How a body double keeps Poldark out of the saddle
WHEN he’s galloping along the rugged Cornish coastline or staring out to sea broodingly from the back of his steed, he looks the perfect gallant hero.
But not all of Aidan Turner’s horse-riding scenes as the dashing Ross Poldark are as they seem... for it turns out he has a body double.
The 33-year-old actor does sometimes appear on horseback himself – including in the iconic moments where he rides along the clifftops. However, the BBC has now confirmed that, for insurance reasons, a stunt double is brought in for some of the trickier rides.
But if any fans of Turner’s rippling muscles are worried he uses a body double elsewhere too, they will be reassured to know the actor performs all of his topless scenes himself, including the time he famously scythed shirtless in a field. The Irish star returned to our screens on Sunday in the start of the show’s second series and is currently filming the third season.
Last year he admitted he lied about his horse-riding skills to get the part of Poldark. Only after season one had aired on TV did he tell producers he had over-played how much riding experience he got while playing the dwarf Kili in The Hobbit.
In a panel discussion last October, executive producer Karen Thrussell said: ‘He told me two weeks ago that he didn’t ride a lot in The Hobbit. He just lied to get the part.’
Turner’s double is Ben Atkinson, a professional stunt rider working for his parents’ company Action Horses, which owns and trains horses for Poldark, including Turner’s horse Seamus. It also provides horses for other shows including rival ITV programme Victoria.
Mr Atkinson is rumoured to be dating Eleanor Tomlinson, who plays Poldark’s wife Demelza.
‘Lied to get the part’