist ever and one of the best musicians ever. And I can’t wait for him to drop an album. I’m like patiently waiting but sort of checking every day to see
if it’s happened.”