Rufus Sewell: ‘Gut feeling is a powerful thing’
Rufus Sewell is fascinated by the ‘quite poisonous’ tales of Agatha Christie. He doesn’t believe in witchcraft, but he does find himself fascinated by the lies we all tell – both to ourselves and to others – and believes we should follow our gut instinct…
The darkly handsome Rufus Sewell – star of Victoria, The Man in the HighCastle and most recently, the film Judy, with Oscar-nominated Renée Zellweger – is perfectly cast in his latest role as a suave, enigmatic widower in BBC One’s muchanticipated Agatha Christie adaptation, The PaleHorse. When a murder investigation is launched, a mysterious list of names is discovered. Rufus plays widowed antique dealer, Mark Easterbrook, who is on said list – and launches his own private investigation, leading him to the eerie home of a trio of rumoured witches in the village of Much Deeping… Here, the very private fatherof-two - an unlikely sex symbol at 52 (‘I have no qualms about it - I’m just a piece of meat!’) talks about the supernatural, and trusting your instinct…
Are you a big Agatha Christie fan?
I’ve always loved watching Agatha Christies on TV – they remind me of sitting in front of the fire at Christmas. What appealed to me with this, was that the sophistication and luxury my character moves in is only possible if it’s supported by this seedy underbelly. I couldn’t put the script down.
You play a pretty complex character, don’t you?
Yes, Mark’s a quiet, complicated man – but, superficially, a lot of fun to play! Especially driving that car of his. Agatha Christie is quite warped in her own way – lovely on the surface, dark underneath. There’s something quite poisonous about her work, which I love! It’s all about the lies we tell ourselves, and others. And everyone lies, it’s part of being human.
Mark is very sceptical of the paranormal. Are you?
I’m not a ‘ believer’. I believe there’s more to the universe than what we can see, but not in terms of ‘witches’. I find it all fascinating and I know there are practising witches. But the
spells, the pointy hats – they’re clichés, and I’m a big fan of the clichés!
What’s it like being like to be transported back to 1961?
England in this period is new to me – it feels like a different world. It’s an exciting period to explore – with great suits! I come from a different background to Mark, so I enjoyed slipping into that.
Did anything creepy happen on set?
Ha, well there was definitely an atmosphere. When we were filming in Bisley village, a ghostly face kept appearing at the window of one of the houses… OK, I’m joking. But it was slightly eerie filming it. Someone on set said the temperature when you arrive down into the heart of the village, is two degrees colder than outside it. Make of that what you will…
Do you see yourself in Mark at all?
I do connect with him, but the ‘why’ is mysterious to me. He tries to pull off this polished type – and does a good job. He’s flashy with his car, his women– but he’s ignorant about his own make-up. I have a gut reaction to roles. It’s the same in life – your gut feeling is powerful, you should follow it.
Do you enjoy watching yourself on screen?
Oh, it’s a strange experience. Everyone tends to have a problem with is the unchangeable fact of yourself. It’s like, the first time you hear yourself on tape. You’re thinking, ‘Please let me have any other voice than this?!’ I’ve got better over the years, though.
You played a tough-guy producer in how was that?
I’d always loved Judy Garland – and Renée Zellweger! First day on set, Renée came up to me to say hi, all done up just like Judy Garland, with the teeth, the hair, the whole lot... it was bizarre. So, the person I met was… this strange mix of the two. Eventually, I met the real Renée, who was lovely.
What are you up to next?
A film out later this year called The Father, with Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, about an old man who’s losing it, I play his daughter’s husband – that was exciting. And something else I can’t talk about yet!
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Judy,
Stick to your guns. And, don’t worry about where something might lead – just do it, for its own sake. Savour the moment – because no matter how much you might want to, you have no control over where life will take you next.
l ThePaleHorse is on BBC One on Sunday.